Can my cat eat this?

31 items

• True lilies and dayliliesPlantLife-threatening

  For cats, licking a little pollen off their fur can cause fatal kidney failure. Dogs usually only get an upset stomach. The safest choice is no lilies in a home with a cat.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: cats: vomiting, drooling, hiding, not eating, peeing more then less, dogs: mild stomach upset

  When: Cats: vomiting within 2 hours, kidney failure in 1 to 3 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Sago palmPlantLife-threatening

  Causes liver failure. Even one seed can be dangerous.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, yellow gums, bruising, seizures

  When: 15 minutes to a few hours; liver failure in 2 to 3 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• OleanderPlantLife-threatening

  Affects the heart even in small amounts.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, vomiting, abnormal heartbeat, weakness, collapse

  When: Within a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)HouseholdLife-threatening

  Treatment must start within hours to work. If you even suspect your pet licked antifreeze, go now; do not wait for signs.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: wobbly like drunk, vomiting, drinking a lot, then seems better, then kidney failure

  When: 30 minutes to hours; kidney failure in 1 to 3 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Rat and mouse poisonHouseholdLife-threatening

  Bring the packet: the ingredient name changes the treatment completely. Pets can also be poisoned by eating poisoned rodents.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: weakness, pale gums, nosebleeds, bruising, coughing, wobbliness, seizures, drinking a lot

  When: Clotting poisons: 3 to 7 days. Others: hours to 2 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Slug and snail bait (metaldehyde)HouseholdLife-threatening

  Often called shake and bake because of tremors and overheating. Treat as an emergency.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: anxiety, drooling, tremors, very high temperature, seizures

  When: Within 1 to 3 hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Ibuprofen, naproxen and other pain relievers (NSAIDs)Human medicineLife-threatening

  One tablet can cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure, especially in cats. Never give your pet a human painkiller.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, black stools, not eating, drinking and peeing more, wobbliness

  When: Stomach ulcers within hours to days; kidney damage 1 to 5 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Vitamin D supplements and psoriasis creamsHuman medicineLife-threatening

  High-strength supplements and psoriasis creams can cause kidney failure. A licked tube is an emergency.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, not eating, drinking and peeing more, weakness

  When: 12 to 36 hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Wild mushroomsPlantLife-threatening

  Treat any wild mushroom as dangerous. Take a photo or the mushroom itself (in a paper bag) to the vet.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, wobbliness, yellow gums, seizures

  When: 15 minutes to 12 hours; liver signs 1 to 2 days later

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• ChocolateFoodSevere

  Dogs eat it far more often than cats, but both are affected. The darker the chocolate and the smaller the pet, the more dangerous it is.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness, fast heart rate, tremors, seizures

  When: 6 to 12 hours, can last days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Onions, garlic, leeks and chivesFoodSevere

  Damages red blood cells and causes anaemia. Cats are more sensitive than dogs, and repeated small amounts add up.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, weakness, pale gums, fast breathing, red or brown urine

  When: Stomach upset in 1 day; anaemia 2 to 5 days later

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Coffee, tea, energy drinks and caffeine pillsFoodSevere

  Overstimulates the heart and nervous system. Pills and grounds are much more dangerous than a lick of a latte.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: restlessness, panting, vomiting, racing heart, tremors, seizures

  When: 30 minutes to 2 hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• AlcoholFoodSevere

  Small amounts cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, temperature and breathing, especially in small pets.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: wobbliness, vomiting, drowsiness, slow breathing, low body temperature, collapse

  When: 30 minutes to 1 hour

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Raw bread doughFoodSevere

  The dough swells in the stomach and the yeast makes alcohol. Both can be dangerous.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: swollen belly, retching without bringing anything up, wobbliness, drowsiness

  When: 30 minutes to a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Azaleas and rhododendronsPlantSevere

  A few leaves can upset the heart rhythm.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, vomiting, weakness, slow heart rate, collapse

  When: Within a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Garden and household insecticidesHouseholdSevere

  Older garden insecticides can be very dangerous. Bait stations are mostly a chewing hazard.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, small pupils, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle twitching, breathing trouble

  When: Minutes to a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Essential oils and liquid potpourriHouseholdSevere

  Never put essential oils on a pet's skin. Cats are especially sensitive; passive diffusers in a ventilated room are lower risk than drips and sprays.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, tremors, breathing trouble, chemical burns in the mouth

  When: Minutes to a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Batteries and button cellsHouseholdSevere

