Cats are naturally eager animal. If you like to keep plants in your house, you would have noticed that your cat checks out them, sometimes even sniff or nibble on them. Various plant species could affect your cat’s health if they are poisonous or toxic. It might cause a minor problem to a severe one. If you have lilac in your compound, you may now be wondering, are Lilacs Poisonous for the Cats and should I even keep them? Here are your answers:
Watch Flowers Lilac Cat Sitting Glass AnimalAbout Lilacs:
Common lilac shrubberies (Syringa vulgaris) are deciduous bushes that sprout in the pre-summer.
They are one of the olive family, alongside other such fancy plants as debris trees, forsythia brambles, and privet bushes.
The extraordinary nature of numerous lilac assortments is the sweet aromas of their blossoms.
It is not referred as one of the aggressive varieties. It is present in the wild in generally dispersed locales, typically nearby past or present human homes.
Are Lilacs Poisonous?
Lilac plants have been renowned for some ages are yet a staple for some yards and garden regions.
Lilacs don’t contain any synthetics or poisons that will harm people or creatures and they don’t bother the skin.
Lilacs are free of toxins from their branches’ tips to the closures of their root’s tips. Indeed, the blossoms or flowers of the lilac are really eatable.
On the off chance that you have heard that lilacs are noxious or poisonous, you have confused the shrub with a plant called Persian lilac-otherwise called the Chinaberry tree/Melia azedarach).
This plant does not raise in colder locales that are appropriate for the common lilac.
While the common lilac plant (Syringa vulgaris), are not poisonous.
Are White Lilacs or Purple Lilacs Poisonous?
Well, the color does not really matter. What should concern you the most is the toxicity of the lilac species which is to be kept away from your beloved pet.
Is it safe to have lilacs around your cat?
The lilac is a very popular ornamental plant. It is tough to say which specifically as it is hard to look up specific lilac toxicity.
Here is the answer for, ‘Are lilacs toxic for your cats?’ While lilac does not frequently appear among the plants considered toxic to cats, some lilac species are actually poisonous to cats.
Your cat would not be killed by lilac. However, it can cause serious sickness, followed by the amount of lilac that your feline has taken in.
So, it would not be wrong to say that lilacs can be poisonous to cats, but they are not very toxic.
Is it harmful for Cats to Ingest Lilacs?
While lilacs are generally safe for cats, the plants may present toxicity if ingested, but do not cause major harm.
A portion of the side effects to keep an eye out for are gastrointestinal issues, like obstruction/constipation, diarrhea/loose bowels, and stomach torment/abdominal pain.
You should remember that cats are obligate carnivores. Thusly, their stomach considers that matter of plant as a foreign or unfamiliar substance.
That is why ingesting lilac, in whichever quantity, might cause irritation to your cat’s stomach, leading to a wide spectrum of GI complications.
On the off chance that the lilac being referred to is one of the assortments considered non-toxic to felines, then, at that point, there probably would not be any severe incidental effects to expect from mild gastrointestinal disturbance.
That is regardless of the part of the plant that your cat has eaten.
So, ’Is lilac poisonous for your cat to ingest?’ a small ingestion could cause stomach upset, but it would cause her no serious harm if it were to chew them.
Dealing with Poisonous Lilac Varieties:
The side effects range in severity, depending on the amount and part of the poisonous lilac variety that your cat has eaten.
Assuming you are managing harmful lilac varieties for felines, that plant’s part related to that assortment does matters.
Following are some points discussed if your cat had ingested or has been in contact with:
Leaves and Seeds:
One thing to remember is t that the not the flowers but leaves and seeds are more toxic of a plant. That is because the poisonous chemicals in toxic plants are usually more abundant in the leaves of the plant.
As the plants continue to blossom in a flower, the seriousness of the toxicity will in general lessen.
Flowers:
In case you are still jumbled that if the flowers are poisonous, once again, it relies upon the toxicity of the plant referred, which may or may not be a poisonous one.
But mostly, as discussed above, the toxicity of the plant decreases in the flowers than in leaves and seeds.
Stems:
While the leaves of toxic lilac types carry the most elevated concentration of the hazardous chemicals, the stems typically present more risks of gagging or choking. Therefore, do not let your cat eat lilac stems too.
It is, no doubt, worth pointing out that anything that can go wrong if your cat ingests lilac, will surely go wrong if the lilac under discussion is one of the toxic species.
Which leads us to the question, if some lilac plants species are poisonous to cats, what are those species that a pet owner must be well aware of?
