I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love a beautiful garden filled with a large array of colours. Although we don’t currently have a garden, my partner and I have dreamed up what our garden would look like if we ever do get the opportunity to buy a house.
I wouldn’t say that many folks think about whether or not the things they are planting are safe for the neighbourhood animals, but growing up in the part of the city that I did helped make me that much more aware of the plants that could be considered harmful to pets and strays. (This was merely due to the fact that our area statistically had the highest amount of strays and colonies in the Greater Toronto Area.)
It’s easy to adopt the mentality that we should just plant things until there’s a problem, however, this can prove extremely harmful especially if cats have nowhere to turn to when they feel sick. Being that some locations have such high populations of strays, it’s not uncommon for these strays to get hurt or ill and wander off alone until they recover or, well… pass on. So it’s a bit of our responsibility to educate ourselves about the plants that could potentially harm the neighbourhood animals so we can avoid them and plant alternatives.
SO ARE SUNFLOWERS TOXIC TO CATS?
According to the ASPCA, sunflowers are not toxic towards cats.
SO SHOULD I EVER WORRY IF MY CAT EATS A SUNFLOWER?
Although sunflowers are considered non-toxic to cats if enough of the flower is ingested it may cause upset to a cat’s stomach. A cat may begin feeling nauseous and may even vomit repeatedly. In some circumstances, a cat may experience diarrhea though this is less common.
If you notice that your cat is showing signs of discomfort or are exhibiting any behaviours such as vomiting it is recommended that you contact your vet immediately. Your vet should be able to let you know whether or not your cat will need to go in for IV fluids as vomiting can lead to dehydration.
CONCLUSION
All-in-all sunflowers are a beautiful and extremely cat-friendly plant to have around the house or in the backyard!
So, I’m curious pet parents. How many of you have sunflowers in or around the house? Let me know in the comments below!
We do not specifically plant sunflowers, but they do grow in our yard as volunteers from the seeds that fall from the bird feeders.. Some get quite large and beautiful. Then the squirrels come and use them as ladders to access the seeds, MOL! But, they being heavier than birds, mostly break off the plants and they do not get to the feeders, and I have to rescue the blooms in a vase to continue their beauteous presence in our kitchen. Pipo and my other kitties in the past do not try to eat them. Benji is a crazy pup and tries to eat the seeds. He must be a bird in disguise! MOL!
This was so sweet to read! Thank you for sharing <3.
I'm debating growing some safe plants around our apartment, or maybe evening hanging some from the ceiling. I'm not the most avid gardener, so I don't know much about indoor apartment plants. But I'm sure the internet is full of ideas!
It's great that your cats don't try eating the sunflowers! But that little Benji 😉 He may just be a bird in disguise!