Showy Ice Plant

Showy ice plant has no official toxicity data, so it is hard to say for certain whether it is safe. It is a succulent ground cover rather than a florist flower, so you are more likely to meet it in a bed, a balcony pot, or a yard.

The ASPCA’s cat list carries a single Lampranthus entry, "Ice Plant", and the scientific name printed there is a truncated form that exists in no botanical name index; the plant behind it turns out to be Oscularia piquetbergensis, from a different genus altogether. That species has its own page in this app, but the verdict belongs to it and is not carried over here. NC State Extension has no species page for Lampranthus spectabilis at all.

At home, start with where the pot sits. The leaves are plump and full of sap, so a cat that bats at them can easily bite through and swallow what comes out. If the pot lives on a balcony or a windowsill, move it off the routes your cat walks, and clear away broken leaves the same day.

If it is planted outdoors as ground cover, there is more to watch than the plant itself. It spreads flat across the soil, which invites a cat to lie on it or dig, and any fertilizer or insecticide you have spread ends up on the leaves and on their paws. Keep your cat away for a few days after treating the bed, and cover the soil with gravel or a mat if digging is a habit.

If you find that leaves have been chewed, note roughly how much and when. If vomiting or diarrhea repeats or your cat seems listless, contact your vet.