# Peace lilies and Rats



## Prince (Jun 17, 2016)

So I'm looking into getting a few houseplants to spice things up. Most of the plants I'm looking at are pet safe and non toxic, but I'm really coveting a peace lily.

I have a tall bookshelf that is ceiling height, and was planning to put my peace lily there. Unfortunately, my new baby Skunky decided to demonstrate her climbing skills tonight by scaling the entire shelf. 

My biggest concern is if I did get one now, how badly would it hurt them when one rat inevitably did bite into a peace lily? 

Most websites say it's a mildly toxic plant that hurts their mouth after chomping down and causes some swelling. From what I understand, rats don't always ingest them stuff the gnaw, at least not immediately or even in large quantities. If that's the case, it might serve as a warning that plants are not for eating. 

I'm comparing it to the one time my old girl bit into a ghost chili pepper we were growing on our windowsill. She deeply regretted it and never did it again, but she was no worse for wear.

Does anyone else have experience or input on rats and peace lilies? They're so pretty and one would look fantastic in my house (until the rats dig it up) but I don't want to make a trip to the emergency vet over a piece of meaningless decor.


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## Teanah (Aug 27, 2017)

I wouldn’t chance it. One of my rats nibbled the tiniest bit off the leaf of one and died the next day. I didn’t realize what type of plant it was until after she passed when I was trying to figure out what the cause was. It sucked and would have been totally preventable if I’d been paying more attention to the plant I was gifted.


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## athenianratdaddy (Dec 20, 2017)

[QUOTE Most websites say it's a mildly toxic plant that hurts their mouth after chomping down and causes some swelling. [/QUOTE] I do not have any experience with peace lilies but it sounds like you have already done some research Also, I would count on the fact that, if the rats came near the plant, they would most likely bite on it. Putting all of this together, If you're not 100% sure the plant is safe don't risk it.


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