Are Sweet Pepper Plants Toxic to Cats?

Appetite

• Although they are obligate carnivores, cats normally eat green plants for reasons still unknown. Cats will eat or lick sweet pepper plants, including the leaves and fruit, but it all depends on the tastes of the individual cat.

Warning

• Ornamental pepper plants, also called the Jerusalem cherry or Solanum psuedocapsicum, are toxic to cats, dogs and horses, warns the ASPCA. Ornamental pepper plants closely resemble one variety of sweet pepper plant known as the cherry pick hybrid.

Repellents

• Crushed pepper fruits, hot peppers and cayenne pepper act as temporary cat repellents, notes University of Vermont Professor Leonard Perry. Blend pepper so it can be sprayed onto plants to make them taste bad to the cat. Reapply sprays after rain.

Symptoms

• Cats may vomit after eating any number of plant varieties. Cats can pass undigested plant pieces in their stool. Call a veterinarian immediately if a cat begins to experience seizures or breathing problems.