Are Nepenthes Toxic To Cats & Dogs? Pitcher Plants Poisonous To Pets?

Are nepenthes toxic to dogs or cats? I see this question pop up a lot in the communities I’m a part of on social media. Many times peoples pets get into their tropical pitcher plants and eat them or at the very least rip them apart with their mouths. 

Of course, most peoples first concern is about the health of their cat or dog versus the health of their nepenthes. With that being said, you can worry more about your nepenthes than your pet!

Nepenthes pitcher plants are not toxic to dogs or cats. It is possible for them to cause minor stomach irritation but they will not cause any long term effects. Odds are your dog or cat will never have any irritation after the ingestion of any part of the nepenthes pitcher plant. I scoured the internet to find any reported cases of nepenthes pitcher plants being poisonous or causing any type of harm to pets and was unable to find anything. 

I’m assuming you are here because your dog or cat ate some of your nepenthes plant and you just wanted to be sure nepenthes were not poisonous to your dog or cat. Check below for some tips on how to keep your pets safe from plants and your plants safe from your pets!

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Table of Contents

Is A Pitcher Plant Poisonous To Cats?

Cats can be a real problem when it comes to your nepenthes. It’s not the cats health you have to worry about but the health of your plant. A pitcher plant is not poisonous to cats but the cat can be very hazardous to your plant. Some of the reasons your cat might be attracted to your nepenthes are as follows. 

• I’m sure you have heard the phrase “curiosity killed the cat”. Yes, sometimes the only reason they are bothering your plant is because they are curious. Those dangling pitchers are just too irritable for them! 
• Cats often eat plants to aid in digestion as well. Sometimes they aren’t necessarily attracted to your pitcher plant but just to plants in general. A surplus of fibrous material in the plant can aid in vomiting. Stay with me here. If a cat sense a hairball they can’t get up, they know instinctually to eat fibrous foods to aid them. 
• Sometimes science can explain why cats do what they do but sometimes it can’t. Cats can be crazy and might be othering your plant just to bother it. 

Keep Your Cat Away From Your Nepenthes

Sometimes cats just like to cause chaos. Lets talk about some ways to possibly help keep your cat away from your nepenthes pitcher plants. Hopefully we can come up with a solution! 

Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Protect Your Plant From Your Cat

One of the easiest ways to protect your nepenthes is to simply put it behind a cover. Check out the mesh cover below that you can put your plant in to help keep the kitty away. Combining this with some oft he other methods below should work! 

Deter Your Cat

Your cat may not eat your plant but they might chew on it. Chewing on it can be just as bad for it as eating it. This often leads to your plant dying to being seriously damaged. You may need to figure out a way to deter your kitty. 

There are some natural pet repellants you can buy but they don’t seem to work well. One home remedy for this is to take some vinegar and dilute it with water.  This will be safe for your plant but your cat will hate it. You may have to deal with a vinegar smell but it’s better than a damaged plant!

The other problem with this method is that you will have to replace the liquid every couple of days. You might want to make a big batch of it and have it in a spray bottle ready to go. 

Discipline Your Cat

Probably the best way to solve this problem is with a little bit of patience and tough love. Try to be around when your cat is around your plant and discipline then when you see them interacting with it. 

One of the best methods is the tried and true spray bottle. Just put a little water in a spray bottle and give your kitty a little spray when it gets close to your nepenthes pitcher plant. After a few times, the fear of being sprayed should out weight it’s want to slap around those pitchers. 

You can also make a noise your cat dislikes every time it’s close to your nepenthes.  A shout, hissing noise or a clap can tell your kitty your not happy. If you do this enough, they will eventually associate your plant with these noises and leave it alone. 

Prevent Kitty Boredom

Most of the time your cat is bothering your house plants because they are bored. They will seek amusement when they don’t have anything else to do. Sometimes it can be hard with a job, kids and everything else to keep your cat occupied. 

You can invest in some kitty toys or get them a new scratching post. Like the one below! Having something for your cat to do could resolve the situation! 

Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Plants Your Cat Loves To The Rescue!

Another solution for your cat is to give them some plants they would prefer over your nepenthes pitcher plant. There are a couple of great options out there that cats just love. 

Probable the most obvious here is catnip. Did you know that catnip is a plant you can grow? Put a pot of catnip somewhere away from your nepenthes pitcher plant to keep your kitty occupied! Click here to get some catnip seeds and grow your own plant! 

Another option would be some cat grass to keep them occupied. Cat grass is great for giving cats an outdoor grass experience in the indoors. This can give them something to do and keep them busy! Cats also like to eat grass for additional fiber. Whether you are using it to deter a cat or just to have around, cat grass is awesome for a house kitty!

Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Tips To Keep Your Dog Away From Your Nepenthes

Now that you know that nepenthes are not toxic to dogs, you will probably want to come up with a way to keep your dog away from your pitcher plant. Lets take a look at some good practices to help keep your nepenthes pitcher plats away from your sweet pups! 

• Keep your nepenthes up high. If you keep them up away from the dogs, they won’t be able to reach them. Using a hanging planter could do the trick, click here to see the one I use on Amazon!
• Discipline your dog when you see them interacting with your plants. I know this is a tough one for some, but dogs know tone. If they hear your tone being very unhappy when they touch your plant, it can help change behavior. 
• Although it wouldn’t be my first choice, you can use a chemical deterrent to help keep your dog away from your nepenthes pitcher plant. 
• If possible, try to keep your plant in an area that is not accessible by the dog. Whether it’s a different room in your home or a different part of the yard, hopefully you can find a place to keep your pitcher plant from your pup.

For the most part, I don’t think your dog will be a big problem for your nepenthes. Usually the cat is more of a problem to keep away from your plant. 

Are Nepenthes Toxic To Dogs Or Cats?

As stated above, no, they are not. At least not that has ever been reported by anyone. I read on several forums and looked everywhere to try to find any case of a nepenthes plant being harmful to pets. 

I was also able to get on the ASPCA website and do a search. I wasn’t able to find anything on there for a nepenthes or pitcher plant. You can check out the site yourself as I will link it below. You can search by just dogs or just cats, click on the letters below to see if any of your plants are toxic to your pets. No carnivorous plants are anywhere to be found. 

ASPCA Poisonous Plants For Pets

If your pet does eat a nepenthes and is acting unusual its probably best to consult your vet. If you notice any of the following, make sure you contact your vet immediately.  

• Vomitting or dirarhea
• Redness, swelling, blistering or rawness on the skin or mouth. 
• Lethargic behavior or sudden collapse. 

If you notice any of these after your cat or dog ate a nepenthes, contact your veterinarian immediately. 

More From CarnivorousPlantsHub.com!

Make sure to take some time and check out my Ultimate Nepenthes Ventrata Care guide below to see how to care for your nepenthes ventrata plant! Also, check out some of our other great content all about carnivorous plants. 

Final Thoughts

A nepenthes pitcher plant is not toxic or poisonous to cats or dogs. The real concern is that your pets may actually be harming the plant and not the other eway around. Sometimes teaching your dog or cat to stay away from your plant can take a while so remember to practice patience with them. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope this helped answer some of your questions. Please, check out my YouTube channel below for some great carnivorous plant content! 

Also be sure to check out the International Carnivorous Plant Society if you are interested in conservation of these wonderful plants!

https://youtu.be/kKs0Y0Qak6w