Spring delights us with numerous beautiful flowers. The bright yellow dandelion, or common dandelion, is a favourite of many. But what happens if the cat consumes it?

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At last, the days are consistently warmer, which nature visibly enjoys too: the trees are budding and blooming, just like the gardens. Up to now, we’ve dedicated separate articles to several plants, finding out whether they are dangerous for our pets. This time we looked into whether it could cause any problems if the cat gets more closely acquainted with the dandelion.

Chewing on plants is typical for cats

The dandelion is not just pretty

Although many people like it only for its bright, cheerful colour, or perhaps often wove crowns from it as children (hence its folk name in Hungarian, children’s chain-grass), in reality, the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is an extremely versatile medicinal herb, from which the cat can also benefit.

All parts of the dandelion have beneficial effects, so luckily, you don’t need to worry if your pet nibbles on them in the garden.

The dandelion is full of vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins A, C, D, and K, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, as well as antioxidants. It is also one of the bees’ important pollen and nectar sources, and a huge advantage is that it blooms from early spring all the way until winter sets in.

Consuming dandelion supports kidney and liver function, digestion, relieves digestive complaints, has anti-inflammatory effects, helps bile secretion, acts as a diuretic, may relieve urinary complaints, and its antimicrobial properties may help fight infections.

Not a spurge!

Although due to the white, milky sap in the plant’s stem, many people also refer to it as spurge, in fact that is another plant, Euphorbia, the namesake genus of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Nearly 1700 species belong to it.

The dandelion is not dangerous for the cat

Because of all these positive effects, there is absolutely no need to worry that your pet would be harmed by the flower; in fact, the dandelion can support the cat’s health in the ways described above.

However, it is very important that without medical approval, you should not begin giving your cat any form of it: neither raw, nor as tea, nor as a food supplement!

Using medicinal herbs carries risks just like any synthetic medicine, so they should only be used if recommended by a vet.

The above description rather stands here as a curiosity, to show how versatile this widespread plant is, and to offer reassurance in case your pet wants to nibble the flower. However, if your interest has been piqued, it’s worth speaking about it with your doctor.

The lightly drifting seeds may tempt the cat to play

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The dandelion seeds may tickle the cat’s nose

When the dandelion has already bloomed, its seeds, these graceful little parachutes, provide great fun for young and old alike. Blowing dandelions is a multi-generational tradition in almost every family, and often the furry family member isn’t left out of the fun either. While playing and running about, they may also brush away the delicately clinging seeds.

However, these little parachutes can fly into the cat’s eyes or nose, which can irritate the sensitive mucous membrane. Fortunately, this is usually resolved with a few sneezes and blinks. Swallowed, it’s also not a particularly pleasant feeling if the fine threads of the seeds stick in the cat’s mouth or throat, but more often than not, this causes no more than momentary discomfort.