I have included alot of pictures I think would be helpful. this plants was given to me as a gifts and an internet search has turned up this website. hope you can help me!
A quick search turned up this document which seem to indicate it is poisonous. You may want to do a more thorough search.
All aroids contain calcium oxalate crystals which can be harmful if eaten. Of itself, calcium oxalate crystals are not horrible and many of the vegetables you eat contain them. Chance are they are even cooked into your cat food. Spinach is very high in content. Cats will not likely eat it because it tastes terrible! It is like putting tiny needles in your mouth. Dieffenbachia has more than one type of calcium oxalate crystals, or idioblasts, which are needle-like raphides and club-like druses. It is believed that the raphides cause the mucous membrane irritations and skin dermatitis. Dieffenbachia is notoriously bad because they contain several of these chemical compounds. As Junglekeeper said, they are commonly called Dumb Cane and that is due to the fact they can cause a person to loose the use of their vocal chords. In a tiny fraction of the cases (one or two known records) the plant has caused death in a human. Overall, there are only around 500 known cases of hospital visits required in the U.S. annually as a result, and almost none require much in the need of treatment. But it wouldn't be advisable to try to chew on a piece!
Hi, Photopro. Thanks for the voice of reason on these plants. That said, when it comes to cats...sometimes we have to look for the "goat" gene. I have one that loves electrical cords, the more copper wires the better. Should have invested in the bitter apple spray, and he seems to be getting used to that! There isn't much that's stopped him on my plants, even the ones with bad smells/tastes, so if Mmartens isn't sure what her cat will do, might try keeping the plant where the cat can't get to it until you're sure it won't bother it.
Certainly, do what you feel is best. But the only place I know of in our house the cat can't get is on the ceiling! We don't have any cats now but we've found them on top of the kitchen cabinets and even inside them with the doors closed. We once found one in Miami inside the refrigerator! They have a way of going wherever they please.
Well, mmartens, my cats have nibbled my Dieffs with no real ill effect. Then again, they took one chomp and decided that it was better to leave the plant alone.
