Are air plants toxic to cats?

Are Air Plants Toxic To Cats?

Cats are naturally fond of eating or chewing grass and plants. But a huge number of indoor plants are toxic to cats. So, the cat owner who has air plants in the garden is concerned that are air plants toxic to cats?

None of the 400 distinct varieties of air plants is toxic to cats. Even if it is not life-threatening for a cat, keeping air plants away from cats is recommended because Tillandsia or an air plant can cause a choking hazard to smaller animals like cats.

This guide would be helpful if you have a cat and some air pants at your home. We will discuss details on cats with the air plant. And also, you will know how to keep away a cat from reaching to air plant.

Are our air plants toxic to cats?

Tillandsia, also known as an air plant, are available in four hundred varieties. These are planted yearly to increase indoor, balcony or garden beauty. But keeping these beauty-enhancing plants is a concern to those who love plants and pets. That’s why many cat owners ask if air plants are poisonous to cats?

The greatest advantage of air plants that is they are non-toxic for pets, including cats. You can let your cat go on the balcony where you have some air plants. However, there might be potential problems because air plants are not harmful but might be choking hazards to cats.

Moreover, cats also can damage and even kill air plants. That is why keeping a cat away from a balcony or garden with air plants is important.

Why is it important to keep away the air plant from a cat?

Although air plants are not harmful or threatening to cats, there have some problems. Here are the reasons that are why you would better maintain a distance between a cat and an air plant.

Potential choking hazards to cats:

The Air plant is safe for cats. Yet it is good to keep a cat away from Tillandsia because it can cause choking hazards to cats. This plant can also be a choking hazard for other small animals like rabbits.

Potential injury to cat:

Some air plant species have sharper, longer and fine leaves. A cat can get hurt and injured when it nibbles on the air plant leaf. As a result, the cat’s eyes, nose, mouth and paws might injure. Besides, the sharp and long air plant leaves can get stuck inside the cat’s throat during chewing.

Air plant injury by cat:

Air plant leaves and flowers can get injured by cats. If your cat loves to play with air plants, it is normal to hit through them. And an air plant can get frightened for cats hit. As a result, an air plant might die sometimes. So, the best practice is to keep a cat away from the air plant.

What should you do if your cat nibble on the air plant?

Suppose the cat nibbles on the air plant; the cat and the air plant can get injured. Here are three common tasks you would better do to keep your cat and plant safe.

Observe and care for the cat:

If you guess your cat nibble on an air plant, then examine the cat. There might happen a few incidents. So, check your cat from outside if it gets hurt in the nose, eyes and face. At the same time, check inside the cat’s throat and mouth because air plant stem or leaves can get stuck inside. Besides, observe if your cat is vomiting or facing any serious issues. Contact a vet if you notice something gets stuck inside the cat’s throat or mouth.

Observe and care for the air plant:

Examine the air plant that’s cat nibbled. If the plant gets seriously injured, it might not recover and die gradually. On the contrary, some basic injury at the stem, leaves, and root is not serious for the plant. You can take care of it with proper watering and fertilizing.

Move the air plant to a new place:

Since your cat attacks the air plant once, it can do it again. So, move the plants to a new place the cat can’t reach.

How do we keep air plants and cats separate?


Arrange a hanging system for air plants:

You can hang the Tillandsia plant on the top grill of the balcony. Use nylon or a fishing line to hang Tillandsia with the tub. In this, remember two things. First, make sure that the hanging plant doesn’t fall anyhow. Secondly, hang the tub in a higher place so the cat doesn’t react to it. Don’t be confused about are air plants hard to take care of? Because air plants are easy to take care of. Even it doesn’t require soil and fertilizer.

Use a Glass Terrarium on a High Shelf:

There have a lot of glass terrariums for plants. You will get a glass terrarium in different shapes, sizes and appearances. So, choose one or multiple terrariums for air plants. Besides, the higher shelf can be an alternative solution. Although a cat can reach the shelf, it would be tricky to reach.

Use a Live Frame or Piece of Driftwood:

Driftwood and live frame are good choices to keep air plants away from cats. Generally, driftwood is a decorative thing that is perfectly placed on the shelf, almirah or dressing table. Reaching these places is tricky for cats.

FAQs:

  1. Are any air plants toxic?

No, no air plants are toxic. A statistic of ASPCA has said that no air plant species is harmful or threatening to cats. Although there are about 400 different air plant species, all are safe for cats.

  1. Are air plants toxic to cats ASPCA?

American Society for preventing animal cruelty has said that air plants are non-toxic to cats. Besides, you can wash the cat’s mouth and let it drink plenty of water. Contact a vet if you think your cat ate an air plant and is vomiting.

  1. What are the common indoor plants that are toxic to cats?

Here is the list of common indoor plants, vegetables and herbs toxic to cats. Even some plants on this list might be life-threatening. One of the most saturated questions is: Are spider plants toxic to cats? No, an indoor spider plant is considered non-toxic to cats.

•            Lilies

•            Eucalyptus

•            Tomato

•            Jade

•            Mistletoe

•            Onion

•            Oleander

•            Christmas Cherry

•            Holly Berries

•            Milkweed

•            Hyacinths

•            Daffodils

•            Azaleas

•            Poinsettia

  1. Are Tillandsia cyanea toxic to cats?

Are Tillandsia cyanea toxic to cats? No, Tillandsia cyanea is not toxic to cats. Tillandsia is smaller species of air plant. It is also knowns as a pink quill, unique for its eye-catching pink flower. It is an easy-to-grow house plant.

  1. Are air plants toxic to birds?

Are air plants toxic to birds. The answer is no. Similarly, many people are curious that are air plants toxic to reptiles? This answer is also no. Good to know that the air plant doesn’t contain harmful or poisonous components. So, it is roughly safe for all animals.

Recap:

Air plants are safe for cats, dogs and other animals, including birds. However, there have some issues between a cat and an air plant. A cat can get injured playing with the air plant, as an air plant can be killed or injured by a cat nibbling. So, the good practice is to separate your pet cat from the air plant.

About the author

Megan D

This is Megan D, the loving mom of all cats. She has been working with cat well fair organization as a cat lover since last few years. Personally, she has ownership of a cat shelter for helpless stray cats. Megan loves to research on all breeds of cat and fond of sharing all experience with the worldwide cat-loving human.

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