12 Plants that are poisonous to cats

1. Lilies (all varieties)
Just one bite of a leaf or the flower’s pollen could cause lethargy and vomiting within one hour of consumption. If left untreated, your cat could go into kidney failure. The pollen alone can be lethal to your feline friend.

2. Any calcium oxalate plants — including philodendrons, Chinese evergreens, Virginia creepers, spinach, agaves, tea leaves, rhubarb and taro
The poisonous part of these indoor and outdoor plants are the microscopic needle-like barbs on their stems and leaves. If bitten, they cause inflammation in the mouth and gums and result in excessive drooling and vomiting.

You can take care of the symptoms yourself by giving your cat calcium in the form of milk, yoghurt, sour cream or ice cream. In rare cases, the swelling could inhibit breathing, so keep an eye on your pet for 48 hours.

3. Dracaena plants
There are about 40 varieties of this popular, leafy house-plant, including the dragon plant. If cats eat the long fronds typical of these plants, they’ll become depressed, lose their appetites and possibly even vomit blood. However, it’s usually not a fatal reaction, and symptoms tend to go away after 12 to 24 hours. Still, you should keep an eye out for worsening symptoms, and take your cat to the vet if it doesn't start to recover after 24 hours.

4. Autumn crocus
Eating any part of this flowery plant can cause an intense burning sensation in the mouth, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, liver damage, kidney damage and even heart arrhythmias. Get your pet to the vet immediately if you suspect he/she has snacked on it.

5. Daffodils
If you have an outdoor cat, be very wary of its tendency to get into your or your neighbours daffodil beds. Ingestion of any portion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, arrhythmias, convulsions and a major drop in blood pressure. Call your vet ASAP.

6. Tulips
If you have them planted outside, or in a vase inside, they’re a big no-no for cats. While not fatal, taking a bite of them (especially the bulb) can cause oral irritation, excessive drooling and nausea.

7. Sago palm
This long-leafed, tree-like plant is extremely poisonous to cats. It used to be mainly an outdoor plant, but now it’s often found on indoor window sills. While the seeds and pods are the most poisonous, any bite can cause bloody vomiting and diarrhea, bleeding disorders, liver failure and death. This is definitely worthy of an emergency vet trip.

8. Azaleas/rhododendrons
Even just a few leaves can result in oral irritation, vomiting and diarrhea. In severe cases, ingestion can cause a drop in blood pressure, coma and death, so you’ll want to at least give your vet a call if you notice symptoms.

9. Kalanchoe
Also known as the “mother-in-law plant,” this common indoor plant has a bunch of small, very dense flowers and is thus super-tempting to cats. However, if a cat eats any part of it, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. In rare cases, heart arrhythmias can occur, so while not a dire emergency, a vet appointment should be made to assess the situation.

10. Marijuana
While you might think it would be funny to get a cat high, ingestion of cannabis can cause a whole host of problems. It will affect the nervous system and your pet’s coordination, then cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, increased heart rate, seizures and could even put it in a coma.

If you suspect he/she ate even one bud, get him/her to your vet pronto.

11. Aloe vera
It may cure your burns, but it’ll set your cat back significantly. Symptoms of ingestion include vomiting, depression, diarrhea, seizures, change in urine color and can even cause anorexia (for real). Again, not life-threatening, but the side effects if left untreated could severely affect your pet’s quality of life, so call your vet.

12. Ivy (all forms)
This is certainly relevant if you have an outdoor cat. Symptoms of ingestion include vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation and diarrhea. Not fatal but certainly distressing. Make sure your pet gets lots of fluids if it eats any of the ivy leaves especially, and keep an eye out for worsening symptoms.

What to expect from your vet:

Obviously, a vet will want to know what your cat ate that made it sick. If you’re not sure, take pictures of the plants in your house and any nearby that are on this list to help your vet narrow it down. If your cat ingested a toxic plant but the symptoms are not life-threatening, she/he may suggest inducing vomit at home via charcoal tablets, so it’s a good idea to have some on hand for emergencies. However, even if you suspect a poisoning, don’t just go for the charcoal without contacting your vet first...

