Is a ZZ plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Zamioculcas zamiifolia · Aroid family
Toxic to cats and dogs
Chewing releases calcium oxalate crystals: mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting. Offer water and call your vet if symptoms persist.
Source: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants.
Yes, and the ZZ plant has picked up a reputation online that is out of proportion to the evidence. It is an aroid, it carries calcium oxalate crystals, and chewing it irritates the mouth. It is not, as the internet occasionally claims, a plant so poisonous you need gloves to repot it.
What to look for
- Drooling and mouth pawing shortly after chewing
- Swelling of the lips or tongue
- Vomiting or reluctance to eat
- Skin irritation on the hands after handling cut stems, in some people
If your pet has chewed it
Offer water and monitor the mouth. Call your vet if the drooling or swelling does not settle, or straight away if swallowing or breathing looks difficult. The glossy waxy leaves are unappealing to chew and thick enough that most animals give up quickly.
Can you keep it anyway?
A ZZ plant is one of the more sensible aroids for a pet household. It tolerates low light and a fortnight between waterings, so it can live in a spare room or a hallway corner rather than on the sunny sill your cat has claimed. Its stiff upright growth also gives an animal nothing to bat at.
How to care for zz plant
The starting schedule and conditions Kounts Care sets up for this species. Watering adapts from there based on the daylight where you live.
- Water
- About every 15 days, less in winter
- Light
- Low light tolerant
- Humidity
- 30% to 50%
- Temperature
- 16C to 26C
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7
- Family
- Aroid family
Let the app remember this for you
Kounts Care holds your plants and your pets in one household, so it checks every new plant against the cats and dogs you actually own, names them in the warning, and runs the check again over your existing plants the day a new animal arrives. Toxicity warnings are free at every tier.
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Questions people actually ask
Is the ZZ plant really that poisonous?
No. It is on the ASPCA toxic list at the same level as monstera and pothos: calcium oxalate crystals causing painful but local mouth irritation. The claims about extreme toxicity and required protective equipment are not supported by the ASPCA listing.
Do I need gloves to repot one?
Not usually, though the sap does irritate some people's skin. Washing your hands afterwards covers it, and gloves are a reasonable precaution if you know you are sensitive.
Is the Raven ZZ different?
It is the same species with darker foliage, and it is listed at the mild end of the scale in the catalogue. Treat it the same way you would treat the green one.
What is a low-light, pet-safe alternative?
A cast iron plant is the closest match: it survives poor light and irregular watering, and the ASPCA lists it as non-toxic. Parlor palms and Boston ferns also tolerate less light and are on the non-toxic list.