Hello, I just adopted a cat and am concerned about him nibbling on my 2 houseplants. I know one of the plants is a Bird Of Paradise which I believe is poisonous to cats but he hasn't shown any interest in it. The other plant is the worry...he wants to chew on it and I don't know what type of plant it is or whether it's poisonous. I am attaching a photo (hopefully) and perhaps someone can identify it for me so I know whether the cat is safe or not. Thanks for any help! p.s. While I'm at it I might mention that this plant doesn't seem overly healthy. Is it supposed to be mostly dark red or dark green, and how do I get it like that?
Codiaeum variegatum Crotons are members of the Euphorbiaceae family, some of which are quite toxic. http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/HomeHort/F1Column/2006 Articles/David'sPlantoftheWeek/OCT14 Croton.htm
Spray it with pepper spray, they don't like how it itches their nose when they smell it, and they smell EVERYTHING before they eat it! Or you could use watered down tobasco sauce (not too watered down, because it's not that hot to begin with.)
