POINSETTIA WARNING !!!

[J (Indoorcatsuk)]

Poinsettia may not be lethal like the lily but it is an irritant, and I think that requires a warning notice personally.
One does not want a honking ( as we call it in our house ) kitty at Christmas, I would also worry about cats with reduced strength being pushed over the edge too. I know this is a worst case scenario type of thinking. 

[blackcat]

Actually I read an article in the Metro today which dispelled a number of urban myths, one of which was that the poinsettia is poisonous. Mind you, they may have meant in relation to humans as the article did not specify. They said that the worst result of ingesting parts of the plant (any part) was mild illness. So given that this is out in the media, marching on the managers office might be a little ill-advised ... Still, better to err on the side of caution and stick to plastic ones I guess.

[J (Indoorcatsuk)]

My husband was all for marching into the Managers Office when we saw no warning on the ones in Sainsburys ( Team Valley area ), I'm not sure if stores could put a notice on them without head office agreement due to the possible litigious whatnots, so I said there was really no point.
I am however tempted to get lots of little labels printed and pop them on plants myself whenever I see them with no warnings.

[swampmaxmum]

a plastic one sounds great (watered or unwatered!). My OH bought a real one to 'cheer up the flat' but when I told him it's toxic, it's been banished to the landing (where it hates it and all its leaves are dropping off). Again, sorry to go on, but I wish retailers would label their plants and flowers "toxic to cats/pets". I've only ever seen that on lilies at M&S once. It wouldn't add much to the labelling cost and would save lives and heartbreak.

[Wibblechick]

Thanks for the reminder!

My  EX-Mum in Law used to buy me a poinsettia every year.  And every year I hd a problem as I knew about the cat-risk and M.I.L wanted to see the plant on display .Ex husband was not a cat-man (good reason for him to be ex!!!!)  ... Her eyesight wasnt brilliant so I bought a very realisitic "fake" from the garden centre (I used to give the real ones to a cat free friend)
All went well until one year when she said, "That looks a bit droopy" and watered it from the jug of water on the lunch table.  As there was no earth, but painted polystyrene, in the pot water went everywhere.  But she still didnt catch on ......

[JackSpratt]

I bought some mistletoe; then picked all the berries off it and hung it from the light fitting in the middle of the room so none of my mob can reach it! Poinsettia I never buy even though I like them; for this reason.

[LeighK]

Thanks Sheryl and cyber-kiss winging it's way back to you 

Leigh

[sheryl]

Aw Leigh - I will send you a cyber kiss under some imaginary mistletoe  KISS KISS xxx

[LeighK]

Thanks for that Sheryl a timely warning, my flat is, partly owing to a distinct lack of green fingers and partly owing to a spirit of Christmas apathy, a Poinsettia and Mistletoe free zone especially the later as, unless the boys get carried away with yueltide high spirits and try and sneak a kiss, there's not much chance of anything happening under the mistletoe at chez Kemp this festive season!

Well posted information.

Cheers

Leigh

[sheryl]

I know that we are all aware of the dangers of Lillies to our furbabies but just thought I would mention the dangers of the POINSETTIA plants and Mistletoe which are both highly Toxic to our Furbabies.