Updated

Small mammal food safety

Can Small Mammals Eat Pothos?

Unsafe

No. Pothos should stay away from small mammals. If leaves, vines, stems, sap, potting soil, or plant water were chewed or swallowed, remove access and call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline.

Variegated pothos leaves and vine cuttings kept away from an empty saucer, hay, water, and a gram scale.Pothos
SafetyUnsafe
Next stepRemove the pothos and call with the animal's species, weight, plant part, amount, and time.

Call before guessing

If any small mammal ate or chewed pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, potting soil, fertilizer, or plant water, call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Guinea pigs

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to guinea pigs. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Syrian and dwarf hamsters

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to Syrian and dwarf hamsters. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Rats

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to rats. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Mice

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to mice. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Gerbils

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to gerbils. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Chinchillas

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to chinchillas. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Ferrets

Call if exposed

Do not feed pothos to ferrets. If pothos leaves, vines, stems, sap, soil, fertilizer, or plant water were eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.

Trailing plants are easy to reach

Pothos vines can hang into play areas or drop leaves onto the floor. Move the whole plant outside any small-mammal access zone.

Call with plant-part details

Leaves, vine, sap, soil, and water are different details. Collect them before calling instead of guessing.

If exposure happened

  • Remove pothos leaves, vines, cuttings, sap, soil, plant water, fertilizer, and any contaminated food or bedding.
  • Rinse sticky sap from surfaces the animal can reach, but do not bathe or treat the animal without veterinary guidance.
  • Call with the plant part, amount, time, species, weight, and any drooling, mouth irritation, appetite change, or quietness.

Avoid

  • Pothos leaves, vines, cuttings, plant water, potting soil, fertilizer, and floor-time access near hanging or trailing plants.
  • Letting small mammals nibble fallen pothos leaves.
  • Waiting for obvious symptoms before removing the plant and calling.

Helpful food-safety supplies

Optional tools for measuring, storing, serving, and cleaning up small portions safely.

Affiliate links: Furball Cove may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Pet-safe cleaning spray with cloth near a tidy feeding station

Pet-safe cleaner

Useful after sticky fruit, wet vegetables, spoiled leftovers, or unsafe food access.

 Reusable produce storage bags with washed greens on a counter

Produce storage bags

Store washed greens and produce portions without mixing them with unsafe scraps.

 Small clear treat jar with a few plain dried treats inside

Treat jar

Store rare plain treats where portions stay visible instead of turning into handfuls.

More Food Safety Pages

Houseplant leaves and a small potted plant kept away from an empty saucer, hay, water, and a gram scale.

Houseplant leaves

Exposure steps for chewed houseplant leaves, potting soil, plant water, and plant labels.

 White lily flower and leaves kept away from an empty saucer, hay, water, and a gram scale.

Lily

Exposure steps for lily petals, leaves, pollen, stems, vase water, and plant debris.

 Cut aloe leaf and clear gel kept away from a clean saucer, hay, and gram scale.

Aloe vera

Plant and gel exposure steps before a small mammal licks or chews aloe.

 Tomato leaves, stems, and a small green tomato kept away from an empty saucer, hay, water, and a gram scale.

Tomato leaves

Exposure steps for tomato leaves, stems, vines, green fruit, and garden trimmings.

 Potato plant leaves and stems kept away from an empty saucer, hay, water, and a gram scale.

Potato leaves

Exposure steps for potato plant leaves, stems, vines, and garden trimmings.

 Unlabeled cleaning spray and cloth kept away from an empty saucer, hay, and a gram scale.

Cleaning products

Chemical exposure steps for sprays, wipes, residue, and spills.

References