Species of Lilacs:
Following are some well-known species of lilacs poisonous for cats explained with their common features:
| Species | Introduction | Features | Toxicity |
| Common Lilac | • scientifically known ‘Syringa vulgaris’ • most familiar type • 60% more abundant | • flowers are lilac-colored and an alluring fragrance • 20 feet tallness | • least toxic, and the most prevalent |
| Persian Lilacs | • known as Texas umbrella tree, white cedar or Chinaberry. • scientifically known as, (Syringa x persica) • fast-growing small tree. • a delightful support plant | • modest • grow the tallest to only 8 feet. • Pale lilac flowers and smaller in size | • Melia toxins A & B are present in seeds which may act as poison • ingestion maybe toxic for them and might get ill • toxicity signs: diarrhea, vomiting, drooling, muscle contractions, and tremors • consult your certain vet |
| French Lilacs | • rarest lilacs • appear only for some weeks in the summer and spring • known as galega, goat’s-rue, French lilac, Italian fitch, or professor-weed. • herbaceous plants • cultivated as a forage crop, an ornamental, a bee plant, and as green manure • rich in galegine, a substance involved in the glucose-lowering activity of blood | • flowers reflect purple, white, blue, or pink colors • developing to around fifteen feet high • the most fragrant | • contain a hypotensive and neurotoxic compound known as galegin, which is exceptionally poisonous • several difficulties if intake, from aspiratory edema to hydrothorax, and even dying in the end • if comes in contact, consult your vet, or take it to the nearest vet hospital |
What do You do if your cat Ingests a Lilac Bush?
For your pets and other animals, common lilac plant (Syringa vulgaris) is nontoxic.
If you suspect that your pet has ingested parts of a lilac bush that may be not good, you will want to contact your veterinarian for advice.
The most widely recognized concern is about the intake of the plant are the gastrointestinal problems. Any intake of certain plant might cause digestion and stomach concerns in animals.
If you suspect your cat has consumed plant material, the common effects will include vomiting, diarrhea and upsetting of stomach. These are the common symptoms if your cat has ingested less toxic or bulk of a lilac.
But if it has ingested the toxic one like Persian Lilac or French lilac, speed up the recovery process so that it may not result in the severity of problem.
Common Symptoms of Lilac Toxicity:
Many common plants do contain cat toxins that might cause harm to your feline. But still, ‘Are lilacs poisonous for cats and may show severe symptoms?’
The lilac plant, as referenced previously, does not count in the line of plants toxic for felines; though, some lilac species are toxic to felines, that are already mentioned.
While the common lilac plant (Syringa vulgaris), Dark Purple Lilac/Purple Lilac, is safe for all animals, the Persian lilac of the melia genus is very toxic for cats.
Once a cat ingests a toxic lilac specie, symptoms may not show up right away. 3-4 days are taken by some toxins to show any effects. First sign to know that something might be wrong is the behavioral change.
Watch out for below symptoms if your cat has already consumed some part of the toxic lilac varieties:
- Drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea
- Difficulty walking or a staggering walk
- Lethargy or an overall sluggishness
- Pale or yellowish gums
- Excessive thirst or urination
- Nervousness or hyperactivity
- Seizure or difficulty breathing
But if the symptoms are more severe, contact your veterinarian without any further wait.
Why are the cats attracted towards lilacs?
While felines are curious by nature and will look at pretty much anything in your home or yard, lilacs seem to have uncommon highlights that pull felines to them.
But you must take care because some lilacs species are poisonous for cats.
Bright Colors of the Flowers:
Firstly, these plants are amazingly amusing, particularly when they are blooming. Though cats do not perceive color as well as humans do, they can fairly distinguish between dull and bright colors.
So, this can be one of the reasons behind your cat’s love and affection with these plants.
Fragrance of the Lilacs:
Secondly, lilacs have sweet-smelling flowers.
It is significant that felines have an extensively intense feeling of smell and might get the faintest aromas from their surroundings.
It is not yet satisfactory that, regardless of whether they distinguish smells like the way we do. However, in the feline world, whatever thing that radiates scent is worth investigating.
Curious by Nature:
Cats are inherently keen creatures. They will discover anything appealing in their surroundings, which also includes plants. So, it will not be interesting if your cat is attracted towards them.
They would like to touch them and engage with them as they are something new and different for them and they would not mind checking them out by themselves.
However, no matter how you look at it, there are abundant answers to why your cat might be amused by lilacs.
Conclusion:
So, there is everything here mentioned for you to know about ‘are lilacs poisonous for cats?’ Though we have already said throughout the post, it warrants repeating that lilac is generally safe for cats.
Yet, there are a few varieties that might be toxic to your feline friend.
Also, just by temperance of being a plant, you ought to do all that could be possibly done to guarantee that your feline stays as far away from lilac as possible.
Some lilacs are potentially poisonous.
A feline would need to eat a great deal of lilac to become ill, and till then, at that point, we just anticipate that the cat should be sick with diarrhea and vomiting, yet then becomes well.
But they are not toxic or poisonous plants overall. So, relax!