Valentine's Day is approaching. You may be thinking of surprising your partner with a little gift. Perhaps you are considering a plant or some pretty flowers - easy go-to gifts. Well, we want you to know that there are a number of plants and flowers that are toxic to ARISTOCATS and that it is best not to keep them at home.
ARISTOCATS are curious by nature. They love nibbling or gnawing on things. And in that respect, plants offer no resistance at all. On the contrary: their colors and aromas tend to irresistibly attract our kitties. We must pay special attention to our ARISTOCATS when they are babies, because they have absolutely no limits to their curiosity. Everything is new and, therefore, everything remains to be discovered.
The toxicity of different plants or flowers depends on which part is ingested. Some species are toxic in their entirety (leaves, flowers, roots/bulbs, seeds, pollen), while others pose a risk only in specific parts, such as the fruit. Depending on each plant's toxic substance, we may find different types of disorders: digestive, neurological, cardiac, dermatological, or ocular.
Curiously, the plants that pose the greatest threat to our felines are very present in our lives. We find them in ornamental bouquets, as indoor flowers, and also as bulbs for planting in gardens or balcony planters.
The most harmful are lilies and daylilies, as they cause acute kidney failure in cats between 24 and 96 hours after ingestion. Exposure to any part of these plants puts the lives of our ARISTOCATS at risk. The symptoms they commonly show are vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, and an increased need to drink and urinate. Mortality among cats that have ingested this plant is very high, and those that survive may suffer permanent kidney damage.
The most popular flowers in these families are tulips, lilies, daylilies, Madonna lilies, and crown imperials. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid their toxicity is not to keep them at home. So this Valentine’s Day, make sure they are not included in the bouquet, wreath, or ornamental basket you are going to give your partner.
We should also be very careful with aloe vera, hydrangeas, primroses, cyclamen, ivy, climbing lily, azaleas, calla lilies, laurel, poinsettias, mistletoe, pothos, and philodendron (two very popular indoor plants in homes). Finally, although they are not usually kept indoors but rather in gardens, be extremely careful with oleanders, which are 100% toxic and can cause bradycardia, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden death.
Having said all that, this doesn’t mean you should stop giving plants and flowers as gifts, or stop brightening our homes with greenery or floral arrangements. You simply need to choose other species that are harmless to our ARISTOCATS and just as beautiful, such as orchids, petunias, roses, pansies, African violets, fittonias, marigolds, and camellias.
O si lo prefieres puedes decantarte por otro un regalo diferente y que seguro encantará a tu pareja. Y más si es ARISTOPETER. En ARISTOSHOP encontrarás un montón de ideas para sorprender a tu pareja por San Valentín. ¡Esperamos que te gusten!