Safety verdict
Consulted references classify the plant as toxic or irritating for that pet type.
Pet ingestion lookup
My cat ate Rhubarb - what should I do?
Rheum rhabarbarum
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
Drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and potential kidney damage due to calcium oxalate crystals.
Escalation note
Ingestion of leaves can be serious. Please contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center immediately if ingestion is suspected.
What to watch for
Heavy drooling, vomiting, weakness, and reduced appetite within hours of eating leaf tissue; muscle tremors as blood calcium drops. Watch over the next day or two for changes in drinking and urination, blood in urine, and lethargy as signs of acute kidney injury.
Time window
GI signs and tremors appear within hours of ingestion; signs of acute kidney injury — abnormal urination, blood in urine, azotemia — typically develop 24 to 36 hours after ingestion.
When to call the vet
Call your vet immediately if your cat ate any rhubarb leaf (the stalk alone is not the concern). Call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 to guide decontamination, and don't wait for tremors or kidney signs to appear.
What this means for your cat
Cats rarely choose to eat rhubarb, but if one nibbles the leaves it can develop calcium oxalate poisoning — the leaves carry very high levels of soluble oxalates while the cooked stalk we eat is virtually non-toxic. Cats are small enough that even a modest leaf ingestion can produce real injury.
Sources: ASPCA (no first-aid guidance for owners).
Source references
Poison-control resources
This page summarizes source-bound plant-safety information and is not veterinary advice.