Last updated on December 12th, 2021
Sometimes we’re amazed at the kind of things our furry friends eat because they’ll include so many unusual things in their daily diet.
For instance, the moment you see your feline friend swallow African violets, you immediately start worrying about their health.
Cats can eat African violets because it’s not toxic to them according to the Non-Toxic Plants Page on the ASPCA’s website, however, overconsumption of this flowering plant can cause stomach upset and nausea in cats.
We understand that these gorgeous and bright flowers look totally irresistible for our pets, especially when they’re in your garden.
Apart from being concerned about your cat’s health, you’re also worried about these beautiful violet-hued flowers that you’ve planted with extreme care and patience.
In this article, we’ll discuss whether African violets are hazardous for your feline’s health as well as how to stop your cats from eating wild violets and how you can protect your beloved plants as well.
Is It Safe for Cats to Eat Wild Violets?
African violets aren’t just popular among home gardeners but also cats as well.
If you have these flowering plant species in your garden, there’s a good chance that your cat may have nibbled on it.
Although violets don’t always appeal to cats as much as catnips do, they’ll end up chewing on their vivid blooms, leaves, and stems.
Sometimes, cats may include these vibrant violets blooming in the garden in their morning snack.
The African violet flower blooms in a range of colors such as lavender, blue, red, pink, and white.
As long as your cat is consuming this flower they wouldn’t have any side effects or health issues because both these flowers and their plants as a whole are non-toxic to cats and dogs.
So, if you have one of the African violet varieties in your garden or backyard, you shouldn’t be concerned about your furry pet’s health.
At times, there may be mild illnesses when the cat has consumed too many violets.
Further, these blooms are a great choice for those who are looking for low-maintenance flowering plants while pets are around.
However, apart from these African blooms, many violet varieties may look similar but are extremely toxic or inedible for your cats and dogs.
Some of these wild violets that look like African violets are poisonous and may cause various health issues.
If your cat eats the roots of these wild violets, they may suffer from conditions like vomiting, nausea, and other digestive problems.
Therefore, it’s advised that pet owners should be extremely cautious before planting any tree.
Even if your plants look like violets, be 100% sure that these are the original African violets you’re planting.
But how will you be able to identify the original African violet species? Here’s how.
Identifying African Violets
African violets include any of the six flowering plant species in the Saintpaulia genus (family Gesneriaceae).
These are small house plants native to tropical eastern Africa and are grown horticulturally across the world.
A typical African violet plant produces clusters of vivid and colorful flowers, ranging from blue, white, purple, red, and pink, which grow over fuzzy leaves.
Both the leaves and the stems of African violet plants are pubescent, meaning they’re fine, short hairs in these parts that help to protect the plant from the harsh sun rays and winds.
Another major point of identification in African violets is that the leaves come in shapes ranging from oval to heart-shaped, and they have smooth or ruffled margins.
The leaves are arranged in a basal cluster at the plant’s base. The flowers generally bloom best in medium to bright indirect sunlight, though they’ll also bloom in lower light conditions as well.
The flowers of African violets bloom in either single or double clusters, and they may have five or more petals.
These perennial herbs come in a variety of shaded and color combinations and usually have dark green leaves with long leafstalks.
The violet-colored flowers are placed in a bilaterally symmetric fashion with five petals. The seeds are extremely tiny in size and are produced in a capsule.
Can African Violets Make Cats Sick?
Cats can get sick from eating the African violet plant if the leaves that were ingested had powdery mildew or gray mold. We advise that you visit your local veterinarian to administer treatment before any symptoms or side effects show up.
How to Make Sure Your Cat Doesn’t Fall Sick After Eating African Violets?
One of the easiest ways to ensure that your cat doesn’t fall sick after eating violets is by ensuring that you use high-quality pet-friendly fertilizer to grow this flowering plant.
This should be safe for pets and shouldn’t have chemicals that may harm your beloved friend.
You can also place motion detectors attached to water sprayers to prevent your pet from coming near or eating the plants you don’t want them to chew.
You can also prevent your cat from approaching your plants by applying double-sided tapes around the flower pots.
Because it’s not always possible to stop your kitty from feeding on your violets. They’ll consume these plants at some point when you’re not around.
Insecticides are known to have highly toxic substances, making the plant unsafe for your pets to feed on.
Although one bite or nibble won’t usually show any symptoms of side effects, you never know how much your kitty would’ve consumed.
If they eat such chemically treated plants, the effects take some time to show up, causing serious health issues in your pet over time.
Take your cat to a veterinarian the moment you notice unusual symptoms.
Homegrown violets, however, have lower risks as they’re generally not treated with toxic insecticides.