Laurel

Mountain laurel (Kalmia) is an evergreen shrub in the heath family, and the whole plant — leaves, flowers, even its nectar — contains a cardiac toxin called grayanotoxin. Even a small nibble can begin with vomiting and drooling and progress to low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, so keep it out of any space or garden you share with a cat.

Related plants with the same toxin

Mountain laurel belongs to the same family as azaleas and rhododendrons, and it shares essentially the same grayanotoxin as sheep laurel and bog laurel. You don't need to tell these species apart — they all act on the heart the same way, so it's safest to treat every plant in this group as off-limits for cats.

How cats get exposed

The leaves and flowers are toxic, and so is the plant's nectar. If you grow it in a garden or on a balcony, a cat can be exposed by chewing a fallen flower or leaf, or by grooming its paws after touching the plant. Cut branches and blooms carry the same risk.

How symptoms progress

Signs usually appear within 2–6 hours as vomiting, drooling, and lethargy. Grayanotoxin acts on the heart and nervous system, so as it progresses blood pressure drops, the heart rate slows, and arrhythmias set in. In severe cases a cat may collapse or lose consciousness, and the cardiac signs can appear later than the digestive ones.

What to do right now

If there's any sign your cat chewed or swallowed part of the plant, don't wait even if it still looks fine. Don't try to induce vomiting at home — note roughly what and how much was eaten and get to a vet right away. Arrhythmias can worsen suddenly, so it's safest to be monitored at a clinic that can watch the heart.