The African violet (also known as Cape marigold) is a year-round flower and a common houseplant. Not many cat owners will think about the safety of the plant species for their cat when they first purchase the plant, which can be dangerous if the plant is potentially poisonous to your cat. Fortunately for both African violet and cat lovers, this flowering plant is non-toxic and safe for your cat. This means that most parts of the African violet are not toxic or harmful to cats if consumed in small quantities. However, there are certain factors to consider before completely ruling out your African violet as safe for cats, which we explain in this article.
Can Cats Eat African Violets? Cats are curious creatures who are constantly exploring their environment and testing new things. Their curiosity may have driven them to take a bite out of your African violet, but before you panic, according to the ASPCA website, African violets are not poisonous to cats and can safely be grown in the same environment as cats. This includes the wild version as well, which generally grows in gardens. However, no pesticides, herbicides, or other growth-enhancing chemicals should be used during the growth stages of the African violet. These chemicals are hazardous to cats and are commonly used to speed up the violet’s growth phase or inject hormones to cause the plant to bloom for increased sales at a nursery. It is reassuring that the plant itself is safe, but when it comes to ingestion, potential toxins from common gardening chemicals put your cat’s health at risk.
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Why Is My Cat Eating My African Violet? A cat suffering from Pica (the urge to eat non-edible items) may begin to chew or eat items around the house. This can include houseplants, plastic, electrical cord, and other unusual items. Pica can be caused by a deficiency in their diet or stress. Pica requires veterinary treatment and dietary changes. If stress is believed to be the reason your cat is eating your houseplants, the stressor in the environment should be identified and removed. If you have recently acquired an African violet, then curiosity may have driven them to nibble on the plant. A problem occurs when your cat repeatedly eats your African violet, and then pica could be a possibility. African Violet Fertilizers and Herbicides Fertilizers and herbicides are commonly used to aid in a household or garden African violet’s growth and blooming. They are toxic to cats and can cause serious gastrointestinal problems unless treatment from a veterinarian is prompt. Understanding the danger of certain chemicals is just as important as identifying the plant species to determine if it is safe for your cat. Most household plants will come from a store such as a grocer or a plant nursery. Rarely, these places do not use certain chemicals on their plants. After all, these chemicals are great for the plant but bad for your cat. Herbicides and fertilizers can be placed in soil or added directly to the plant. Unfortunately, these chemicals can be stored in the plant for years. Before purchasing an African violet, ask the store about the plant’s history and if any chemicals have been used on the plant. If these chemicals were used over 5 years ago, likely, these chemicals have already been diluted enough to be safe for cats. Which Parts of African Violets Are Safe for Cats? All parts of the African violet are safe for cats if they were to be ingested. This includes the leaves, flowers, roots, and stems of the plant. However, you should still ensure that your cat does not try to eat African violets even if they are not poisonous to cats. The African violet has thin, fuzzy prickles covering the stem, which can be irritating to your cat’s soft tissue which includes their mouth and throat. Your cat can suffer from diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting if they do eat a large amount of the African violet because their body is unable to properly digest large amounts of plants. How to Stop Cats From Eating African Violets Image Credit: Beatrice Abrahamsson, Shutterstock If you have a reoccurring problem with your cat eating your houseplants, it is best to investigate their diet to determine if a certain nutrient is missing from their staple food. A cat that has a balanced and complete diet to suit its carnivorous dietary requirements, will rarely continue to seek different food sources, especially from plants that do not taste good to cats. Using effective and safe measures to protect both your cats and houseplants is important. You want to use methods that can be used in the long term. Cat repellent sprays are highly recommended to keep cats away from your plants. Indoor Plants Cats are sensitive to smells, so it is a good idea to make your plants smell unappealing to cats. We recommend using a cat-safe spray on your houseplants, such as Nature’s mace cat repellent for indoor houseplants. This can be sprayed along the entire plant and the surrounding area. It is non-toxic and safe for plants. The smell will repel your cat from wanting to be near the plant, without harming them. Outdoor Plants Cat repellents can also be used outdoors, but if you have a large number of plants growing in your garden, the Bonide outdoor cat repellent may be a better option. The bottle is larger and more effective at repelling cats from large areas outdoors. If you have wild African violets growing outside, you can pour this liquid into the surrounding area. Additionally, you can also use this on other outdoor plants that you do not want your cat to do near them. Keeping Houseplant with Cats Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock Many cat owners may be discouraged from keeping plants when they own cats, however, this does not have to be the case if you take precautions.
