Is Rubber Plant safe for cats and dogs?

What the ASPCA lists for Rubber Plant

The ASPCA records the genus Ficus (family Moraceae), through its Weeping Fig entry filed as Ficus sp., as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. Toxic principle: Proteolytic enzyme (ficin), psoralen (ficusin). Read the ASPCA entry.

Ficin and ficusin sit in the milky sap rather than the leaf tissue, which is why a broken stem or a chewed leaf edge is the usual trigger, and why skin and mouth irritation is the pattern reported for figs rather than the deep mouth burning the aroids cause.

The ASPCA has no page for Ficus elastica, the plant on this page. Two checks agree: the species does not appear anywhere in their dog, cat or horse lists, and a direct request for a Ficus elastica page returns the general plant gallery rather than an entry. What they do carry is the retail name. Indian Rubber Plant is one of their entry titles, but it is filed against Ficus benjamina, the weeping fig, which is a different species recorded as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats with the same toxic principles. Above both sits a genus-level entry, Weeping Fig, filed as Ficus sp., and that is the entry this page cites, because a genus entry is the one that covers Ficus elastica. It also states a horse verdict that the Ficus benjamina entry does not. The verdict on this page is therefore sourced at genus level, not species level, and anyone wanting a page for this exact plant will not find one.

Do not confuse Rubber Plant with Jade Plant

The ASPCA lists the jade plant under three names that all say rubber plant: Dwarf rubber plant, Chinese rubber plant and Japanese rubber plant. It is a succulent in the family Crassulaceae and has nothing to do with a fig. Both plants are toxic, so the shared name does not flip a safe answer to an unsafe one, but the two behave differently: the ASPCA records the jade principle as Unknown and lists incoordination among its signs, which is a whole-body effect rather than the sap irritation figs cause. If you searched rubber plant and landed on a jade entry, or the reverse, you have the wrong plant. The ASPCA lists Jade Plant (Crassula argentea) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses, toxic principle Unknown, with clinical signs: Vomiting, depression, incoordination. Read the ASPCA entry for Jade Plant. 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?

• Cast Iron Plant, see the care guide.
• Pilea (Chinese Money Plant), see the care guide.
• Money Tree, see the care guide.

More on pet safety

Read the full care guide for Rubber Plant, 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.