Are Fiddle Leaf Figs Toxic To Cats?

Cats and houseplants often aren’t the best mix. Cats are incredibly sensitive to toxins because they have fewer liver enzymes than humans.

This means that your cat is a lot more vulnerable to plants that contain harmful toxins than human beings are. So, when you add a new houseplant to your home, you have to be very careful to ensure that it is not poisonous to your cat. 

If you have a dog, then you can typically get away with adding a poisonous houseplant to your home. This is because these plants are only toxic when consumed.

So if you put your houseplant up on a high shelf that your dog will be unable to reach, then it will be safe. However, you can’t do this with cats because curiosity killed the cat. 

For this reason you should avoid adding any plants that contain toxins to your home if you have a pet cat. Although finding out if a plant is toxic to cats often isn’t the easiest task.

In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at fiddle leaf figs to identify whether, or not, they are toxic to cats, and lots more. 

What Are Fiddle Leaf Figs?

Fiddle Leaf Figs are a type of houseplant that slightly resembles a tree. These green, flowering plants belong to the fig family, and for this reason they originate in Western Africa.

However, due to their regal appearance and natural look, they have become popular as houseplants all over the world. 

Traditionally, Fiddle Leaf Figs would grow in tropical rainforests. But, even in their natural environment, Fiddle Leaf Figs are not large plants.

At most, these plants will grow to around 15 cm in height, and for this reason they would originally make up part of the low land in the rainforest.  

But, if you are familiar with a Fiddle Leaf Fig it is highly unlikely that you have even considered how these plants would behave in their natural environment.

Instead, you will likely be more familiar with picking up these plants at incredibly low costs when you visit Ikea. So, are these plants poisonous to cats? Let’s find out. 

Are Fiddle Leaf Figs Toxic To Cats?

In one word, yes, Fiddle Leaf Figs are toxic to cats. Unlike some plants where only the flowers of the plant are toxic to felines, when it comes to Fiddle Leaf Figs, the entire plant contains toxins.

This means that your cat would be taking in toxins if they were to eat any part of this houseplant, which is why you should avoid this type of plant if you have a pet cat. 

Cats are incredibly curious creatures, but because they are, often, naughty too, they are drawn to things that they aren’t supposed to bother with.

You will typically find that cats gravitate to people who hate cats, and you will also find that cats love to play with things that are fragile. So, adding a Fiddle Leaf Fig to your home is simply too risky if you have a cat. 

Cats are incredibly sensitive to toxins, and in a lot of cases, exposure to toxins can lead to a wide range of nasty health issues – including death. So, yes, Fiddle Leaf Figs are toxic to cats, and, no, you shouldn’t buy one as a houseplant if you share your home with felines. 

Are Fiddle Leaf Figs Toxic To Dogs?

But what about dogs? As you know, dogs and cats are very different creatures, even if they do behave similarly at times. So, are Fiddle Leaf Figs poisonous to dogs as well as cats?

Yes, they are. Fiddle Leaf Figs contain toxins that are dangerous for both cats and dogs, which is why they aren’t the ideal houseplant if you have pets. 

With some plants that are toxic when eaten, it is easy to keep them out of the way of your dog because you can simply move them up onto a high shelf.

But, this isn’t really possible with Fiddle Leaf Figs. That is because these plants like to be kept low to the ground, so they grow best when they are kept in an area that is within your dog’s reach. 

That is why we wouldn’t recommend getting a Fiddle Leaf Fig if you share your home with either a dog or a cat. 

What Makes A Plant Toxic?

When you research houseplants, you will likely be alarmed by the long list of plants that are toxic to animals. A lot of houseplants contain toxins that make them poisonous to animals, mainly when consumed. It is these toxins that make the plant ‘toxic’. 

The majority of the time, houseplants will only be toxic when consumed. That is why it is possible for humans to keep houseplants that are toxic to humans, because they know not to eat them.

However, dogs and cats are not taught about plants, and for this reason it is very easy for them to consume a plant that could be toxic to them. 

As we mentioned earlier, cats have much fewer liver enzymes than humans. This plays a crucial part in the reason so many plants are toxic to cats, but not other animals. The liver is extremely important when it comes to filtering toxins out of the body. 

So, the fact that cats have fewer liver enzymes means that they are less equipped to filter these toxins, making them more susceptible to the negative effects of them. Simply because cats are less able to filter toxins than we are.

Summary

In short, yes, fiddle leaf figs are toxic to cats. These plants are just one on a long list of plants that are toxic to cats, primarily because cats have fewer liver enzymes than other animals.

So, if you share your home with a feline, you should avoid adding a Fiddle Leaf Fig to your home. 

Likewise, you should also avoid these houseplants if you have a pet dog because Fiddle Leaf Figs are also toxic to dogs too. So, if you have pets, these aren’t the best houseplant for your home. Even if they are very pretty.