Is Oleander toxic to cats?
Nerium oleander · Apocynaceae
Yes. Can kill a cat.
Attacks the heart rhythm. Common as a hedge across the southern US, the Mediterranean and Australia.
For a cat
Can kill
For a person
Can kill
What to watch for
- Drooling
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Colic
- Depression
- Death
The numbers
More than 30 different ones
Cardiac glycosides in the plant
Lisuzzo et al. 2025
Why, and which parts
All parts, green or dried. Clippings and smoke from burning it are dangerous too.
Toxic principle: Cardiac glycosides
Oleandrin belongs to the same family of molecules as the heart drug digoxin, and it works the same way: it blocks the pump that moves sodium and potassium across heart muscle cells. At a measured dose that steadies a failing heart. At a plant dose it makes the rhythm unreliable, which is why the signs run from an upset stomach to collapse with nothing gradual in between.
How to recognize it
A tall evergreen shrub with long, narrow, leathery leaves in whorls of three, and clusters of five petalled flowers at the tips of the stems, usually white, pink or deep red. Common as a motorway and garden hedge across the southern United States, the Mediterranean and Australia.
Plants it gets confused with
Bay laurel
Similar long leathery leaves, and one of oleander's own trade names is rose laurel.
Why it matters: Bay is a kitchen herb. Oleander is a cardiac poison whose clippings are dangerous even burnt. A shared word in a common name is not a shared verdict.
And for a person?
Dangerous to a person too
Dangerous to people as well.
A plant's danger to a cat says nothing about its danger to you, and the reverse is just as true. This is a separate question with a separate answer.
This is information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot tell you what is wrong with your cat. Our rule is a simple one: if something is wrong with your cat, call your vet, and call an emergency clinic if it is out of hours. Nothing you read here is a reason to wait.
Worth keeping a paw on
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Other plants at the same level
Same verdict for a cat as Oleander. The ones sharing its exact toxic principle come first.
