Plants poisonous to pet cats and dogs

Spotting plants harmful to pets in the Poisonous Pawtanical Garden

THE MORE TH>N Poisonous Pawtanical Garden, created for 2015's Chelsea Fringe, was the world’s most toxic garden to pets, part of the insurer’s campaign to raise awareness of the issue of cats and dogs being poisoned by household plants.
 
According to research by MORE TH>N with 2,000 cat and dog owners, eight per cent of canines and felines in Britain have ingested poisonous plants or flowers.

Of those, 43 per cent needed urgent veterinary care, while 15 per cent died.
 
Far from being rare and exotic, the plants used can be found in any garden, park or horticultural centre.

Clearer labelling

 
MORE TH>N is campaigning for plant producers, manufacturers of garden products and retailers to provide clearer labelling signalling if their items are safe or harmful to cats and dogs.
 
There is a widespread ignorance of the perils gardens pose to animals, with one in every three pet owners (31 per cent) polled admitting they have no idea if the plants and flowers in their gardens are toxic.

The same number were unaware that plants could be poisonous to pets, while 71 per cent cannot identify any of the symptoms of poisoning in their cat or dog.
 
Nearly half (44 per cent) of pet owners are not only aware that their garden houses poisonous plants, but are prepared to risk their cat or dog won’t eat them so they can have a pretty garden.
 
For further information on toxic and non-toxic plants for pets, visit www.morethan.com/pet-insurance/news/most-poisonous-garden.