Click to Skip Ahead Reasons Why Cats Eat Flowers Are Flowers OK For Cats To Eat? Prevention If your cat is a plant chewer or you’ve come home to find them eating a bunch of flowers you have in your home‚ you might wonder what compels them to do so. Flower eating can be a nuisance at best‚ but it can also require a trip to the emergency vet. It can be dangerous for your cat to eat flowers and plants since some are incredibly toxic. This article will examine five reasons why your cat might eat flowers‚ which flowers are unsafe for them‚ and what you can do about it. The 5 Reasons Why Cats Eat Flowers 1. To Induce Vomiting Some cats might eat flowers and other plants to help them alleviate feelings of nausea or to induce vomiting. This study1 determined that over â…“ of cats that ate plants vomited afterward‚ leading us to think that eating the plant had something to do with digestive issues. If your cat is frequently chewing on flowers in your garden or home‚ they could be trying to induce vomiting. If you notice this behavior‚ or if your cat seems to be vomiting regularly‚ ensure you take them to the veterinarian to determine the cause! Image Credit: Nils Jacobi‚ Shutterstock 2. Because It’s an Instinctual Behavior The modern domestic cat is descended from the African Wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica)‚ which is a small cat found roaming wild in Africa and Asia. The whole felid family can be observed eating plants‚ including the African Wildcat. Many experts on feline behavior believe that our pet cat’s penchant for eating plants stems from their ancestors as an innate‚ inherited behavior. Even large felids like lions (Panthera leo) eat plants from time to time‚ so it seems flower chewing is a behavior shared across many species of cats. 3. Boredom Cats are intelligent creatures that need mental and physical stimulation. The opportunity to exhibit natural behavior through exploration and play is incredibly important for your cat. If your cat doesn’t get enough stimulation‚ they can turn to more destructive ways to alleviate boredom‚ including chewing on your roses! Boredom also leads to anxiety and stress for cats‚ both of which can also be the cause of your cat’s flower chewing. Chewing is a self-soothing behavior for many cats; if your cat is showing other signs of stress alongside eating your plants‚ taking them for a check-up at your vet’s office is a good idea. Image Credit: Eric Han‚ Unsplash 4. To Gain Nutrition Cats must eat meat to survive‚ and their digestive systems are designed to digest animal protein to gain nutrition. However‚ there are nutrients that plants contain that cats cannot get in high quantities from a meat-only diet. Nutrients‚ such as vitamins‚ are found in plants‚ which may be why your cat loves to chew on them. Non-digestible fiber is also found in plants and flowers‚ which your cat can use to assist digestion and move things like hairballs along in their gastrointestinal tract. 5. Because They’re Attractive Lastly‚ your cat might be eating your flowers purely because they’re attracted to them. The flowers look appealing and smell nice. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is an excellent example! The catnip plant has beautiful purple flowers that exude the same scented oil (nepetalactone) that the rest of the plant does. Nice-smelling flowers will likely attract cats and tempt them to take a bite. However‚ it is another reason dangerous plants should be removed from your home or garden. Several toxic species have colorful petals and pleasant scents that can entice your cat into eating a potentially fatal dose. Image Credit: Georgia Evans‚ Shutterstock Are Flowers OK for My Cat to Eat? Your cat will come across flowers from time to time‚ whether inside your home if you get a bouquet or growing outside. There are so many types of flowers that your cat could come across that it’s difficult to list all the flowers that could cause your cat harm. However‚ some are incredibly toxic to cats and should never be kept in your yard or home. Their flowers can have toxic parts‚ such as the stem or pollen‚ or the whole plant can be dangerous. While cats are usually fastidious about what they eat‚ kittens or cats kept inside the home are more likely to indulge in a flower they’re unsure about. Outdoor cats can be at risk of toxicity from flowers if they accidentally brush past them and pick up pollen on their fur‚ which they’ll likely groom off. Some common flowers that are toxic to cats include the following: Azalea Chrysanthemum Hyacinth Daffodil Foxglove Iris Lillies Nightshade Periwinkle Poppies Tulips There are some flowers that cats can eat‚ and they’re safe for your home. If you’re going to have a display of flowers in a vase or planted in the yard‚ it’s better to choose a safe flower. Some of the flowers that are safe for cats to ingest include: Asters Sunflowers Roses Orchids Freesia Snapdragons Catnip How Do I Stop My Cat From Eating Flowers? The best way to stop your cat from eating flowers is to remove them from your home and garden or ensure they’re out of reach. Cats are curious and will investigate new‚ interesting items that come into their home. If you have a bouquet that keeps getting chewed on‚ moving the flowers to a room or place your cat can’t access is the best way to keep them safe. Remember that cats are excellent climbers and agile jumpers‚ so a high shelf may not be much of a deterrent! Ensuring toxic or harmful plants are removed from your home or garden is essential since some flowers don’t even need to be ingested to be harmful. Tulips‚ for example‚ can cause a skin reaction if your cat brushes against them. Conclusion Cats eat flowers for various reasons including boredom‚ digestive issues‚ and instincts. Whatever the reason‚ your cat should be discouraged from chewing on flowers unless you can positively identify them as safe. You can also provide your cat with cat grass to chew on if they’re partial to flowers‚ which provides excellent enrichment! Sources https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8300339/ https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/dangerous-plants https://icatcare.org/advice/cats-and-poisonous-plants/ https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/cat/why-do-cats-eat-grass https://www.petmd.com/cat/wellness/evr_ct_eating_grass Featured Image Credit: Nadinelle‚ Shutterstock The post Why Do Cats Eat Flowers? 5 Vet-Reviewed Reasons appeared first on Pet Keen.

