As she did every Tuesday, Periwinkle woke up early, eagerly looking forward to her Adventure with Stinky. She smiled, remembering the sweet Adventure they had had the previous week at their cottage. She didn't have to wait long. The Teleportation began to rumble and, with a WOOSH, out popped Stinky.
They spent time whisker kissing and paw patting and telling each other about the previous week and Easter. Always ready to begin, Stinky asked how their garden was. Periwinkle said she was glad he asked because, once again, the garden was a big part of their Adventure. He bounded out the door and headed to check out the garden's progress.
First, he checked out the zucchini and cucumbers. He also noticed some pepper plants that were starting. Periwinkle told him that the other part of their Adventure had to do with plants that were toxic to cats. She told him they would NOT be eating the hot peppers when they grew. "Not to worry, I don't think I would even THINK of trying a hot pepper," he replied. Periwinkle told him she wouldn't either but her Mom would and that would be okay.
Periwinkle checked out the lettuce and arugula. She said her Mom had made lots of salads out of both already.
The tomato plants were doing well. They spotted a couple of ripe ones right away. Periwinkle told him, "While ripe tomatoes and potatoes are safe for cats, the green ones are toxic. Cats should stay away from any tomato plant as its leaves and stems contain poisonous solanine." Stinky was impurressed with her knowledge and knew she did lots of research.
Both Periwinkle and Stinky laughed when they saw the dill. Periwinkle told Stinky, "
Dill alleviates bloating and gas, calms the stomach, and is okay for cats." Not to embarrass her Mom by the sad-looking dill, they decided to share a photo from a previous year.
Periwinkle continued, "While dill is okay, there are many herbs that are not. Here's a chart I found."
"Here's another chart showing some plants that are not toxic."
Periwinkle added, "Of course, there are a lot of regular plants that can be toxic too."
Getting into the research, Stinky said, "This chart also shows what is good and what is not.
Stinky added, "Some things are toxic for cats but not dogs. Here are some of the reasons,
Different Body chemistry. Cats are obligate carnivores — we need meat and can’t digest plants or certain chemicals very well. Dogs are omnivores — their bodies can handle a wider variety of foods, including some plant-based ones.
Liver Detox Differences. The liver helps remove toxins. Cats lack certain liver enzymes that dogs have, so their bodies can’t break down some substances (like those in onions or garlic). So, a food that a dog can process safely can build up as poison in a cat’s body.
No Taste for Sweet or Bitter Warning. Cats can’t taste sweetness, and we often don’t avoid bitter or toxic flavors, so we might eat things we shouldn’t. Dogs usually have a better chance of spitting out things that taste “off.”
Smaller Size = Bigger Risk. Cats are usually smaller than dogs. Even a tiny amount of something toxic can affect a cat more quickly and severely than it would a dog."
Periwinkle was super impurressed with what Stinky found and told him so. He blushed and thanked her.
Both tabbies agreed that this was an impawtent topic and Stinky was glad they took the time to let their pals know.
Periwinkle said that it was also Earth Day .
She told Stinky her Mom made the yummy Earth Day nip cookies like she did once before. Since their tummies were rumbling, they thought it would be a good time for a snack.
After finishing their snack, they spent time cuddling and whisker kissing and took a short nap. Stinky visited with Periwinkle's fursibs and her Mom. He thanked her Mom for the snack and entered the Teleportation Tunnel. With one last whisker kiss and a loud WOOSH, he headed home. Periwinkle went back to their napping spot and fell asleep to dream about the fun time they had together.
If you want a more complete list of toxic/non-toxic plants and veggies, click
HERE to visit the ASPCA list. Please remember this also applies to medicines. Many things are okay for our woofie pals but not good for us kitties.
