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PURRFECT POISONS! Those long trailing vines of your hanging ivy plant are the envy of neighbors and guests that come into your home, but they can also be an invitation to disaster for your feline companion.

You've no doubt heard of childproofing your home, whereby anything and everything that may pose a hazard to a young child is removed or placed out of reach, but if you are a cat owner, it's just as important to cat-proof your home in regards to plants. Indoor cats, as well as outdoor cats, are subject to the deadly poisons found in plants, with tiger lilies being the most lethal.

In many cases, only a part of the plant is poisonous, such as the leaves, berries, roots, or bark. In other cases, all parts are toxic. When a cat ingests the poison, a wide variety of symptoms may occur including: drooling, vomiting, mouth irritation, gastrointestinal irritation, respiratory or kidney problems, central nervous system problems such as lack of coordination, hallucinations, seizures, tremors, coma, cardiac problems, or death.

In most cases of poisonous plant ingestion, inducing the cat to vomit is the preferred treatment, but not all of the time. So the most important thing for you to do if you think your pet has ingested a poisonous plant, get the animal to a veterinarian immediately and, if possible, take the plant with you. You can also call the Poison Control Center or, for a fee, you can contact a 24-hour, 7-day a week hotline at the National Animal Poison Control Center at (800) 548-2423 or (900) 680-0000.

The plant list below is broken down into several areas. The first deals with the 10 most common of the poisonous plants, next is a breakdown of symptoms exhibited after ingestion, followed by an alphabetical list of all poisonous plants in general for ease of locating a particular plant

10 MOST COMMON POISONOUS PLANTS
1) Azalea/Rhododendrons contain grayantoxins. Can be fatal.
2) Castor Bean contain highly poisonous protein ricin. Can be fatal.
3) Cyclamen contain toxic cyclamen, most poisonous part located in roots. Can be fatal.
4) Kalanchoe gastrointestinal irritants and heart toxins.
5) Lilies poisonous component not yet identified, even very small amount is toxic.
6) Marijuana cannabis sativa ingestion depresses central nervous system, can lead to seizures or coma.
7) Oleander all parts toxic, contain glycosides. Can be fatal.
8) Sago Palms all parts are poisonous, but seeds/nuts are most toxic.
9) Tulip/Narcissus Bulbs bulb portions contain toxins and causes gastrointestinal

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