Rubber Plants are toxic to cats.
Fortunately, you can protect your cat from these toxins by wiping down the plant thoroughly. However, if you breathe in the noxious fumes from the rubber plant, you could become sick.
So, is rubber plant toxic to cats? While rubber plants aren’t poisonous to cats, they’re toxic to cats if your cat eats the leaves or chews on the stems or rubbery seeds from these plants. If your cat ingests rubber plant leaves or stems it could lead to vomiting and diarrhea in cats.
Furthermore, if your cat consumes rubber plant seeds it could lead to vomiting and diarrhea in cats or dogs. Cats can also become ill if they inhale rubber plant fumes or smoke.
Luckily, you can quickly remove toxic material from your cat’s mouth or fur by gently wiping your cat down with a warm damp wash cloth.
What Is Rubber Plant?
Rubber plant is a flowering plant that is grown for its decorative foliage that is generally evergreen.
Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and the tropical parts of North and South America provide ideal growing conditions for this tropical tree.Rubber tree sap is one of the only natural latexes used for commercial products.
It’s made from the seed pods of the tree and comes in various forms – liquid latex or solid rubber sheets or blocks or granules. The rubber tree sap is harvested by tapping trees with small metal tubes.
The sap is then boiled until it thickens and is eventually molded into various products. Common uses for rubber include tires, erasers, golf balls, condoms and rubber bands.
The latex from the rubber tree sap is also used to make latex gloves, condoms and raincoats.
Is Rubber Plant Toxic To Cats?
Yes, cats are toxic to rubber plants because of the natural latex sap it produces.
Latex, a milky substance released when the flower matures, is toxic to both cats and dogs.
Your cat may experience drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, skin irritation and excessive drooling if the rubber tree sap touches his mouth or body.
Rubber tree sap is toxic to cats and can cause drooling, vomiting, skin irritation and excessive drooling if the rubber tree sap touches his mouth or body.
Furthermore, the rubber tree sap could cause severe burns to your pet’s tongue and skin if licked off or rubbed off his body or licked off of his fur.
So, if your cat ingests rubber tree sap or rubs the rubber tree sap off his body it could lead to vomiting in cats or dogs.
In severe instances, the rubber tree sap may cause ingestion and could result in a blockage in your cat’s stomach or intestines.
Which Part of Rubber Plant is Poisonous?
If your cat consumes any part of a Rubber Tree plant, it could cause various health problems.
Latex, a milky liquid released when the flower matures, is toxic to both cats and dogs.
Latex is a necessary component of rubber.
The latex contains proteins that are highly toxic to cats.The latex contains proteins that are highly toxic to cats.
These proteins can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea in cats as well as kidney and liver damage in cats. If a cat chews on the rubber plant’s stem or eats the plant’s leaves it could lead to vomiting and diarrhea in cats or dogs.
Furthermore, if your cat inhales the rubber plant’s fumes or smoke it could lead to vomiting and diarrhea in cats or dogs.
Fortunately, you can protect your cat from these toxins by wiping down the plant thoroughly.
The Rubber tree’s sap includes a chemical called Hevea brasiliensis latex (HBL) and this chemical is usually used to extract natural rubber from trees.
The latex contains proteins that are highly toxic to cats. If your cat ingests any of the latex from Rubber Trees it could lead to vomiting and diarrhea in cats or dogs.
Furthermore, if your cat inhales the latex of the rubber tree it could result in difficulty breathing in cats or dogs or it could lead to aspiration pneumonia in cats.
Are All Varieties Of Rubber Plants Toxic To Cats?
Yes, cats are poisoned by rubber plants.
Rubber plant cultivars produced from the Indian rubber tree are becoming more popular as indoor decorative plants.
All rubber plants, however, should be regarded with caution by cat lovers because all parts of the plant contain a type of protein that is toxic to cats and dogs.
Will a Rubber Plant Poisoning Kill my Cat?
The severity of your cat’s symptoms will usually depend on the amount of latex they ingest or inhale.
The poison won’t kill your cat right away, but it can lead to vomiting and diarrhea in cats or dogs or it could lead to aspiration pneumonia in cats.
As a result, if your cat consumes a lot of rubber plant sap it could lead to severe sickness in cats.
How Toxic Are Rubber Plants To Cats?
The toxicity of rubber plants is mild, but it can cause minor skin irritation on contact.
However, the sap from all parts of the plant is poisonous to cats and dogs and can cause drooling, vomiting, skin irritation and excessive drooling if the rubber tree sap touches his mouth or body.
Furthermore, the latex from the rubber tree sap is also used to make latex gloves, condoms and raincoats.
The latex from the rubber tree sap is also used in hospitals to make medical gloves because the latex rubber is non-toxic and non-allergenic to human skin.
Latex gloves are used to help doctors protect patients from disease transmission and to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria in operating rooms.
Latex condoms are used to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Latex raincoats are waterproof and are used to protect people during rainstorms and to keep hikers dry during rainy hikes.
Symptoms Of Rubber Plant Poisoning In Cats
If your cat eats rubber plants, they will probably throw up or drool excessively.
A cat’s skin may get irritated if rubber tree sap touches his skin and he may lick it off of his skin which is a behavior that can irritate his skin even more.
Skin irritation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, excessive drooling and excessive panting are the typical symptoms of rubber plant poisoning in cats.
Regardless matter the part of the plant, the symptoms of rubber plant poisoning are the same in cats.
Also See: Can Cats Eat Eggplant?
How To Treat Rubber Plant Poisoning In Cats?
Rubber plant poisoning in cats is treated by inducing vomiting and by giving activated charcoal.
Because oral pain is common, your vet may recommend acetaminophen or ibuprofen for your cat to relieve oral pain.
Your veterinarian may prescribe a medication to treat diarrhea.
The veterinarian may administer Kapectolin, a drug that covers bacterial infections.
Trimethoprim Sulfamethoxazole which is used to treat severe bacterial infections.
Your veterinarian may prescribe an enema or laxatives to help treat constipation (the most common symptom of rubber plant poisoning) in cats.
If the vomiting and diarrhea are severe or doesn’t begin to improve within 12 hours of treatment, call your veterinarian immediately as these can be life threatening symptoms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, rubber plants are toxic to cats when ingested or inhaled in large amounts.
In the event that a poisoned cat is not treated properly, it will experience gastrointestinal disorders and kidney problems that can cause death in some cases.
Rubber plants, with their thick leaves that grow in a variety of patterns, are beautiful additions to any home, but they should be regarded with caution by cat owners because the sap from all parts of the plant is poisonous to cats.
