I understand how plants and pet owners feel every time they think about bringing something new to their homes. We always must be cautious about what kind of plants would harm our pets. Birds are creatures of nature. They love to pick plants and leaves.
As much as we care for our precious pets, we must keep them safe and healthy. If you are both, a plant and a pet lover, it can be a bit challenging for you to decorate your house or garden with any kind of plant you desire!
It can be a huge risk to place a toxic plant near your baby bird. Poisonous plants can lead to very serious health issues which in some cases can eventually lead to death. And of course, we would end up dying with them if anything bad happens to our baby pets. At least I know I would if anything bad happened to my birds.
Orchids are beautiful plants. They make wonderful decorations, whether for your home or garden. I personally believe that these plants can make any place look fancy and classy, which I’m all about when it comes to decoration. Additionally, orchids are known to be spiritual and bring a lot of positivity and good fortune to any household.
Table of Content
- Are Orchids Toxic To Birds
- Are Orchids Toxic To Cats
- Are Orchids Toxic To Dogs
- Are Orchids Toxic To Hamsters
- Are Orchids Toxic To Hedhogs
Are Orchids Toxic to Birds
Are Orchids Toxic to Cockatiels
Orchids are listed as safe and non-toxic plants to cockatiels. However, cockatiels are very sensitive birds. Any plant can cause digestive problems and harms slightly their health. Even though cockatiels can be very curious, however, most of the time you’ll find them very picky about which plant and leaves they’d chew on.
But this does not mean you should let your guard down. We need to always keep an eye on them, especially if we decide to leave them near plants.
Are Orchids Toxic to Parrots
As for the parrots, orchids are also safe and non-toxic plants to them. It is completely safe to leave the two together alone. An additional fact you might need, in parrots’ native land, orchids are quite popular where they surround them.
As the orchids grow their roots on trees in the rainforest, parrots would settle in those trees and nip at the orchids.
Are Orchids Toxic to Cockatoos
Cockatoos are very intelligent birds. They are very friendly and playful toward their owner. Some even say they are loyal and helpful to their human. In fact, cockatoos are those who are able to distinguish what is good and what is harmful to them. So, it might be an easier task for you to identify what is safe for them and what’s not. Snake plant is not toxic to cockatoos. Feel free to let your birdy play with it.
Are Orchids Toxic to Budgies
Budgies are such sweet birds. Their full name is budgerigars and also known as parakeets. However, their most popular and used name is Budgies. Similar to cockatiels, budgies tend to be playful and curious birds with a lot of energy. They nip on anything near them, especially plants. They love to play with green leaves such as the snake plant.
Orchids will for sure get your budgies’ attention. But that is completely fine because orchids are safe as well. They are listed to be non-toxic plants for budgies.
Are Orchids Toxic to Small Birds
Small birds such as canaries and goldfinch are very small and sensitive birds. Allowing them to chew on orchids may upset their stomach and cause internal issues. Even though orchids are considered to be safe and non-poisonous, small birds are very sensitive and cannot digest as well as big or average size birds do.
Are Orchids Toxic to Cats
Phalaenopsis Orchids, also known as Moth Orchids, along with other 25.000 species of orchids are listed to be non-toxic to cats. However, cats should not be allowed to eat it. Since some varieties of orchid leaves contain a high percentage of alkaloids, after eating orchids, your cat might experience vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, fatigue, salivation, loss of appetite, visible conjunctival cyanosis, and other side effects.
If one day you come home and see that your orchid is ruined and your cat starts to show one, or a couple, of the symptoms mentioned above, please take your cat to the pet hospital in time to induce vomiting and gastric lavage to expel the residual alkaloids from the body.
Why Do Cats Eat Orchids
Cats tend to eat plants, including orchids, mainly because they’re lacking something in their diet. Cats commonly eat houseplants and especially grasses because of a deficiency in certain nutrients.
Do not keep plants that are likely to cause cat poisoning at home. If your kitty likes to eat plants, you can plant cat grass.
The reason why cats like to eat grass is that it is rich in cellulose, which can be used as an effective emetic and can help cats spit hairballs. However, cats cannot eat orchids, lilies, lemon verbena, and some other plants.
Are Orchids Toxic to Dogs
Orchid flowers are very beautiful and always have my dog’s attention. The first time I brought an orchid plant to the house, she had to bite and chew on it. That was a mistake because I shouldn’t have left her with it alone.
I ended up having a ruined orchid and a dog with diarrhea. But now that I’ve learned from my mistakes, I am here to tell you that orchids are not toxic to dogs. They are not deadly; however, they can have some side effects on your dog. Orchid flowers have an aroma, therefore, they contain a certain amount of essential oil. And we can say that essential oils tend to be harmful to pets in general.
Leek orchids, on the other hand, can almost be listed as toxic. Its side effects come out really heavy on our baby pets, whether dogs or cats. Accidental ingestion of the stem can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and weakness
I must note that most varieties of orchids are not poisonous to dogs. Meaning, if your buddy eats orchid leaves or orchid flowers, they are unlikely to suffer any long-lasting effects. But that does not mean you should allow them to chew on them. We need to protect both, our pets and our beautiful plants.
Are Orchids Toxic to Hamsters
Ok! I think we, hamster owners, can all agree that they absolutely love to eat plants and flowers. There are many different non-poisonous plants that can be included in your hamster’s cage such as snake plants. Orchid flowers are not listed in the toxic list for hamsters, however, eating it can cause similar side effects as lemon verbena.
Orchid flower, as I mentioned before, has a certain amount of essentials that can harm your baby hamster and upset its tummy. But that does not mean you cannot allow your pet to chew on it. It’s ok to do so, you need to be careful about the amount it eats.
Are Orchids Toxic Hedgehogs
To be honest, I have never owned a hedgehog in my life although I really want to. However, I know for a fact that these spikey cuties are very picky. So you might not need to worry much if you put your hedgehog around a new plant. Most probably, if the plant is toxic, it would avoid it.
Since orchid flowers do not contain any citric compounds such as lemon verbena, they are safe. Again, pets, in general, are more sensitive than humans. Offering large quantities of any plant can upset their tummy and cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Note
As with any other plant, orchids as well get sick. For example, the leaves turn black. Therefore, you would need to use chemical products Pesticides and fertilizers might be harmful to your pet. For the sake of the safety and protection of your pet, make sure to only use the ones which are pet-friendly.
