Is Black Beauty Elderberry toxic to cats?

Mildly. The ASPCA lists black beauty elderberry as mildly toxic to cats — a chewing cat typically gets mouth irritation, drooling, and vomiting rather than a medical emergency, but it is still best kept out of reach. Raw elderberries, elderflowers, bark, leaves, and roots of Sambucus nigra contain sambunigrin and cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea in dogs, cats, and humans if consumed in quantity. ASPCA lists Sambucus as toxic to dogs and cats. Ripe, cooked berries are used in human food products, but raw plant material should be kept away from pets.

Raw elderberries, elderflowers, bark, leaves, and roots of Sambucus nigra contain sambunigrin and cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea in dogs, cats, and humans if consumed in quantity. ASPCA lists Sambucus as toxic to dogs and cats. Ripe, cooked berries are used in human food products, but raw plant material should be kept away from pets. Signs usually appear soon after chewing rather than hours later — watch for drooling, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, loss of appetite, or unusual lethargy after your cat has had access to black beauty elderberry.

Stay calm. Remove any plant from your cat's mouth and take the plant away. Note how much was eaten and when, and do not induce vomiting unless told to. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 and follow their advice; a leaf or photo helps the vet treat it correctly.

The ASPCA classification Growli uses applies to both cats and dogs: Black Beauty Elderberry is mildly toxic to dogs as well. See the full black beauty elderberry pet-safety guide for both species.

For a similar look without the risk, see the best cats-safe plants list — every plant there is ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs.