Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi all! We’ve had a bit of a health scare with our cat the last two days…

My 6 month old has been really lethargic since yesterday and having trouble balancing — stumbling and having trouble jumping, and has spent most of the time asleep. We took him to the vet immediately after his symptoms showed — he said there was nothing wrong with him and said he likely didn’t need a blood test so we took him home. But when we returned he was still stumbling around, so I’m not sure what the vet was on about.

I noticed today a big chomp out of a dracena plant (didn’t know they were toxic… will be throwing it out). Should we take him back to the vet with these new clues? Or will this lethargy and seeming intoxication pass?

He’s eating at least, albeit very little. He’s also hiding and really not in the mood to be touched.

Are the symptoms the same as the symptoms of eating the plant you suspect?

If yes, what are a) the prognosis and b) the treatment options?

Apparently the symptoms of Dracaena toxicity are relatively transient, but if he isn't better soon I'd take him back.

The problem is the plant contains saponins. I have loads of soapwort in my garden (Saponaria officinalis) which is the main source of saponins. I've never had any problems with my cats around it.