Ensure that the plant species is safe for cats, this means that the plant should be verified as cat-safe and non-toxic if your cat does ingest a part of the plant.
Buy organic plants, where no chemicals have been used or only natural and pet-safe chemicals have been used.
Keep the plants in a small vivarium in the house. This allows you to view the plant’s beauty in a restricted area that cats cannot reach.
Use cat repellents to keep your cat away from your plants if they keep trying to eat them.
Ensure that the plant’s pollen does not cause your cat to suffer from allergies. The blooming flowers should have little to no visible pollen.
Provide your cat with a balanced and varied protein-based diet so that your cat does not seek food sources elsewhere, such as your houseplants.
Final Thoughts Although African violets are not poisonous to cats, if you do witness your cat eating your African violet, it is best to take them to the vet to stay on the safe side. Monitor your cat’s behavior after they eat parts of the plant and ensure that safety measures are in place to deter your cat from doing this behavior again.
Featured Image Credit: African Violet_Khairil Azhar Junos, Shutterstock
The African violet (also known as Cape marigold) is a year-round flower and a common houseplant. Not many cat owners will think about the safety of the plant species for their cat when they first purchase the plant, which can be dangerous if the plant is potentially poisonous to your cat. Fortunately for both African violet and cat lovers, this flowering plant is non-toxic and safe for your cat.
This means that most parts of the African violet are not toxic or harmful to cats if consumed in small quantities. However, there are certain factors to consider before completely ruling out your African violet as safe for cats, which we explain in this article.
Can Cats Eat African Violets?
Cats are curious creatures who are constantly exploring their environment and testing new things. Their curiosity may have driven them to take a bite out of your African violet, but before you panic, according to the ASPCA website, African violets are not poisonous to cats and can safely be grown in the same environment as cats. This includes the wild version as well, which generally grows in gardens.
However, no pesticides, herbicides, or other growth-enhancing chemicals should be used during the growth stages of the African violet. These chemicals are hazardous to cats and are commonly used to speed up the violet’s growth phase or inject hormones to cause the plant to bloom for increased sales at a nursery.
It is reassuring that the plant itself is safe, but when it comes to ingestion, potential toxins from common gardening chemicals put your cat’s health at risk.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Dilek Y.D.A. (@momentscaptured_bydilek)
Why Is My Cat Eating My African Violet?
A cat suffering from Pica (the urge to eat non-edible items) may begin to chew or eat items around the house. This can include houseplants, plastic, electrical cord, and other unusual items. Pica can be caused by a deficiency in their diet or stress. Pica requires veterinary treatment and dietary changes. If stress is believed to be the reason your cat is eating your houseplants, the stressor in the environment should be identified and removed.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Dilek Y.D.A. (@momentscaptured_bydilek)
A post shared by Dilek Y.D.A. (@momentscaptured_bydilek)
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
If you have recently acquired an African violet, then curiosity may have driven them to nibble on the plant. A problem occurs when your cat repeatedly eats your African violet, and then pica could be a possibility.
African Violet Fertilizers and Herbicides
Fertilizers and herbicides are commonly used to aid in a household or garden African violet’s growth and blooming. They are toxic to cats and can cause serious gastrointestinal problems unless treatment from a veterinarian is prompt. Understanding the danger of certain chemicals is just as important as identifying the plant species to determine if it is safe for your cat. Most household plants will come from a store such as a grocer or a plant nursery. Rarely, these places do not use certain chemicals on their plants. After all, these chemicals are great for the plant but bad for your cat. Herbicides and fertilizers can be placed in soil or added directly to the plant. Unfortunately, these chemicals can be stored in the plant for years.
Before purchasing an African violet, ask the store about the plant’s history and if any chemicals have been used on the plant. If these chemicals were used over 5 years ago, likely, these chemicals have already been diluted enough to be safe for cats.
Which Parts of African Violets Are Safe for Cats?
