ADULTPLANTS
Plants / Rubiaceae / Coffee plant / Toxic to cats

Is coffee plant toxic to cats?

Coffea arabica

Yes

Yes. Coffee plant is toxic to cats. The agent is caffeine. Call your vet if a cat has eaten any.

Poison severity not graded No authority we cite publishes a severity grade for this species. The reported signs are below instead of a number we would have to invent.
If your cat has eaten some
  1. Take any remaining plant material out of their mouth and rinse the mouth with water.
  2. Call someone. Your own vet first. Otherwise ASPCA Animal Poison Control on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661 — both charge a fee.
  3. Take a photo of the plant, and note roughly how much was eaten and when. It is the first thing you will be asked.
  4. Do not make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to.

What it does, and why

The authorities we cite record this species as toxic without identifying the responsible compound. We are not going to guess at one. The reported signs below are what is actually documented.

Reported signs

Signs as listed by the ASPCA . Not every animal shows all of them.

What each authority says

What each authority says
ASPCA
No record page found under any name tested.
NC State Extension
Entry exists and records no poison data.

What to keep instead

Species in this database listed non-toxic to cats and dogs, chosen for a similar look or similar care rather than at random.

PlantFamilyWaterDifficulty
Blue star fernPhlebodium aureum Polypodiaceae 5–10d 2/5
Ripple peperomiaPeperomia caperata Piperaceae 7–14d 1/5

Swapping the plant is the only measure that reliably works. Height and hanging baskets buy less time than people expect with a determined cat.

The other animal

Looking for dogs? See is coffee plant toxic to dogs. Full care details are on the coffee plant species entry.

Sources

  1. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Coffea arabica (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
  2. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Coffea arabica Accepted name and family. Checked 2026-09-12.
  3. Wikidata entity Q47685 — entity identity, so this record can be matched against other databases.
  4. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Coffea arabica Cultivation record. Checked 2026-09-12.
  5. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, (888) 426-4435 — emergency line, fee applies

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-11
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a veterinarian. Severity is reproduced from the authority that published it and is never originated here. How this is sourced.
This page is a reference, not a diagnosis. In an emergency, call rather than read.