How to Keep Cats Away From Poinsettias: 7 Vet-Verified Ways

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REVIEWED & FACT-CHECKED BY

Dr. Marta Vidal-Abarca

Veterinarian, BVSc GPCert (Ophthal) MRCVS

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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With the holidays comes decorating, whether hanging up pretty baubles or keeping a few lovely holiday plants around. But as a cat owner, you should be careful with what you’re decorating with, especially regarding plants. Our feline friends greatly enjoy getting into things they shouldn’t, and plants are no different. However, some plants can harm our pets or even be deadly.

You may have heard that poinsettias are deadly for cats if ingested, but that’s not really true1. That’s not to say that you should let your kitty hang around poinsettias, though. Ingesting the milky sap of the plant will still cause your cat to develop gastrointestinal problems, and that’s not something you want.

So, how can you keep your cats away from poinsettias if you have them in your home? Below you’ll find seven great ways to accomplish this so your pet stays safe and sound!

The 7 Ways to Keep Cats Away From Poinsettias

1. Invest in Artificial Poinsettias

If you’re unwilling to give up poinsettias altogether, the next best thing would be to invest in artificial poinsettias. We admit it’s not quite the same, but this way, you’ll get the look you want without risking your cat’s safety. You can find these fake plants online or at places such as Walmart or Lowe’s, so they shouldn’t be too difficult to locate. And besides keeping your cat safer, artificial poinsettias will be a lot less work to maintain during an already busy holiday!

2. Keep Poinsettias in a Room Away From Your Cat

If artificial poinsettias aren’t your thing, you could keep the real thing in your home but locked away in a room your cat isn’t allowed in. This allows you to enjoy the live plant but keeps your pet from getting into and possibly eating it. The downsides here are that the plants won’t be in a public spot of your home where they can be seen by all, and everyone in the home would need to be aware that the room the plant is in should be cat-free at all times. Cats can be slippery and sneaky, so there’s a chance your pet might figure a way in any way.

3. Keep Poinsettias Surrounded by Glass or Wire

If you really do want to keep poinsettias displayed where everyone can enjoy them at all times, you can do so by ensuring your plant is either under a glass case or surrounded by a wire cage. A glass case would be the optimal choice between the two, as it would be much prettier and, unless it’s broken, your cat can’t get to the plant. Surrounding the poinsettia with wire should work too (although more adventurous kitties may be able to sneak a paw or nose in).

4. Place Poinsettias as High as You Can

Cats are notorious for loving high spots so they can view their kingdoms, but if you have a place in your home where you can hang a poinsettia that the cat can’t reach, you should be golden. You could try hanging the plant from the ceiling in a place where there are no pieces of furniture around to be climbed on. Or, if you have an incredibly high ceiling in a certain room, you could hang poinsettias there. Even if you just have a super tall piece of furniture that you’re 100% sure your cat can’t climb, it would work. High places out of reach of the cat are pretty win-win.

5. Make Poinsettias Smell Unappealing

If you make your plants smell horrible to your cats, you shouldn’t have to be concerned about them getting into them. There are a few scents that felines intensely dislike, including cayenne pepper or rosemary, although you should always avoid the essential oil versions of it. Sprinkle a bit of rosemary or cayenne pepper in your plant’s pot and the cat should get out of there quickly! This is not our preferred method since cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which is irritating to cats. Additionally, this method may not work on all cats, though, particularly determined ones.

6. Surround the Poinsettia Pot With Materials Your Cat Dislikes

Cats often avoid certain materials because of their texture or sound. Placing aluminum foil around the poinsettia pot or covering the soil with something prickly can help deter your cat from approaching the plant. However, always ensure that the materials you use are safe and non-toxic for your cat.

7. Make a Kitty Garden

If your cat loves plants, why not make a mini garden for them? Making a little place for plants your cat enjoys, such as cat grass and catnip, set in a part of the home away from poinsettias could keep your cat out of the plants you want them to avoid. This may not work with all felines, and this option is probably best paired with another option on this list, such as keeping poinsettias up high, but it’s worth a try!

How to Tell if Your Cat Has Gotten into the Poinsettias

So, how can you tell if your cat has gotten into the poinsettias? Besides the obvious disaster around the plant, your biggest clue will be the stomach upset—vomiting and diarrhea—but you may also see drooling or irritation around the eyes or skin. The severity will depend on the size of your cat (kittens are more likely to experience severe signs) and how much was ingested (in most cases, this won’t be much).

In mild cases, signs may clear up on their own, but you should still contact your veterinarian and discuss your cat’s situation in detail in case a vet visit is needed. Of course, if you’re not sure if your cat could have gotten into the poinsettia but they have any digestive signs, you should also contact your vet for advice.

Conclusion

Long story short, poinsettias don’t deserve the bad rep they’ve been given. While they will make your cat ill if eaten, they aren’t deadly. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to keep them out of your pet’s way. Luckily, there are ways you can safely keep poinsettias and cats in the same house, whether by keeping your poinsettia in places kitty can’t get to or simply making the plant unappealing to your feline friend. The best solution would be to not have poinsettias around, but if you’re not ready to give up this holiday plant, rest assured you can keep your favorite cat safe while having the plant around.

Featured Image Credit: Credit: Lebedeva Mari, Shutterstock