Impatiens

What happens if your cat eats it.

Yes — impatiens are safe for cats. The ASPCA lists Impatiens spp. under the entry "Impatience Plant" as Non-Toxic to Cats (ASPCA lists Impatiens spp. under multiple names — 'Impatience Plant', 'Buzzy Lizzie', 'Patient Lucy', 'Patient Plant', 'Tangerine Impatience', 'Giant Touch-Me-Not', 'Lady Slipper' — all with no Toxicity field set, ASPCA convention = non-toxic). There is no toxic principle recorded — the plant is fully safe for cats to brush against, play with, or chew.

Impatiens (Impatiens spp., family Balsaminaceae) is one of the most popular shade-tolerant bedding annuals. Whether you call them impatiens, Busy Lizzie, Patient Lucy, or Touch-Me-Not, the safety answer is the same — non-toxic to cats per the ASPCA.

ASPCA Data

According to the ASPCA, Impatiens spp. is listed under the entry "Impatience Plant" as non-toxic to cats:

Non-Toxic to Cats (ASPCA lists Impatiens spp. under multiple names — 'Impatience Plant', 'Buzzy Lizzie', 'Patient Lucy', 'Patient Plant', 'Tangerine Impatience', 'Giant Touch-Me-Not', 'Lady Slipper' — all with no Toxicity field set, ASPCA convention = non-toxic).

The ASPCA entry covers all seven common names under a single Impatiens spp. listing. There is no Toxicity field set — the ASPCA's convention for plants with no recorded toxic principle.

Why it is safe

Impatiens spp. has no recorded toxic principle. The ASPCA marks it non-toxic to cats with no clinical signs entry. The leaves, stems, flowers, and sap contain nothing harmful to cats — a chewed leaf or flower produces no toxic reaction.

Seven common names — all the same plant

The ASPCA lists seven common names for Impatiens spp.:

• Impatience Plant — the ASPCA's primary entry name
• Buzzy Lizzie — a common garden-centre name
• Patient Lucy — a traditional name
• Patient Plant — a variant
• Tangerine Impatience — for orange-flowered varieties
• Giant Touch-Me-Not — for larger species
• Lady Slipper — shared with orchids (see disambiguation below)

All seven names refer to the same non-toxic plant. Whatever name you searched for, the answer is the same: impatiens are safe for cats.

Disambiguation: "Lady Slipper" can also mean an orchid

"Lady Slipper" is a common name shared between Impatiens and the orchid genus Cypripedium. Both happen to be non-toxic to cats, so the safety answer is the same either way. If you searched "is lady slipper safe for cats" and mean the orchid, the answer is still yes — see our orchid page for that entry.

A garden staple for shady borders

Impatiens are one of the best bedding plants for shade. They thrive in shaded to partially shaded positions where few other flowering plants perform well. An outdoor cat with access to a flower bed or container garden is very likely to encounter them — and because they are non-toxic, there is no need to fence them off.

Companion plants

Impatiens pair well with other cat-safe shade-tolerant plants. Begonia shares the same shaded border niche and is also ASPCA-listed non-toxic. Calendula and sunflower add sunny-spot colour to the same garden. For a full-sun alternative, petunia is also non-toxic to cats.

The bottom line

Impatiens are safe for cats — the ASPCA lists Impatiens spp. as non-toxic under seven common names, all with no toxic principle. Whether you call them impatiens, Busy Lizzie, Patient Lucy, or Touch-Me-Not, the answer is the same. A cat that chews impatiens in the garden will not experience any toxic reaction.