Poison & Toxin Database

deadly

Acetaminophen / Paracetamol

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) itself is only part of the story — the real danger comes from how cats process it. Cats…

human medications deadly

ADHD Medications (amphetamine/methylphenidate-based)

Amphetamine and methylphenidate-based stimulant medications, which strongly and directly stimulate both the central…

human medications deadly

Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol)

Ethylene glycol itself is only mildly toxic — what actually destroys the kidneys is a cascade of toxic metabolites the…

household deadly

Ethylene Glycol (see also Antifreeze under Household)

See the main "Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol)" entry in the Household category for the full mechanism detail — this entry…

chemicals deadly

Lilies (all true Lilium and Hemerocallis species)

An unidentified nephrotoxin unique to true lilies (Lilium species — Easter, Tiger, Asiatic, Stargazer, Oriental, Day,…

plants deadly

NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Aspirin)

NSAIDs — ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, and similar drugs — work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins,…

human medications deadly

Oleander

Cardiac glycosides — primarily oleandrin and oleandrigenin, with related compounds contributing — which are…

plants deadly

Rat and Mouse Poison (anticoagulant rodenticides)

Anticoagulant compounds — such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone, warfarin, and related chemicals — that block the body's…

pesticides deadly

Sago Palm

Cycasin, a glycoside compound that is metabolized in the body into methylazoxymethanol (MAM), a genotoxic…

plants deadly

Slug and Snail Bait (metaldehyde)

Metaldehyde, which causes rapid, severe overstimulation of the central nervous system through a mechanism that isn't…

pesticides deadly

Vitamin D Supplements (including some rodenticides using the same mechanism)

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), which in excess causes dangerously elevated blood calcium and phosphorus levels, leading…

human medications high

Alcohol (any alcoholic beverage, unbaked yeast dough, some hand sanitizers)

Ethanol, which depresses the central nervous system and can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, body temperature, and…

foods high

Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics)

SSRIs and SNRIs work by increasing serotonin activity within the nervous system; an overdose amplifies this effect into…

human medications high

Azalea / Rhododendron

Grayanotoxins, a family of compounds that bind to sodium channels in cell membranes throughout the body and lock them…

plants high

Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)

Sodium hypochlorite, a strong oxidizing and corrosive agent that damages tissue through direct chemical reaction on…

household high

Caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, some medications)

Caffeine, another methylxanthine compound sharing the same broad mechanism of action as theobromine in chocolate —…

foods high

Chocolate (all forms)

Theobromine and, to a lesser extent, caffeine — both members of the methylxanthine family of compounds, which cats…

foods high

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptol (also called cineole) and related terpene compounds, which cats cannot efficiently clear from their system…

essential oils high

Insecticides (organophosphates and carbamates)

Organophosphate and carbamate compounds work by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme normally responsible for…

pesticides high

Laundry & Dish Detergents (especially concentrated pods)

Concentrated surfactants — the detergent compounds that break down grease and grime — delivered, in the case of laundry…

household high

Lead (old paint, some fishing weights, some plumbing, batteries)

Lead, a heavy metal that disrupts numerous enzyme systems throughout the body, most seriously and characteristically…

chemicals high

Mothballs (naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene)

Either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene depending on the specific product — the two active ingredients used in…

household high

Onions and Garlic (all forms — raw, cooked, powdered)

Organosulfur compounds — thiosulfates and related disulfides, including N-propyl disulfide — found throughout all…

foods high

Paint (especially old, lead-based paint in older homes)

For older, lead-based paint specifically: lead, a heavy metal that disrupts numerous enzyme systems throughout the…

household