Many common houseplants are toxic to cats, causing preventable illness and death that responsible plant selection and placement can avoid.
Plant toxicity in cats represents a category of entirely preventable welfare harm. The severity ranges from transient gastrointestinal upset to acute kidney failure and death - with lily toxicity representing a particular hazard where even small exposures can be fatal. Many owners are unaware of which plants are dangerous, and plants received as gifts or inherited homes may contain severe hazards for resident cats. The welfare improvement from simply researching plant safety before acquisition and providing cat-friendly alternatives is enormous relative to the effort required. Veterinary toxicology resources make this information readily accessible.