Is Tomato Plant toxic to cats?
Tomato plants are toxic to cats (S3 Toxic): the solanine in the leaves, stems, and green fruit can cause drooling, severe stomach upset, weakness, dilated pupils, and a slow heart rate — the ripe fruit is non-toxic on the ASPCA record.
- TOXINsolanine (glycoalkaloids)
- WHAT TO EXPECThypersalivation (drooling); inappetence (loss of appetite); severe gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea)
- CALL THE VETCall your vet after any chew of leaves, stems, or green fruit; go immediately if your cat seems weak, unsteady, or disoriented, has dilated pupils, or its heartbeat seems slow.
Symptoms
| SIGN |
|---|
| hypersalivation (drooling) |
| inappetence (loss of appetite) |
| severe gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea) |
| depression / lethargy |
| weakness |
| dilated pupils |
| slow heart rate |
| stumbling, disorientation (after large amounts of green parts) |
If your cat just ate it
Same climbing look, minus the risk
1 climbing plant graded S0 — non-toxic on record.
Care at a glance
FAQ
Is the tomato itself dangerous, or just the plant?
The plant. Both sources draw the same line: the ASPCA lists solanine as the toxic principle and ends its entry with "ripe fruit is non-toxic," and Pet Poison Helpline says "Ripe tomatoes have the least amount of these compounds and are considered non-toxic." The danger is in the green parts — leaves, stems, and unripe green fruit — and Pet Poison Helpline ties the serious signs to "large amounts" of them: "gastrointestinal distress (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea) and neurological signs (e.g., weakness, lethargy, stumbling, disorientation)." The ASPCA adds "dilated pupils, slow heart rate." A cat that licked a ripe tomato off the counter is a non-event on this record; a cat that chewed the vine or green fruit is a call to the vet — and an urgent one if it looks weak, unsteady, or its heartbeat seems slow.
My cat chewed a tomato vine — what should I watch for?
Call your vet, and watch for signs beyond the stomach. The ASPCA's record for the tomato plant reads "Hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, depression, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart rate" — the last three are why this plant is graded S3 Toxic rather than treated as a simple upset. Pet Poison Helpline ties the serious signs to "large amounts of green tomatoes, leaves, or stems" and adds stumbling and disorientation. The toxin, solanine, is in the green parts; the ripe fruit is non-toxic on the ASPCA record. Remove the plant, tell your vet what was eaten, and go immediately if your cat is weak, unsteady, has dilated pupils, or its heartbeat seems slow.
Are tomato plants toxic to dogs?
Yes — the plant, not the ripe fruit. The ASPCA lists the tomato plant as "Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses," with solanine as the toxic principle and signs that include severe gastrointestinal upset, weakness, dilated pupils, and a slow heart rate; it ends the entry with "ripe fruit is non-toxic." Pet Poison Helpline says serious signs follow "large amounts of green tomatoes, leaves, or stems" — and a dog loose in a vegetable garden is the animal most likely to eat that much. The grade is S3 Toxic on our tomato plant page for dogs. If your dog has eaten vines or green fruit, call your vet, and go immediately if it seems weak, unsteady, or disoriented.