Chrysanthemum

How Much Is Dangerous

Whole-plant ingestion is typically mild and self-limiting; genuinely serious toxicity is much more strongly associated with concentrated commercial pyrethrin products (like some flea treatments, particularly ones formulated for dogs and used incorrectly on cats) than with a cat simply chewing on the growing plant.

Symptoms

• Drooling
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Mild skin irritation with direct dermal contact with plant sap
• Incoordination in unusually large ingestions, though this is uncommon with whole-plant exposure specifically

Time to Symptoms

Usually within a few hours of ingestion.

First Aid Steps

• Remove access to the plant
• Bathe the cat with mild soap and lukewarm water if there was significant skin contact with sap or crushed plant material
• Contact a veterinarian if vomiting or diarrhea persists beyond a day, or if the cat seems significantly unwell rather than just mildly off

What Not To Do

• Do not confuse whole-plant chrysanthemum exposure with concentrated pyrethrin insecticide exposure — the latter (see the separate pesticide entries) is materially more dangerous and needs prompt veterinary attention, while chewing the growing plant itself rarely reaches that level of concern

Veterinary Treatment

Usually supportive care only for whole-plant exposure — this is a meaningfully different and less urgent scenario than actual pyrethrin insecticide toxicity, which is covered separately and is considerably more dangerous.

Toxic Compound

Pyrethrins and sesquiterpene lactones, naturally-occurring insecticidal compounds concentrated most heavily in the flower heads — this is, notably, the same plant family from which commercial pyrethrin-based insecticides and some flea control products are derived, though whole-plant chewing exposes a cat to a far lower and less concentrated dose than an actual pyrethrin insecticide product would.