A disclaimer: This has nothing to do with a real baby’s breath – the baby’s breath we are talking about here is a plant also known as gypsophila!
Over 150 different species of flowering plants are under the genus known as “baby’s breath”, often referred to as Maiden’s Breath.Scientific name for this genus is Gypsophila, and it belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family of flowering plants (also known as the carnation, or ‘pink’, family).
Baby’s breath is officially recognized as being non-toxic for cats. However, if cats eat it, they can experience an upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Baby’s breath is considered to be toxic due to the presence of saponins. Saponins are triterpene glycosides – plant-derived organic chemicals that have a very bitter taste.
If a cat has only consumed a small number of baby’s breath flowers, this will probably not be enough to cause a major problem.Your cat may experience stomach discomfort and potentially some vomiting, and mild diarrhea.
If a cat has eaten a larger number of baby’s breath flowers, it might be best to go to the veterinary hospital or at least speak to a vet for some advice.Consuming a larger number of flowers means a larger amount of toxin in the cat’s system and this makes severe symptoms much more likely.
If you know how much your cat ate and how long ago this ingestion happened, let the vet know that too. Pay close attention to your cat’s symptoms, monitor its condition, and describe the progress to the vet.
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