The showy white, blue, maroon, pink, lavender, blue, violet, deep purple flowers, smaller size 8-16 inches wide, and the fact that they are easy to grow and maintain makes African violets an excellent choice of houseplants. Are they toxic or poisonous to cats?
African violets or saintpaulias are cultivars of the Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia in the genus Streptocarpus and subgenus Streptocarpella with about ten perennial herbaceous flowering plant species native to Tanzania and Southern Kenya in East Africa.
Please don’t confuse them with true violets in the family Violaceae, as they are in the family Gesneriaceae, which also has gloxinia and primrose.
If you love them, it should give you a smile of joy to learn that African violets are safe for cats, dogs, and horses, making them one of the best potted ornamental house plants for tables, counter, or cabinet tops, window seals. They are also not toxic to your children.
Besides being perfect houseplants, you can also grow them in your garden or as landscaping ornamental flowers, and their fuzzy leaves make them not much preferred by rabbits. However, we cannot give you a guarantee on rabbits since, at times, they can eat virtually any plant, even those considered as resistant.
Finally, since African violets are not toxic to cats, they make a perfect valentine’s day or Easter present, or you can give them to your mother or anyone celebrating motherhood. With less than $35, you will have 4 different varieties of Optimara African Violet in 4″ Pots
Warning
While African violets are not poisonous to cats, ensure they are not treated with any harmful fertilizers or sprayed with herbicides or pesticides as this may potentially make them dangerous to your pets. Note that some growers do use systemic insecticides like organophosphates that can hurt your cat. Therefore, always go to professional growers and inquire on which chemicals they have used on them.
While it is perfectly normal for your feline pal to eat grass and a few other greeneries from time to time, ensure they don’t overdo it as it can use indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach troubles.
Finally, consider using small rocks and pebble to discourage digging if your cat is fond of exploring. Aluminum foil will also work as a great deterrent.