Is Pothos safe for cats and dogs?

Also sold as: Golden Pothos, Devil's Ivy, Taro Vine, Ivy Arum. Retail labels vary, so check the botanical name (Epipremnum aureum) if you are matching a plant you already own.

What the ASPCA lists for Pothos

The ASPCA records Pothos (Epipremnum aureum, family Araceae) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs listed: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. Read the ASPCA entry.

Insoluble calcium oxalates are needle-shaped crystals, so the pain starts the moment a pet bites rather than after the leaf is digested. That is why most pothos cases look dramatic at the mouth and stop there, with the pet spitting the piece out. Drooling, pawing at the muzzle and a sudden refusal to eat are the signs to watch for. The entry notes that vomiting is not among the signs recorded in horses.

The ASPCA carries this one plant under four separate entries, titled Devils Ivy, Golden Pothos, Ivy Arum and Taro Vine, all filed as Epipremnum aureum. They do not agree, so the entry you land on changes the answer you get. Devils Ivy lists Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. Golden Pothos, Ivy Arum and Taro Vine each list only Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, and word the signs as intense burning rather than pain and swelling. Same plant, same scientific name, two different answers. This page cites the Devils Ivy entry and treats pothos as toxic to all three species, which is the widest reading and the entry the ASPCA's own pothos URL resolves to. A fifth entry, Marble Queen, is filed under the older scientific name Scindapsus aureus, gives Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, words the toxic principle as Calcium oxalate crystals and carries no clinical signs at all. Finding one of these entries does not mean you have found the only one.

Do not confuse Pothos with Satin Pothos

Satin pothos is sold as a pothos and priced beside one, but it is a different plant in a different genus, Scindapsus pictus rather than Epipremnum aureum. The ASPCA gives both the same toxic principle, the same clinical signs and the same three species, so the answer for your pet is the same either way and neither is the safer buy. What the shared name hides is that you are not getting the plant on the label, which matters the moment you look either one up. The ASPCA lists Satin Pothos (Scindapsus pictus) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses, toxic principle Insoluble calcium oxalates, with clinical signs: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. Read the ASPCA entry for Satin Pothos. If you are unsure which one you have, treat it as the toxic plant until you can confirm, and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 if your pet has eaten any of it.

What this verdict does and does not mean

Being non-toxic does not mean a plant is chew-proof: even pet-safe houseplants can upset a cat's or dog's stomach if they eat a large amount, simply because it is plant matter. Most toxic houseplants cause irritant-level symptoms, such as drooling, mouth soreness, or a mild upset stomach, rather than a medical emergency. A small number of plants are a genuine emergency, most notably true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species) for cats, which can cause fatal kidney failure from even a small amount of pollen or a nibbled leaf. If you are ever in doubt, or your pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.

Safer alternatives

Looking for something with a similar look and habit that is pet-safe instead?

• Prayer Plant, see the care guide.
• Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant), see the care guide.
• Christmas Cactus, see the care guide.

More on pet safety

Read the full care guide for Pothos, browse the pet safety checker for other plants, or identify a plant from a photo first if you are not sure what you have. Verdicts here follow the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.