Can Cats Eat Daisies?

Cats can’t eat daisies.

Due to their beautiful colors and soft, fluffy petals, they make lovely ornamental flowers. However, they’re also quite fragile.

If you discover your kitten loves daisies, be sure to feed it other flower varieties. So, can cats eat daisies?

Most pet owners know that cats should not be fed flowers. However, many pet owners don’t know exactly why.

Flowers are toxic to cats because they contain an atropine called osmiatoxin. This atropine may cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats, which might lead to dehydration and death.

The atropine may also cause tremors, difficulty breathing, and seizures in cats. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep flowers away from cats.

However, cats can usually eat foods with small amounts of osmiatoxin. These include alfalfa, beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Therefore, it’s okay to give your cat a little bit of lettuce or tomato slices. However, you should make sure it doesn’t eat too much.

What Are Daisies?

Daisies, also known as Gerbera Daisies, are one of the most popular flowers used at weddings and other formal occasions.

This perennial flower comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes, making it a great option for bouquets and centerpieces.

When picking daisies for your wedding flowers, try to match the color of your flowers with your wedding theme and color palette.

White daisies are a popular option because they’re a neutral color and go with almost any color scheme.

Daisies also last for a long time, so they’ll still be beautiful and fresh on your fourth wedding anniversary.

Can Cats Eat Daisies?

Are you a cat owner? If yes, then you might be wondering if it is safe to let your feline friend munch on daisies.

In fact, many cat owners have reported their cats eating daisies and claiming it’s “so yummy.”

So, why shouldn’t cats eat daisies? The answer to this question is simple: because daisies contain some pretty toxic chemicals which are bad for your feline friend’s health.

According to PetMD, if you give your cat any flower, make sure it doesn’t have any stems or leaves.

That’s because the stem and leaves contain high levels of toxins and chemicals like pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) and hydralazine.

These toxins are harmful to your cat’s kidneys and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

If your cat eats any of these toxic leaves or stems, you will end up spending a lot of money on vet fees.

However, if you give your kitty daisies that haven’t been sprayed with chemicals, you should be fine.

You can give your kitty daisies that you’ve grown in your garden or purchased from a nearby farmers market.

These daisies are most likely safe for your feline friend to eat because they haven’t been treated with chemicals.

Just be on the safe side and avoid giving your cat any flowers/plants that have not been grown organically.

Is There a Safe Daisy to Display Indoors?

Although most daisies cannot be kept in your home or displayed indoors. Because they release toxins when exposed to air, there are some types of daisy you can keep inside your house without harming your kitty.

Gerberas, on the other hand, are one of the healthiest types of daisy you can display in your home because they aren’t as toxic as other varieties.

Plant them as perennials if you live in a colder climate so they come back every year, otherwise treat them as annuals.

Gerbera blooms come in a variety of colors, including red, pink, yellow, orange, and white.

If you already have some gerberas in your home, simply cut off the petals and give them a rinse before displaying them indoors.

Are Daisies Toxic to Cats?

Cats love to eat daisies and roses and, therefore, are very curious about them. As a result, they often end up eating them and ingesting the toxic parts.

These parts include pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats when they consume them.

Fortunately, PAs only cause mild symptoms in people, but in cats, it can be quite serious.

If your cat is vomiting or has diarrhea, take them to a veterinarian immediately. If not treated, PA poisoning can cause anemia, kidney failure, and death.

PAs also cause nausea and diarrhea in humans when consumed, but these symptoms are usually mild and go away shortly after treatment.

There have been several cases where people have experienced severe symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea.

The PAs in daisies and roses are toxic to cats because they are unable to break it down. When cats eat PAs, they release them into their bloodstream, which slowly damages their kidneys and liver.

If you are worried about your cat eating daisies and roses, you can prevent them from doing so by planting them in a location where your cat cannot reach them.

Also, you can speak to your veterinarian about PA poisoning in case your cat accidentally ingests them.

Why Are Daisies Toxic to Cats?

Daisy flowers are harmful to cats because their leaves contain compounds called pyrethrins.

Terpenes are the name given to molecules that are found in plants such as tulips, daffodils, lilies, chrysanthemums and jasmine.

Terpenes are chemical compounds present in plants that have a sweet smell and are poisonous to pets if ingested.

The reason for this is because when a cat chews on flowers or leaves of these plants containing pyrethrins or terpenes they release small amounts of toxins in their saliva which then get transferred to their mouth when they lick their paws.

They enter the circulation and enter the blood stream where they can damage blood cells and cause other toxic effects in the body.

Getting unwell after eating daisies is a very painful experience for any cat as they start to vomit profusely and then develop diarrhoea and become lethargic.

Can Daisy Make Your Cat Sick?

Daisy may make your cat ill since it contains substances like as sesquiterpene lactones, pyrethrins, and lactones.

These chemicals are poisonous to cats especially during summer as they are very sensitive to heat and release toxins in the heat.

To prevent your cat from becoming sick you should keep your cat away from daisy flowers especially during summer.

If your cat does ingest daisy and develops the symptoms mentioned above you should immediately take them to a vet for further evaluation and medication.

What Happens If A Cat Consumes A Daisy?

Disassociation

After ingesting a daisy and contracting the poison, a cat is highly likely to feel disorientated or dizzy for a short period after which they will most likely become drowsy and may even pass out.

The feline will be hesitant to get up after falling unconscious from consuming a daisy. If left alone, they could die due to suffocation. The feline’s tongue will obstruct their airways causing them to stop breathing.

Hemorrhaging

This is frequently a symptom in older cats and is caused by bleeding from the mouth as a result of excessive licking of the fur coat.

In severe instances of Daisy poisoning, cats are prone to developing internal bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract leading to dehydration and shock.

Dermatitis

Daisy chemicals may worsen allergies and dermatitis in susceptible cats leading to itchiness, inflammation and irritation of the skin around the face and mouth.

There’s a good likelihood your cat will get diarrhea when exposed to a toxic dose of the plant.

Vomiting

After swallowing a daisy for a few hours, a feline will begin to vomit profusely.

While vomiting is not a serious symptom, it is very uncomfortable for your feline and may, therefore, be a reason for a trip to the vet.

Diarrhea

Often referred to as loose stools or runny stools, diarrhea is what happens when a cat’s digestion system gets interrupted resulting in watery stools.

It is usually accompanied by stomach cramps, dehydration and frequent bowel movements.

Diarrhoea can cause dehydration in cats easily especially if a toxic dose has been ingested.