  A chewed or swallowed battery needs a vet now. Do not make your pet vomit.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, pawing at the mouth, not eating, vomiting, black stools

  When: Burns start within 1 to 2 hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Antidepressants and ADHD medicinesHuman medicineSevere

  Pills dropped on the floor are a common cause of poisoning. Keep pill organisers out of reach.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: agitation, dilated pupils, tremors, high temperature, vomiting, seizures

  When: 30 minutes to a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Nicotine and cannabis productsHuman medicineSevere

  E-liquid refills and edibles are the most concentrated. Tell your vet honestly what was eaten; they are there to help, not judge.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: nicotine: vomiting, racing heart, tremors, cannabis: wobbliness, dribbling urine, low heart rate, sleepiness

  When: 15 minutes to 1 hour

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Flavoured pet medicine overdosePet medicineSevere

  Flavoured chews are one of the most common causes of calls to poison lines. Never give one pet's medicine to another.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, black stools, not eating, drinking and peeing more, tremors

  When: Hours to days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Mouldy food and compostFoodSevere

  Rubbish bins and compost heaps hide mouldy food that can cause severe tremors.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, restlessness, tremors, high temperature, seizures

  When: 30 minutes to a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currantsFoodModerate

  Can cause sudden kidney failure in dogs, even in small amounts. Fewer cases are reported in cats, but treat any amount as an emergency.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting within hours, lethargy, loss of appetite, belly pain, drinking and peeing less

  When: Vomiting in 6 to 24 hours, kidney damage over 1 to 3 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Early treatment works best, often before signs show. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.

• Macadamia nutsFoodModerate

  Causes weakness and wobbliness, mostly reported in dogs. Often eaten in cookies that also contain chocolate.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: weakness, especially back legs, wobbly walking, tremors, vomiting, fever

  When: Within 12 hours, usually gone in 1 to 2 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline for advice now: amount and body weight decide whether treatment is needed. Keep the packet or a photo of the plant.

• Xylitol (birch sugar)FoodModerate

  One of the most dangerous household items for dogs: a few pieces of gum can be enough. Data in cats is limited, so keep it away from them too.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, weakness, wobbliness, collapse, seizures

  When: 15 minutes to 12 hours; liver damage can follow in 1 to 3 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline now, even if your pet seems fine. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet, plant or label with you.

• Fatty food, cooked bones and leftoversFoodModerate

  Holiday leftovers are a classic cause of pancreatitis and bone blockages.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, belly pain, hunched posture, diarrhoea, straining to poop

  When: Hours to 2 days

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline for advice now: amount and body weight decide whether treatment is needed. Keep the packet or a photo of the plant.

• Tulip, hyacinth and daffodil bulbsPlantModerate

  Dogs digging up bulbs is the usual way in. Daffodils are the most dangerous of the three.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, daffodils: tremors and heart rhythm changes

  When: Within a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline for advice now: amount and body weight decide whether treatment is needed. Keep the packet or a photo of the plant.

• Cyclamen and kalanchoePlantModerate

  Popular gift plants. Small nibbles usually upset the stomach; larger amounts can affect the heart.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, rarely heart rhythm changes

  When: Within a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline for advice now: amount and body weight decide whether treatment is needed. Keep the packet or a photo of the plant.

• Bleach, drain cleaner and laundry podsHouseholdModerate

  Most diluted cleaners cause mild upset, but drain cleaners and laundry pods can burn the mouth and airway. Rinse the mouth gently; do not make your pet vomit.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, coughing, mouth ulcers

  When: Right away to a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline for advice now: amount and body weight decide whether treatment is needed. Keep the packet or a photo of the plant.

• De-icing salt and ice meltHouseholdModerate

  Pets lick it off their paws after winter walks. Wipe paws with a damp cloth when you get home.

  Call your vet now

  Signs: drooling, vomiting, sore red paws, drinking a lot, wobbliness

  When: Within a few hours

  What to do: Call your vet or a pet poison helpline for advice now: amount and body weight decide whether treatment is needed. Keep the packet or a photo of the plant.

• Peace lily, pothos, philodendron and dieffenbachiaPlantMild

  Common houseplants that sting the mouth. Painful but rarely dangerous; despite the name, a peace lily is not a true lily.

  Call your vet if signs appear

  Signs: pawing at the mouth, drooling, foaming, vomiting, swollen lips

  When: Right away

  What to do: Usually only mouth or stomach upset. Remove what is left, rinse the mouth with a little water, and call your vet if vomiting continues, your pet stops eating or seems unwell.