All parts of the African violet are safe for cats if they were to be ingested. This includes the leaves, flowers, roots, and stems of the plant. However, you should still ensure that your cat does not try to eat African violets even if they are not poisonous to cats.
The African violet has thin, fuzzy prickles covering the stem, which can be irritating to your cat’s soft tissue which includes their mouth and throat.
Your cat can suffer from diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting if they do eat a large amount of the African violet because their body is unable to properly digest large amounts of plants.
How to Stop Cats From Eating African Violets
If you have a reoccurring problem with your cat eating your houseplants, it is best to investigate their diet to determine if a certain nutrient is missing from their staple food. A cat that has a balanced and complete diet to suit its carnivorous dietary requirements, will rarely continue to seek different food sources, especially from plants that do not taste good to cats.
Using effective and safe measures to protect both your cats and houseplants is important. You want to use methods that can be used in the long term. Cat repellent sprays are highly recommended to keep cats away from your plants.
Indoor Plants
Cats are sensitive to smells, so it is a good idea to make your plants smell unappealing to cats. We recommend using a cat-safe spray on your houseplants, such as Nature’s mace cat repellent for indoor houseplants. This can be sprayed along the entire plant and the surrounding area. It is non-toxic and safe for plants. The smell will repel your cat from wanting to be near the plant, without harming them.
Outdoor Plants
Cat repellents can also be used outdoors, but if you have a large number of plants growing in your garden, the Bonide outdoor cat repellent may be a better option. The bottle is larger and more effective at repelling cats from large areas outdoors. If you have wild African violets growing outside, you can pour this liquid into the surrounding area. Additionally, you can also use this on other outdoor plants that you do not want your cat to do near them.
Keeping Houseplant with Cats
Many cat owners may be discouraged from keeping plants when they own cats, however, this does not have to be the case if you take precautions.
Ensure that the plant species is safe for cats, this means that the plant should be verified as cat-safe and non-toxic if your cat does ingest a part of the plant.
Buy organic plants, where no chemicals have been used or only natural and pet-safe chemicals have been used.
Keep the plants in a small vivarium in the house. This allows you to view the plant’s beauty in a restricted area that cats cannot reach.
Use cat repellents to keep your cat away from your plants if they keep trying to eat them.
Ensure that the plant’s pollen does not cause your cat to suffer from allergies. The blooming flowers should have little to no visible pollen.
Provide your cat with a balanced and varied protein-based diet so that your cat does not seek food sources elsewhere, such as your houseplants.
Final Thoughts
Although African violets are not poisonous to cats, if you do witness your cat eating your African violet, it is best to take them to the vet to stay on the safe side. Monitor your cat’s behavior after they eat parts of the plant and ensure that safety measures are in place to deter your cat from doing this behavior again.
Ensure that the plant species is safe for cats, this means that the plant should be verified as cat-safe and non-toxic if your cat does ingest a part of the plant.
Buy organic plants, where no chemicals have been used or only natural and pet-safe chemicals have been used.
Keep the plants in a small vivarium in the house. This allows you to view the plant’s beauty in a restricted area that cats cannot reach.
Use cat repellents to keep your cat away from your plants if they keep trying to eat them.
Ensure that the plant’s pollen does not cause your cat to suffer from allergies. The blooming flowers should have little to no visible pollen.
Provide your cat with a balanced and varied protein-based diet so that your cat does not seek food sources elsewhere, such as your houseplants.
- Ensure that the plant species is safe for cats, this means that the plant should be verified as cat-safe and non-toxic if your cat does ingest a part of the plant.
- Buy organic plants, where no chemicals have been used or only natural and pet-safe chemicals have been used.
- Keep the plants in a small vivarium in the house. This allows you to view the plant’s beauty in a restricted area that cats cannot reach.
- Use cat repellents to keep your cat away from your plants if they keep trying to eat them.
- Ensure that the plant’s pollen does not cause your cat to suffer from allergies. The blooming flowers should have little to no visible pollen.
- Provide your cat with a balanced and varied protein-based diet so that your cat does not seek food sources elsewhere, such as your houseplants.
Featured Image Credit: African Violet_Khairil Azhar Junos, Shutterstock