Source: http://www.sheknows.com/pets-and-animals/articles/1085742/plants-poisonous-to-cats

Five Reasons Your Cat’s Not Using the Litter Box

5 reasons your cat's not using the litterbox vertEvery cat owner knows the litter box is one of the most critical parts of caring for a cat. Retailers like Swell Pets offer numerous sizes, shapes of boxes and all kinds of scents and textures and materials for litter, not to mention all the accessories – scoops, cleaning wipes, poop bags and more.

And it’s a good thing all of those options are available because cats are funny about their box. Like humans, cats have their own preferences and rarely are two cats alike.

So if your cat is avoiding the litter box, don’t despair. It simply means you need to take a step back and evaluate what’s going on, from health to litter box, to your choice of litter and more.

Here are 5 reasons your cat might be avoiding the box and what you should do about them.

Medical Issues – The first thing you should do if your cat is peeing or pooping outside the box is to take him to the vet to rule out any medical issues. You may be surprised at the variety of things that cause your precious furball to go outside the box.

Cats often behave strangely when they are in pain or uncomfortable and sometimes associate this pain or discomfort with the place where they do their business. Don’t blame them…they’re trying to figure out the problem!

For example, if your cat is constipated and it’s hard for him to go #2, he might believe it’s the litter box that’s causing the issue and try to find another spot. If he has a urinary tract infection, it hurts when he uses the box so…logically he might try to go elsewhere. Get your poor sweetie to the vet promptly to rule out medical problems.

Covered Litter Boxes – The idea behind litter boxes with lids is to provide the cat some privacy and the owner some reprieve from seeing and smelling the box. But this can backfire on some cat owners when their cat simply doesn’t like to go into an enclosed space to potty.

I get lots of emails from readers who read this tip and it changed things immediately! If your cat is peeing somewhere you don’t want him to and you have a covered litter box, take off the lid and see if that helps. Let the light shine in!

Depth of the Litter – Sure, cats are finicky about the type of litter you use but you might also need to experiment with different depths of litter.

If it’s too deep your cat might dislike the feeling of sinking into quicksand, unable to get a foothold.

If it’s too shallow, hitting bottom might feel funny to your cat’s little paws. Also, have you ever noticed that cats grip the litter with their paws, especially when they are pooping? It’s important for them to feel comfortable with the surface or they will find somewhere else.

Finally, cats with longer hair may not like the feel of their fur dragging in litter that’s too deep. Play around with different options.  And, in extreme cases, try paper towels or puppy pads placed in the box. Yes, these options can get expensive, messy and stinky, but for some cats it works great.

Arthritis – When cats age, they may suffer from arthritis. If someone tells me their senior cat begins going outside the box, my first piece of advice is get him to the vet!

But then, take a look at the box. If your cat has mobility issues or any pain, it may be hard for him to get in and out of the box. Try a low-sided box or cutting one side down so your cat can easily enter and exit. Remember to sand the edges or put duct tape over them so your pretty kitty doesn’t cut himself on the jagged cut edges.

Then, consider the depth of the litter, as I mentioned above. Gripping litter might be too hard for arthritic cats so less litter in the box might work better for him.

Location – This is actually one of the first things experts recommend you consider when your cat is not using his box. If the box is near the furnace or washer/dryer, your cat might not like the strange noises.

Also, cats seem to like some privacy but not remote privacy. Don’t make them traverse too far to use the potty. I know it can be hard but it’s also important to have more than one box….and not right next to each other. To a cat, that’s pretty much one big box. If you can have boxes on each level of your house or in opposite ends of the house or apartment, that’s ideal because it gives them options...

Source: http://www.thehappylitterbox.com/