Mums or chrysanthemums are a family of flowering plants that are quite popular, especially in the fall.Now, to answer the question, yes, mums are poisonous to cats. An animal, like a cat, should also stay away from plants and flowers, like tulips, dahlias, aloe, carnations, and azaleas, to name a few, because they are also toxic to them.They can be poisonous to other animals, like dogs and horses as well. Mums contain sesquiterpene, pyrethrins, and lactones that even in mild cases can cause vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritation, loss of appetite, and more. If your cat has eaten the plant or flower, then the toxicity might become high which can even lead to kidney and heart failure. Many believe that seizures can happen as well, but mum poisoning doesn’t cause seizures. Take notice and keep track of what your cat is eating. If it’s eating or nibbling on this plant, then it can kill your cat and cause kidney and heart failure among other health issues.If you like this article, then also check out our other articles like are orchids poisonous to cats? And are lilacs poisonous to cats?How poisonous are garden and potted mums to cats?There are various species of chrysanthemums that fall under the plant family which includes daisies, chrysanths or chrysanthemums, and more. All of these plants are toxic to cats.There are many plants among gardens and indoor plants that have chemicals that are specifically poisonous to cats and dogs. Plants, like dahlias, aloe, carnations, azaleas, daffodils, narcissus bulbs or tulips, hyacinths, chamomile, and more are quite poisonous to cats. You may be unaware and keep these plants, like tulips or narcissus bulbs in your home, but from now on try to keep your pet away from them or don’t plant these flowers if you have a pet. People mainly get attracted to mums for their charming, colorful, and big flowers. Many people even plant these flowers in their gardens or in pots in their homes. Whether potted or garden mums, all are known to be toxic to cats, so be very aware if you have a cat or dog in your home. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has declared mums dangerous for dogs and horses as well. Chrysanthemums contain sesquiterpene, pyrethrins, and lactones that mainly harm pets. Pyrethrins are a chemical that is hugely used in pesticides or insecticides and in medicines for dogs and cats for fleas and ticks. This can have harmful effects on your pets depending on the amount that has been ingested in your pets.The Quantity Mums Are Dangerous InMums in any amount are toxic to cats. Your cat may have just brushed against a chrysanthemum plant or may have mistakenly ingested the flower or some other part of the plant. All of it will harm your cat.Mums contain toxins, like sesquiterpene, pyrethrins, and lactones that can especially be poisonous to cats, dogs, and horses. All parts of the plant can be toxic to cats. However, sesquiterpene lactones are mostly found on the heads of the flowers and leaves of the plants. If your cats even brush a little against these, it can cause irritations in the gastrointestinal tract, nose, and eyes. Pyrethrins are another irritant that can be found in mums. These are widely used in pesticides and insecticides. It attacks the nervous system of an insect to make them paralyzed. However, if it enters the body of your cat, it will affect the sodium channels of the body. The chemical can only enter the body if your cat has eaten the flower. If your cats have only brushed against the flower, it will have a different effect on them. It will probably only cause rashes or skin irritations.Another fact is that the manner of irritation and amount of effect the mums will have on your cat depends a lot on every individual cat or dog and species of plant. There are many types of chrysanthemum plants and the toxins in them vary. The effects can be different for every cat and dog, especially if your cat already has some kind of allergy, that might act up. Therefore, it’s very important to keep an eye on the symptoms.Cats Symptoms From Mum PoisoningYour cat may come in contact with mums in front of you or in your absence. If it happens in your absence, be sure to look out for some signs and symptoms in your cat to understand how much poisoning has happened.It might be that your cat has eaten a flower or leaf of the plant without you knowing. However, you will start to notice the symptoms below within around two hours within the time they came in contact with the plants or flowers.Rashes, dermatitis, or itching: this can happen if your cat has only brushed against the plants or flowers, or if they have consumed a part of them. Various kinds of skin irritation might appear and your cat might appear to be constantly scratching.Loss of coordination: your cat might start to lose control and balance of its body. They might start walking or moving their limbs in a wobbly manner or have trouble standing.Excessive drooling: hypersalivation or drooling more than usual can start to happen.Loss of appetite and lethargy: you might notice that they don’t want to eat or that they have started showing disinterest in food. They might also be lethargic and not want to do anything.Vomiting: your cat may be vomiting for many reasons, but paired with the symptoms above, vomiting, in this case, might be a symptom of mum poisoning.Diarrhea: diarrhea can happen if your cat has ingested the flower or a leaf of the plants. The toxicity reaches the gastrointestinal tracts and starts to affect them, which can cause mild to severe diarrhea in your pet.These signs or symptoms above will give you an idea of what could have happened so that you can understand how much toxin your cat has come in contact with and decide on what to do next. There might be some additional symptoms and all of which will depend on how quickly you start taking action against the poisoning.What You Should Do If Your Cat Is PoisonedHow much your cat will go through because of poisoning depends entirely upon how quickly you can start their process of treatment. You will have to act fast once you suspect a hint of mum poisoning.If you start to see the symptoms in your cat, note down when it started and what the symptoms are, and how severely each of them is happening. If your cat has ingested the flowers or leaves from your garden or pot, then take a sample of the plants or the flowers with you and go to a veterinarian as soon as you can. These will help the veterinarian understand the amount of toxicity that has entered your cat’s body.There is no antidote yet available for this kind of poisoning. For treatment, your vet might induce more vomiting in your cat for poison control. More specifically, to get the undigested toxins still left in your cat’s body. Even after vomiting, the vet might give your cat activated charcoal to absorb the rest of the toxins in your cat’s body. Then to rectify the fluid imbalance of the cat’s body, the vet might suggest intravenous fluid therapy. Lastly, if the vomiting, diarrhea, or any other symptoms haven’t stopped, the vet will prescribe medication for that. If the symptoms are more severe than usual, then the vet might suggest extra treatment.The recovery time for severe poisoning from chrysanthemums varies a lot and it’s quite rare. Cats who suffer mild poisoning recover within about the next 24 hours. If your cat ingested flowers or leaves from your garden or an indoor plant, then remove them immediately or make it so your pet does not have access to the plants or flowers. If it happened outside of your home, then keep track of their outdoor activities.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are mums poisonous to cats? Then why not take a look at are peace lilies toxic to cats? Or Asian golden cat facts pages.
Mums or chrysanthemums are a family of flowering plants that are quite popular, especially in the fall.
