Are poinsettias poisonous to cats? Mildly. Lilies are the real danger

Poinsettias are only mildly toxic to cats: drooling or vomiting that usually passes.

By the Clean Fluff Club team. Published October 26, 2026.

At a glance

  • Poinsettias are only mildly poisonous to cats: the sap may cause drooling or vomiting that usually passes on its own.
  • Severe, or still going? Call your vet or ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.
  • The Christmas flower that is an emergency for cats is the lily.
In this guide5 sections

If your cat chewed a poinsettia

  • Take the plant away and wipe any sap off the fur around the mouth.
  • Vomiting or drooling that is severe or won't stop? Call your vet or ASPCA Poison Control, (888) 426-4435.

Lilies are the holiday flower that is an emergency for cats, not poinsettias. Jump to lilies.

Dog in the house too? Poinsettias are mild for dogs as well: are poinsettias poisonous to dogs.

Poinsettia and cats: mildly toxic, mostly hype

Pet Poison Helpline rates poinsettias as only mildly toxic to cats and calls the poisoning greatly exaggerated. The milky sap irritates the mouth and stomach and sometimes causes vomiting.

What you may see after a chew:

  • drooling
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea, rarely
  • red, irritated skin or eyes where the sap touched

Keep the poinsettia, move it out of reach

Set it up high, or in a room your cat can't reach. A cat that keeps coming back to chew the leaves will keep throwing up. The ASPCA suggests a faux poinsettia instead, and it lasts all season.

Lilies: the Christmas flower that is an emergency for cats

Lilies show up in holiday bouquets, and many of them are highly toxic. Every part of a true lily (Lilium) is toxic to cats: leaf, stem, flower and pollen (the vase water is thought to be toxic too). It can cause acute kidney failure.

Cat chewed a lily, licked the pollen or drank the vase water (thought to be toxic)? Call now, even if your cat seems fine: treatment has to start early. The simple fix is no true lilies in a house with a cat. Ask the florist to leave them out.

Other Christmas plants, ranked for cats

PlantFor catsWhat to do
True liliesEmergencyKeep out of the house
Holly and mistletoeStomach and heartUp high, sweep berries
PoinsettiaMildUp high or faux
Christmas tree waterStomach upsetCover the stand
Christmas cactusNon-toxicThe safe swap

The full list, with amaryllis and the safe swaps: holiday plants toxic to cats.

Cat chewed a poinsettia? What to do now

  • Take the plant away and wipe any sap off the fur around the mouth.
  • Signs severe or still going? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. It answers 24/7, every day of the year, and a consultation fee may apply. Pet Poison Helpline takes calls at (855) 764-7661.
  • Before you call, note which part was chewed, about how much and when. Keep the plant nearby so you can describe it.

Vomit on the rug after a nibble? Here is how to clean cat vomit from carpet without leaving a smell.

Your next move

Questions people ask

Are poinsettias toxic to cats?

Only mildly. A chew can bring drooling or vomiting, and the signs usually pass on their own. Call your vet if they are severe or don't stop.

Can I keep a poinsettia in a house with a cat?

Yes, if it sits up high or in a room your cat can't get into. If your cat keeps going back to it, a faux poinsettia ends the problem.

Which Christmas flower is dangerous for cats?

True lilies. Every part, even the pollen, can cause kidney failure in cats (the vase water is thought to be toxic too). Keep them out of the house.

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