The Christian nationalism debate was always a scam‚ which is why as someone who by God’s grace has one of the largest audiences of Bible-believing Christians in the country‚ I never bothered to wade into it. Instead‚ I waited for those provoking it to reveal their true purpose for doing so. And it finally happened last week. The Spirit of the Age offers no forgiveness. It only demands your compliance. First‚ Politico published an unintentional self-parody expressing incredulity that Christian nationalists believe in such fantastical things as “natural law” — or what America’s founders called “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence. The Spirit of the Age website also confidently claimed that natural law had recently gained in popularity in just the last few decades. Which is probably news to Thomas Aquinas‚ who was writing about such things in works like the “Summa Theologiae‚” published all the way back in 1265. I guess time is now like gender and fluid as well. Anyhow‚ clearly not one to be bashful about displaying her invincible ignorance‚ as one so often does these godforsaken days‚ the co-author of that think-less piece proudly appeared on the televised asylum known as MSNBC. Why? To announce that one sure way to tell if someone bears the "mark" of a Christian nationalist is whether the person believes our rights come from God and not government. And there it is! If you have actually read and understood the mission statement of America — that our rights come from God and not government — found in the aforementioned Declaration of Independence‚ you are a Christian nationalist. Thus‚ anyone who is a sincere Christian and honest student of American history — who understands our cultural heritage — is a menace to society‚ according to the Spirit of the Age. That’s what this entire sham non-debate was about all along. It was always about slandering the brethren‚ and sadly too many of the brethren fell for it and divided themselves over it. We do this because we deeply desire acceptance from this world more than we pursue devotion to its Creator. So we really need the people who hate us and would smash our stained-glass windows without blushing to know “we’re not like those kinds of Christians. We don’t like them‚ either. Please don’t lump us in with those knuckle-draggers.” And by golly‚ how was your simping for the Spirit of the Age received by its beneficiary? It went ahead and lumped you in with the rest of us‚ nevertheless‚ thank you very much. So please graciously accept your cultural potter’s field‚ you self-proclaimed more enlightened types‚ for you have received your reward in full.As my colleague Auron MacIntyre recently said on my show‚ this was always a cynical and demonic ploy to rebrand Christianity with white nationalism. Eight-five percent of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2020. In 2016‚ white evangelicals were 20% of the overall electorate‚ and they voted for Trump by a whopping margin of 78% to 16%. This is a vital base for Republicans‚ one that Democrats have no chance of winning. This means Democrats have nothing to lose and everything to gain by smearing voters Republicans require that they cannot acquire. Sadly‚ the soil for planting such weeds was tilled by some of the very Christians being sullied. Well-meaning folks wasted their time trying to sincerely debate and discuss something that was never meant to be sincere in the first place. It was simply a rake that hell itself placed in our yard‚ and we gladly stepped on it. If you are guilty of loving the Lord‚ while also daring to show any respect whatsoever for actual American history — and that is still a lot of people who have various opinions about Donald Trump — then you are pronounced guilty by the very forces trying to destroy the last morsels of a country once called exceptional. And no amount of nuance or “ackshually” can save you. For the Spirit of the Age offers no forgiveness. It only demands your compliance. I assure you that every time you turn onto Tolerance Boulevard‚ you will find it is a one-way street. The debate that never was is now over. We are all Christian nationalists now.

Barring the ships of friendly nations from helping to keep our waterways navigable is hurting America.

A review of Making It in America by Rachel Slade.

A conversation with Professor Deborah E. Lipstadt‚ of the State Department.

Euthanasia has come to Canada dressed up in euphemisms and deceit. 

Reflections on a transgender funeral at the cathedral on Fifth Avenue.

McDaniel’s decision comes two weeks after Trump endorsed Michael Whatley‚ Lara Trump‚ and Chris LaCivita to lead the RNC.

BREAKING: Ronna McDaniel Announces When She'll Step Down As RNC Chair

Descendants of Slaves Demand $74 Billion in Reparations