BonsaiCHAT.net - YOUR Bonsai Community - View Single Post - Odd Question--Trees poisonous to cats

Glider · 04-20-2009, 05:02 AM

I have 22 azaleas, 7 or 8 maples, and a bunch of other trees (around 50 in all), and 2 cats. Although the cats can reach the benches easily, neither has ever tried to eat any part of any tree, although they do chew the ends of my zebra grass.

Cats tend not to eat things that are poisonous to them, especially plants (they're carnivores, moreso than dogs). They will eat certain grasses to help their digestion, but they tend not to eat leaves and berries.

I wouldn't worry too much about cats, they are more than capable of looking after themselves. It's human infants/children that will put anything and everything into their mouths.

If you really fancy a few satsuki azalea, go for it. Your cat will be fine. They didn't get this far by eating stuff that would kill them. The real problem is that I don't think you'll be able to grow satsuki from seed. being cultivars within a hybrid group, you need to propagate them by cutting, or they revert to type.

04-20-2009, 05:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
Glider Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 70	I have 22 azaleas, 7 or 8 maples, and a bunch of other trees (around 50 in all), and 2 cats. Although the cats can reach the benches easily, neither has ever tried to eat any part of any tree, although they do chew the ends of my zebra grass. Cats tend not to eat things that are poisonous to them, especially plants (they're carnivores, moreso than dogs). They will eat certain grasses to help their digestion, but they tend not to eat leaves and berries. I wouldn't worry too much about cats, they are more than capable of looking after themselves. It's human infants/children that will put anything and everything into their mouths. If you really fancy a few satsuki azalea, go for it. Your cat will be fine. They didn't get this far by eating stuff that would kill them. The real problem is that I don't think you'll be able to grow satsuki from seed. being cultivars within a hybrid group, you need to propagate them by cutting, or they revert to type.