Getting new plants when you are a cat owner requires research.
Many plants pose a potential threat of toxicity to cats, so you need to ensure any plant you are interested in is safe to keep around.
Venus Flytraps are not poisonous to cats, but cat owners should still be careful that their pets do not eat them.
Table of Contents
- Are Venus Flytraps Poisonous To Cats?
- What Is A Venus Flytrap?
- What Happens If A Cat Eats A Venus Flytrap?
- Can A Cat Get Stuck In A Venus Flytrap?
- Preventing Cats From Eating House Plants
- Summary – Are Venus Fly Traps Poisonous To Cats?
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Are Venus Flytraps Poisonous To Cats?
While Venus flytraps are less friendly to your insect visitors, not only will they not eat your cat, but they are also non-toxic for them.
Let’s find out more:-
What Is A Venus Flytrap?
Venus flytraps are one of the planet’s most fascinating and well-known plants. They are known for their ability to trap and digest insects that land on them.
Using nectar, they attract insects to land on them, which triggers the leaves to shut, trapping the insect inside. The plant can take several days to digest its “meal”.
What Happens If A Cat Eats A Venus Flytrap?
If your cat ingests part of a Venus flytrap, don’t panic. Venus flytraps are not poisonous to cats and won’t cause significant harm.
Cats aren’t drawn to the plant like insects, so the smell or taste won’t attract them. Most often, ingestion of a Venus flytrap occurs when they’re playing and nibbling on it.
Since plants aren’t a regular part of a cat’s diet, they don’t digest them as quickly as omnivores and herbivores.
There’s a chance of potential digestive upset if a lot of the plant is consumed. Digestive symptoms could include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea.
Call your veterinarian for further guidance on handling the situation if you’re ever concerned about something your cat has eaten.
Can A Cat Get Stuck In A Venus Flytrap?
While the plant may be strong enough to trap insects, it is not powerful enough to keep hold of your cat.
If, for any reason, your cat were to trigger the plant to close, it would have no problem pulling away from the grasp of the plant without issue or risk of injury.
Preventing Cats From Eating House Plants
One of the most common pet problems is cats eating house plants. While watching your cat eat a treat may be cute, it’s not so adorable when they start gnawing on your plants or flowers.
To prevent this from happening, here are some tips for keeping your cats from munching on house plants:
1) Move plants or keep them out of reach – When you’re not using them, move any greenery (ferns and such) that might tempt a kitty into chewing on one of those pesky leaves.
2) Use a deterrent such as citrus spray or bitter apple – cats dislike these smells, but if they are extra curious and decide to take a bite, these tastes should put them off completely.
3) Train your cat – This may seem difficult, but it is possible to train your cat to keep them away from your plants. Positive reinforcement training, such as offering a treat when they move away from the plants, can help.
4) Get your cat a plant of their own – cat grass or catnip may give them something else to focus their attention on, so they leave your precious house plants alone.
Read here for more about keeping cats safe in the home.
Summary – Are Venus Fly Traps Poisonous To Cats?
As cat owners, we must be aware of the potential dangers certain plants can pose to our pets.
While Venus flytraps are safe for cats to eat, there is always a small risk of injury or poisoning.
If you have a Venus flytrap or other plants in your house and you’re concerned about your cat’s safety, sign up for our newsletter so that we can keep you updated on all the latest information related to this topic.
Related: Are Air Plants Toxic To Cats?
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