Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Are Impatiens Safe for a Cat to Be Around?
Are Impatiens Safe for a Cat to Be Around?. They make lovable companions, but cats can drive their owners batty by eating houseplants. Cat owners, upon seeing their cat chewing on a houseplant, may worry about the toxicity of the plant. It is good for cat owners to know that impatiens are nontoxic to cats, according to the American Society for the...
They make lovable companions, but cats can drive their owners batty by eating houseplants. Cat owners, upon seeing their cat chewing on a houseplant, may worry about the toxicity of the plant. It is good for cat owners to know that impatiens are nontoxic to cats, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Cat Habits
Although there are numerous theories as to why cats eat plants, cat owners often find their prized houseplants well chewed. Cats eat plants possibly as a method of supplementing their fiber intake, or to cause themselves to regurgitate hairballs. The habit remains both problematic and worrisome.
Impatiens
Many plants are toxic to cats and dogs, but cheerful impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) aren't toxic to pets. This annual is typically used as a flowering houseplant, or in flower beds or window boxes, placing the plant right in the middle of cat territory.
Management
If a cat is prone to chewing on the impatiens, place mothballs in the plant's soil or spray the plant with a pet-avoidance spray. Provide an alternate plant for ingestion, like cat grass.
