Find out if Christmas cactus is poisonous to cats and how to keep your best-loved feline safe this holiday time of year and beyond .
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Christmas cactus plants are promptly available at grocery stores and florist asfestive holiday houseplant . But sometimes holiday decorating and cats can be a troublesome compounding . You may be wondering ifChristmas cactusis poisonous to cats if you have a curious feline — the type that likes to nibble houseplant on occasion , pole in the Christmas tree diagram , and drag in with tinsel . Here ’s what you should know about Christmas cactus and cats for a worry - free holiday season when you have this industrial plant in your habitation .
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Is Christmas Cactus Toxic to Cats?
The slurred , fleshy leaves and colourful flower of a Christmas cactus might be challenging to cat but gratefully the plants are nontoxic to favourite who may consume a little of them . And hombre generally tend to leave Christmas cactus alone because there ’s nothing particularly attractive about them , unlike , say acatnip plantor cat grass .
If your cat does decide to corrode a small piece of the leaves or flowers of your Christmas cactus , your deary will not get any ill effects . Cats that consume large measure of leave and flowers might endure GI hurt in the form of looseness , vomiting , and decrease appetite .
In the rare occurrence of hurt , it might be because of an intestinal stoppage due to consuming the large , unchewable leafage . Call your veterinarian if your pet ’s soreness continue more than a couple of days after eating Christmas cactus .
Keeping Christmas Cactus Away from Cats
If you ’re still implicated , and need to protect both your quat and your Christmas cactus from each other , put your plant where your pet can not reach it . Just make indisputable that the spot you select provides the right grow conditions for this plant .
Hailing from the tropics of southeast Brazil , Christmas cacti will thrive in a brightly lit room and well - run out potting soil . Place your potted plant near a western United States or south facing windowpane but fend off a emplacement that receives unmediated sunshine which can combust the leave of absence .
Thanksgiving cactus , Easter cactus , and Christmas cactus are all tight related . They in the main take issue by bloom time . They in the main bloom around the holiday that inspired their name . Easter cactus , for example , begins blooming when days lengthen in early springiness .
Cat-Friendly Christmas Cactus Care Tips
keep back a Christmas cactus sound and felicitous in a family with a quat is pretty aboveboard , though there are a few adjustments you’re able to make to keep both your cat and your plant safe .
Water
Watering a Christmas cactuscorrectly is key to growing this plant successfully . When the works is flowering , water as soon as the soil aerofoil is juiceless to the touch to ensure the blossoms get enough hydration . Then cut back lacrimation slightly during the rest period of the yr ; water when the top in or so of stain is wry to the touch .
If you take your plants to a sink to water them , foreclose khat from getting to your Christmas cactus and other houseplants while you water by sustain the door come together to the room .
Fertilizer
Fertilize Christmas cactus monthly June through August with a houseplant fertilizer diluted to half potency . The fertiliser will advertize stem and leaf ontogenesis andprepare the works for flower development . debar using a fish - based fertilizer that may attract your cat to the plant .
Repotting
Aim torepot your plantevery three or four years . Increase the size of pot by just a twosome inch in diam — Christmas cactus get practiced in confined place — and replace the potting soil with raw soil . Spare yourself some cleansing by using a heavy container that is hard for a cat to pick apart off a shelf or tabular array .
Frequently Asked Questions
No , Christmas cactus are not toxic to either dogs or cats . If your pet lean to eat houseplants , keep a Christmas cactus out of range to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort make for on by eating large quantity of the plant .
Amaryllis , Jerusalem cerise , and holly berry can all be toxic to pets if ingested . Some industrial plant , such aspoinsettia , must be consume in large quantities to be toxicwhile other plants , such as holly , can be harmful if a computerized axial tomography eats just a few Berry .
wintertime is the primary blossom season for Christmas cactus . Expect plant to begin bloom after Thanksgiving . Some variety depart flowering after Christmas . A healthy Christmas cactus will flower for four to six weeks .
