Are Orchids Safe for Cats?
Introduction
Continuing along the same vein as our previous posts about plants, today we will talk about orchids. Orchids are a great addition to the rest of your houseplants and can really brighten things up. But how will your cats react to this new plant in its midst? Can orchids and cats coexist? Most likely your cat will come out the victor as they can be quite destructive at times. But will the orchid fight back? Can it poison your cat?
Are orchids toxic to cats?
Most people believe that orchids are poisonous to cats but that is not the case. Orchids are listed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) as a non-toxic plant. While orchids are beautiful plants and also safe for your cats, many of them require fertilizer grow and stay alive. Although the orchid is safe for your cat, pesticides and fertilizers are not. If you do decide to use fertilizer to help your orchid grow, keep it far away from your cat. Fertilizer poisoning symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, drooling, difficulty breathing and overall weakness to name a few. If you suspect your cat has ingested fertilizer, get them to the veterinarian immediately.
Try eliminating risks when using fertilizers by placing it at the roots and under the soil instead of the leaves or stems. Another way to eliminate this risk would be to use natural or organic alternatives that are safe for your cat
Are all orchids safe for cats?
There are many varieties of orchids out there so a good question to ask is are the other varieties safe s well? Vanda orchids, Cattleya orchids, Miltonia orchids and others are all non-toxic to cats. Few reports of any plants from the orchid family have been made about poisoning a cat.
Orchids are not dangerous to cats but the same cannot be said the other way around. Because orchids are safe for cats you may relax your attention when your cat is around it. Cats love to chew and rip things and plants are not an exception. If your cat enjoys tearing things apart, your orchid may be in danger of being destroyed. If you enjoy having orchids around the house, keep them away from your cats for their own sake.
Conclusion
As discussed above, orchids of any kind are safe for cats. That does not mean you should go around letting your cat eat your orchids as it still can cause indigestion and vomiting if too much is consumed. Also, if your cats like to rip things apart, your orchid probably won’t last long in their presence.
Orchids also require fertilizer to grow and stay alive and fertilizer is poisonous to cats. If fertilizer is used make sure it is not accessible to the cats or you will most likely be taking a trip to the vet to save your cat.
I hope you found this post helpful. If there are any cat questions about this or any other topic, do not hesitate to reach out and ask. If the answer is not already in one of my other blog posts I may include that information in a future blog post.