Are Juniper Bonsai Toxic To Cats – what you need to know

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I recently moved into a new house. one of the things i have noticed is the number of cats in the area, and both of my neighbors have feline friends. Since I have some juniper bonsai in my collection, this got me thinking: are juniper bonsai toxic to cats?

Juniper bonsai trees are not toxic or poisonous to cats or any breed of cat, making them the ideal bonsai trees to have if you have cats as pets. however, care should be taken to prevent cats from eating juniper needles/tips which cats can choke on.

So why aren’t juniper bonsai toxic to cats? And what should you do if your cat eats a juniper? keep reading to find out more!

Are juniper bonsai toxic to cats?

There are an estimated 95.6 million owned cats in the United States alone.

Combine this with the fact that having bonsai trees as a hobby is increasing by about 4% year-over-year, providing a strong crossover between bonsai trees and cat owners.

With juniper bonsai easily one of the most popular bonsai tree species on the market, it’s important to know as a cat owner if juniper bonsai is poisonous to cats.

as such, i contacted the aspca and did a quick survey of plant paladin readers, and even spoke to a representative from my local vet to get to the bottom of the answer.

to summarize:

• Juniper bonsai is not toxic or poisonous to cats.
• the aspca does not include juniper species on its list of plants that are toxic to cats.
• that being said, since cats are carnivorous animals, they need taurine which is only found on meat and dairy: They don’t do well on either vegan or vegetarian diets.
• if your cat eats juniper trees then this could invoke some marginal gastrointestinal discomfort as their digestive system does not handle the lack of taurine required in juniper plants
• Care should be taken, however, if your cat eats the needle/tip like the leaves of a juniper.
• These leaves can easily get caught in your cat’s throat and cause them to choke.
• other evergreen coniferous species, however, such as certain pine species they are incredibly toxic and must be removed. stay away from cats at all costs.



what happens if your cat eats a juniper?

If your cat eats a juniper bonsai, you should be vigilant and make sure your cat doesn’t choke on the needle or tip like leaves. While junipers are not toxic or poisonous to cats, the tiny leaf-like needles can easily get stuck in their throats.

how to prevent your cat from choking?

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of your cat choking on juniper leaves, there are a few things you can do to prevent it immediately:

• performing a mouth sweep
• using the heimlich cat

let’s explore them in more detail:

mouth sweep

The mouth sweep method is easily the most common method recommended for use on cats if they are choking.

To perform the mouth sweep, begin by gently opening your cat’s jaws.

Then sweep your cat’s mouth with your index finger to find the juniper leaves. if you see them take them out of your cat’s mouth

if you can’t see it, the leaves may be near the back of your cat’s throat and the technique below should be used.

heimlich cat

cat heimlich is used in more severe cases when juniper leaves cannot be manually removed.

To use, hold your cat with your cat’s back against your chest and hind legs dangling.

then push up against your cat’s tummy with 4 to 6 firm upward pushes, that should get the blade out of your cat.

this can be tricky if you’ve never done it before, so hopefully the following video helps:

It’s worth noting that once you’ve successfully stopped the choking, it would be a good idea to take your cat to the vet in case there are any lingering problems.

what if your cat has an upset stomach from eating a juniper bonsai tree?

As mentioned above, because cats are carnivorous animals, eating any type of vegetation, regardless of whether it is toxic or not, can cause your cat some gastrointestinal upset.

if your cat has eaten juniper and has an upset stomach, be sure to do the following:

• give your cat plenty of fluids; this will prevent him from getting dehydrated when he vomits.
• reduce the amount of fiber your cat eats
• invest it in anti-diarrhea medications, such as cat-safe kaolin-pectin medication.
• Massage your cat’s stomach: Excess gas may have built up and rubbing your cat’s stomach can help prevent this.
• If diarrhea or stomach upset persists, be sure to contact your vet.

how to prevent cats from eating juniper

Now, although juniper bonsai may not be toxic/poisonous to cats, you may want to prevent your cat from eating or attacking your tree.

If you don’t, your cat could damage your tree and cause you to be years behind in the process of forming your juniper.

to prevent your cat from eating your juniper then:

• prevent your cat from going outside
• check for pests
• make your juniper inaccessible
• give your cat its own plant
• train your cat

let’s explore all of these briefly

prevent your cat from going outside

Easily the most dramatic way to prevent your cat from eating your bonsai is to simply keep your cat inside. some breeds of cats are highly domesticated and rarely want to explore their outdoor environment. Since juniper bonsai are usually kept outdoors, preventing your cat from exploring your yard can be a surefire way to prevent cats from eating your tree.

however, this method is the most extreme and may not work for all tree species…even cats!

check for pests

Bonsai have a habit of attracting pests such as aphids, scales, spider mites, and caterpillars.

That being said, other pests such as foxes, squirrels, birds, and most importantly, mice and rats have been known to sometimes attack trees as well.

If these pests are found near your bonsai, chances are your cat will start damaging your tree in the process while searching for these trees.

It’s important to stay on top of pest control on your juniper.

make your juniper inaccessible

Now, if you can’t keep your cat indoors, the best thing to do is make your juniper bonsai inaccessible to your cat.

Keeping your juniper bonsai in a greenhouse or surrounding your juniper in a cage that your cat cannot attack will be the best method.

Just keep in mind that cats are excellent climbers, so even if you think you’ve got your juniper bonsai out of harm’s way, you still want to make sure your tree is adequately covered.

give your cat its own plant

part of the reason cats may attack or play with your juniper is that they are a bit jealous and want to play with their own vegetation.

This can be especially apparent if you keep your juniper bonsai in an apartment or on a balcony.

If this is the case and you don’t have much foliage for your cat, then consider getting her her own green patch or plant to play on.

Just be sure to choose a species that is not harmful to your cat.

train your cat

As much as cats would never like to admit any similarity to dogs, cats can be well-trained, too.

using things like traits to reinforce good behavior or taking your cat to a specialized cat trainer can prevent unwanted incidents involving your juniper bonsai.

Are juniper bonsai toxic to cats? – study

Finally, I did a quick poll of Plant Champion readers about whether juniper bonsai are toxic to cats.

these were the results:



now, if you are in the process of growing bonsai, I would definitely recommend taking a look at the following posts:

• how to wire a bonsai tree
• how long do bonsai take to grow
• juniper bonsai tree training guide
• juniper bonsai temperature range
• bonsai wood for an aquarium