Christmas tree
One plant, one grade per pet — the verdicts below are transcribed from primary sources and human-reviewed.
Christmas tree (Pseudotsuga menziessii; Abies balsamea; fraseri; Pinus; Cupress, as listed by Pet Poison Helpline) is toxic to cats (S2 Irritant): Pet Poison Helpline says tree sap can cause irritation and ingestion usually causes mild, self-limiting drooling and vomiting.
FULL VERDICT →Christmas tree (Pseudotsuga menziessii; Abies balsamea; fraseri; Pinus; Cupress, as listed by Pet Poison Helpline) is toxic to dogs (S2 Irritant): Pet Poison Helpline says tree sap can cause irritation and ingestion usually causes mild, self-limiting drooling and vomiting.
FULL VERDICT →What happens if it's eaten
Signs on record for each animal, transcribed from the cited sources.
- Irritation from tree sap
- Usually mild, self-limiting drooling and vomiting
- Irritation from tree sap
- Usually mild, self-limiting drooling and vomiting
When to call the vet
Safe swaps, graded S0
Non-toxic on record for cats — verified against the index at build time.
Seasonal: this plant comes into homes around the December holidays.
FAQ
Which Christmas trees does this verdict cover?
Pet Poison Helpline's Holiday Toxins article lists Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziessii), Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), Fraser fir (fraseri), pine trees (Pinus), and cypress trees (Cupress). This verdict follows those five listed groups. Other trees sold as Christmas trees are not covered and are not graded here.
Why does the scientific-name line contain "fraseri" and "Cupress"?
Pet Poison Helpline prints "Fraser fir ( fraseri)" and "cypress trees (Cupress)". It also prints "Pseudotsuga menziessii" for Douglas fir. This page retains those spellings and the incomplete "fraseri" name as the source records them; it does not supply a missing genus or infer a different scientific name.