Q: I planted foxgloves because I love their spikes of colorful, speckled, bell-shaped flowers. My cat Stormy is walking through them, rubbing her face on them. Should I worry about this?
A: If she only walks through your foxgloves and doesn’t chew on them, she should be fine. But watch her closely to be sure she doesn’t eat any.
If she does, she may experience vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy — or worse, since the powerful heart medicine digitalis is derived from foxglove.
When ingested, foxglove can disrupt the heart’s normal rate and rhythm, causing life-threatening arrhythmias. Foxglove also can cause electrolyte disturbances that can impair heart function….