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Is a ZZ plant toxic to cats?

Updated: October 2026

You are about to put a ZZ plant where a cat, a dog, or a small child can reach it. The Royal Horticultural Society and the Horticultural Trades Association class Zamioculcas zamiifolia as harmful if eaten, for people and pets, and as a skin and eye irritant. Use that UK line before the pot leaves the box. The [ZZ plant comparison](/hub/plant-accessories/zz-plant) does not clear any listing for a pet. This page is the harm line, what to do if a leaf is chewed, and why two amazon.co.uk files ask a pet question and do not answer it. The Products Compared editorial team used the RHS, the HTA, and Gardeners' World. We did not run a toxicity test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to put a ZZ plant where a cat, a dog, or a small child can reach it.

Our top picks

Carbeth Plants Carbeth ZZ plant, one pot

Best overall

Carbeth Plants Carbeth ZZ plant, one pot
10.0/10about £17.99
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plantster plantster 35 cm ZZ plant

Best value

plantster plantster 35 cm ZZ plant
10.0/10about £14.99
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Carbeth Plants Carbeth ZZ plant, pair

Alternative

Carbeth Plants Carbeth ZZ plant, pair
10.0/10about £28.99
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On this page
  1. 1.What the UK sources say
  2. 2.Cats, dogs, and children
  3. 3.What to do if it is chewed
  4. 4.Nothing in this set is pet-safe

What the UK sources say

The RHS profile says the plant is harmful if eaten and is a skin and eye irritant. For pets it points to the HTA list. The HTA row for Zamioculcas, also fern arum, emerald palm, zamia, Zanzibar gem, and ZZ, covers humans and pets, harmful if eaten, skin and eye irritant. Those two sources agree. They do not add a dose, a breed exception, or a usually-fine-if-nibbled category. BBC Gardeners' World says the cancer rumour is not true. It also says the sap contains calcium oxalate and can be mildly toxic if ingested, and that the plant is poisonous to cats, dogs, and humans when eaten. Mildly toxic is their wording. It does not cancel the RHS and HTA category. The PDSA poisonous-plants page does not put Zamioculcas on the severe list it highlights. That silence is not a safety clearance.

Cats, dogs, and children

The answer is the same for a dog as for a cat. The plant is harmful if eaten. Nothing in this set is labelled pet-safe. Kittens and puppies are more likely to sample a new pot at nose height, and a 12 cm nursery plant on the floor is exactly that height. A shelf is safer than a promise, unless the animal can jump to it. A closed room the pet does not enter is the placement that matches the harm line. A child who has eaten leaves needs NHS advice. A low table in a toddler's room is the wrong place. The buying guide checks the spec, and which listing fits says who each pot is for. Neither page makes the plant edible.
Carbeth Plants Carbeth ZZ plant, one pot

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Carbeth Plants Carbeth ZZ plant, one pot
10.0/10about £17.99
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What to do if it is chewed

Do not use a home remedy from a forum. If a cat or dog has chewed the plant and is drooling, vomiting, or struggling to breathe, contact a vet. Breathing trouble is an emergency. If the animal seems well, phone the vet anyway and name Zamioculcas, not a green houseplant. Keep the label. Do not make the pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. If a child has eaten leaves and is unwell, in pain, or short of breath, use NHS 111 or emergency care. Sap in an eye needs a rinse with clean water and medical advice if it continues.

Nothing in this set is pet-safe

Two listings raise the question and leave it blank. The Carbeth pair, B0HDZQPR3J, asks whether the plant is safe for pets, and the file does not answer. The generic 17 cm listing, B0DZ3W12ZG, has the same unanswered question. An unanswered question is not a yes. Plantster, the Carbeth single, and the Easy Plants aroid palm are silent on pets in the fields captured on 15 October 2026. Silence is not clearance. Do not read minimal care or air purifying as a family badge. A pair is two chances for a chew, not a milder variety. Raven is not in this basket, and a darker leaf would not change the HTA row. If you already own the plant, the watering guide is the care page. It will not make the sap safe.

Common questions

Is a ZZ plant toxic to cats?
Yes, in the sense the UK sources use. The RHS and the HTA class Zamioculcas zamiifolia as harmful if eaten for pets, and as a skin and eye irritant.
Is it toxic to dogs as well?
Yes. The same RHS and HTA lines cover pets, not cats alone, and Gardeners' World names dogs as well as cats and humans. Place the pot out of reach, including for a dog that raids houseplants when you are out.
What about children and skin contact?
The plant is harmful if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin and eyes. The RHS says to wear gloves when you handle it. Wash sap off skin.
Does it cause cancer?
No. Gardeners' World says the cancer rumour is not true. The same article still says the sap contains calcium oxalate and can be toxic if ingested. Rejecting the rumour does not make the plant safe to eat or safe for pets.
What should I do if a pet chews a leaf?
Contact a vet, and treat drooling, vomiting, or trouble breathing as urgent. Tell them the plant is Zamioculcas zamiifolia. Do not induce vomiting and do not use a home treatment.
Does any listing in this set say it is pet-safe?
No. The Carbeth pair and the 17 cm listing ask a pet question and do not answer it. The other files in this capture do not print a pet-safe claim.
Is harmful the same as deadly?
The RHS and the HTA say harmful if eaten, and they say it irritates skin and eyes. They do not say a nibble is usually fatal, and this page will not say that.

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Sources

Public UK sources checked for this comparison, plus the amazon.co.uk listing facts in the display file on 15 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are those UK figures. GrowTropicals prices from 16 October 2026 are other-shop context, not amazon.co.uk.

  1. RHS, Zamioculcas zamiifolia (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. RHS, arum houseplants (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. BBC Gardeners' World, how to grow a ZZ plant (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. House & Garden, ZZ plant (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Horticultural Trades Association, harmful plants guide (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. GrowTropicals, Zamioculcas zamiifolia size prices (retrieved 16 October 2026)