Safety verdict
Consulted references classify the plant as toxic or irritating for that pet type.
Pet ingestion lookup
My cat ate Epazote - what should I do?
Chenopodium ambrosioides
Potentially toxic
Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison-control resource now, especially if any amount was chewed or swallowed.
Verified against ASPCA/provenance audit 2026-05-06 on May 6, 2026.
Signs to watch for
Vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and potential neurological signs such as tremors or incoordination.
Escalation note
Ingestion of the plant material or concentrated oils can lead to gastrointestinal distress. Please contact your veterinarian or a pet poison control center immediately if you suspect ingestion.
What to watch for
Watch for vomiting and diarrhoea after a leaf nibble. With essential-oil exposure, signs are more pronounced — repeated vomiting, drooling, lethargy. The ASPCA flags ascaridole, limonene, and p-cymene as the toxic principles.
Time window
Onset and recovery times for epazote in cats are not well documented in the cited sources.
When to call the vet
Call your vet or ASPCA Poison Control (888-426-4435) if your cat ingests concentrated epazote oil, if vomiting persists more than a couple of hours, or if your cat becomes lethargic, wobbly, or refuses food.
What this means for your cat
Cats: epazote is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats. The risk is very different depending on form — a nibble of leaf is mostly a GI irritant, but concentrated epazote essential oil is genuinely dangerous because cats poorly metabolise the ascaridole and limonene it contains.
Sources: ASPCA.
Source references
Poison-control resources
This page summarizes source-bound plant-safety information and is not veterinary advice.