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Catnip isn't exactly a poisonous weed, but it could send the feline addict into a life of random behavior rolling and jumping all over the place, sleeping around, listening to gangsta rap and opposing authority. Oops, that applied to my kids when they were teenagers when they were attracted to other kinds of weeds.

All the cats we've had in our family when outside regularly ate another plant that is basically poisonous to them. It was plain, old everyday grass. We soon enough realized that our cats instinctively knew grass was a kind of combination aspirin, Pepto Bismol and hairball solidifier.

When a cat has a day of eating such varied dishes of canned pet food, table scraps and a mouse or two, plus chomps of grass and/or catnip, following comes the need to get rid of some or all of it. That's where the mild poison in the grass works as a purgative to bring it all up as barf and/or hairballs. Unfortunately for the family, unlike humans who run to do it in the toilet bowl, the cat may find it more convenient to toss it all on the carpet, dad's favorite easy chair or on a closet floor lined up with nice clean shoes.

Cats are carnivores, and most plants, flowers and raw vegetables are poisonous to them. The basic rule for your indoor cat is to keep it away from all of them, including house plants. If you bring a new cat into your family, check on the internet or with your vet with a list of your house plants. If any are toxic, get rid of them, especially if your new cat is a very vulnerable kitten.

Of course, if your cat spends some of its time outdoors, all you can do is hope the cat has enough sense to stay away from the poisonous plants. If your outdoor cat comes home sick, shivering or very listless, and you suspect poisoning, call the vet as soon as possible.

The line-up of potentially poisonous plants start with rhubarb. When I saw that listed, I realized that many humans can be poisoned by some parts of that plant. I found out the hard way when I was a kid and spent some hours in the emergency ward. Don't let it happen to your pet.

Other poisonous plants include all forms of lilies, honesuckle, tulips, geraniums and cornflowers. And if you want to have a happy December holiday, do not bring home the lovely poinsettia, which with its bright red leaves is particularly attractive to cats and extremely lethal.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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