Is Monstera Toxic to Cats and Dogs? Signs and First Steps

After suspected chewing or ingestion

Contact your veterinarian or ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 as soon as possible after suspected chewing or ingestion. A consultation fee may apply. Do not wait for symptoms before calling. The ASPCA’s exact plant record identifies the species as Monstera deliciosa; its pet-poisoning instructions say to contact a professional even when an exposed pet is acting normally.

1. Prevent more exposure. Move your pet away from the plant and keep other pets away too. Put loose leaves and cuttings out of reach.
2. Check for an emergency. If your pet is unconscious, has trouble breathing, or is having seizures, take it directly to a veterinary clinic for immediate care. ASPCA also lists bleeding as a reason for immediate veterinary care after a suspected poisoning.
3. Call promptly if those emergency signs are absent. Describe what happened, when it happened, the plant name, the amount that may be missing, your pet’s age, weight and health, and any signs you have noticed. A photo of the whole plant, a leaf, and its label can help with identification. Do not delay the call to collect perfect information.
4. Follow case-specific instructions. Talk to a veterinary professional before giving your pet anything or attempting treatment. Do not induce vomiting or give home antidotes on your own. These instructions apply even if your pet appears comfortable.

The Pet Poison Helpline emergency instructions likewise advise against home antidotes and against inducing vomiting without professional consultation. Human first-aid directions below are for people and must not be used to treat a cat or dog.

Which monstera and which plant parts?

Monstera deliciosa is sold under overlapping common names, including Swiss cheese plant, hurricane plant, and cutleaf philodendron. The ASPCA record names this exact species. A common name alone does not confirm identity: NC State Extension notes that it can be confused with Monstera adansonii and Rhaphidophora tetrasperma. This article does not independently establish the toxicity of every plant sold as “monstera.”

For M. deliciosa, the ASPCA identifies insoluble calcium oxalates as the toxic principle. Chewing can cause intense irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. These signs can occur in both cats and dogs; the database does not give a mild, moderate, or severe pet-risk grade or a safe bite size.

Leaves, stems, and roots should stay inaccessible. NC State lists these among the plant’s poisonous parts and describes skin irritation from cell sap. Keep cuttings inaccessible as a practical cleanup precaution. A juvenile leaf is not a reason to allow chewing. Keep fallen and dried leaves away as a cleanup precaution, rather than assuming drying makes them safe.

NC State describes only ripe fruit as edible for people and notes that some people are allergic. That exception does not establish that houseplant leaves, stems, unripe fruit, or any fruit offered to pets is safe. Do not use a fruit exception to decide what to do after a suspected exposure.

Prevent another exposure

Start with a change that does not require buying anything: move the plant to an area your pet or small child cannot access. A high shelf is not enough if a cat can jump to it. A plant stand is not enough if a dog can reach the leaves or a toddler can pull the pot over.

Check three things: the pot is stable, foliage stays out of reach, and dropped leaves or cuttings are removed. Look at nearby chairs, windowsills, and shelves that could provide a route to the plant. Check dangling aerial roots as well as the pot’s height. These are practical access checks, not a tested guarantee of safety.

For cats, map the surfaces your own cat can reach. If height does not prevent access, use a room with a closing door and keep the door closed. For dogs, check at nose level, including places where the dog stands on furniture. For children, keep the plant away from play areas and climbable furniture.

If you cannot keep the plant inaccessible, relocate it to a suitable place outside the pet’s or child’s living area. Do not test whether a pet will chew it. Recheck access after moving furniture, repotting, or adding a support that changes where the leaves and roots hang.

Keep plant care separate from exposure decisions. If your inaccessible plant also has unsplit leaves, the monstera leaves not splitting guide addresses that care question. A care improvement does not change the plant’s toxicity or justify moving it within reach.

Keep cuttings and pruning debris contained

Plant care can temporarily put leaves and stems within reach: a trimmed leaf on a table, a cutting on a windowsill, or a stem segment dropped behind the pot. Keep pets and small children out of the work area while pruning or repotting.

• Put trimmed leaves, stems, and roots directly into a secure waste container; check the floor before reopening the room.
• Place propagation jars and loose cuttings where pets and children cannot reach or knock them over. Keep the plant material contained while it roots.
• Wear gloves when handling the plant, as Penn State Extension recommends because of possible contact dermatitis. Wash hands after handling and avoid transferring sap to your face.
• Clean tools and work surfaces after cutting. Keep exposed plant material away from food, toys, and pet bowls.

If a pet may have chewed a cutting or fallen leaf, use the same prompt veterinarian or animal poison consultation as for the potted plant. Do not wait for symptoms.

If a person chews the plant or gets sap in an eye or on skin

For a person who collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or cannot be awakened, call 911 immediately. The following directions are from US Poison Control’s human first-aid guidance. For an exposure without those emergency signs, use the appropriate steps below and call 1-800-222-1222 for advice. This number and these first-aid procedures are for people, including children.

Chewed or swallowed plant material

Contact Poison Control promptly for advice about the actual exposure. Do not induce vomiting. For a swallowed substance that is burning or irritating, Poison Control advises a small amount of water or milk immediately only if the person is conscious, is not having convulsions, and can swallow, followed by expert guidance. Do not give a drink to someone who cannot swallow. This human instruction is not pet-treatment advice.

Sap in a person’s eye

1. Begin rinsing immediately with plenty of room-temperature water and remove contact lenses. Keep irrigating for at least 15–20 minutes and encourage blinking. For a young child, let water run gently over the bridge of the nose into the eye rather than pouring directly into it.
2. After irrigation, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for additional guidance.
3. If irritation, pain, vision changes, redness, swelling, or tearing persists one hour after irrigation began, obtain an urgent eye examination. If symptoms are severe, go straight to an emergency room after irrigating; do not wait an hour.

Sap on a person’s skin

Remove contaminated clothing and immediately rinse the exposed skin with plenty of room-temperature running water for at least 15 minutes. Mild hand soap can help remove material that sticks. Then contact Poison Control for guidance. Persistent or worsening pain, redness, swelling, blistering, or burns needs medical assessment; call Poison Control to determine urgency. For severe symptoms, go straight to an emergency room after rinsing.