Safety verdict
Consulted references classify the plant as toxic or irritating for that pet type.
Pet ingestion lookup
My cat ate Pacific Yew - what should I do?
Taxus brevifolia
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
Tremors, difficulty breathing, drooling, vomiting, and potential cardiac collapse.
Escalation note
This plant is considered highly toxic. Ingestion is a medical emergency; contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center immediately.
First aid at home
Remove any remaining plant material from your cat's mouth, bring a sample to the vet, and go now. Do not attempt to induce vomiting at home — Pet Poison Helpline cautions against unsupervised home emesis, and yew toxicosis demands cardiac monitoring you can't provide at home.
What to watch for
Tremors, drooling, vomiting, and difficulty breathing are typical. Cats may also seem disoriented or weak before any cardiac signs appear; sudden collapse and death from acute heart failure can occur with no preceding signs at all.
Time window
Onset can be within hours of ingestion, but yew is notorious for sudden cardiac death without much preceding clinical illness, which is why immediate veterinary evaluation is essential.
When to call the vet
Call immediately — this is an emergency on the level of suspected lily exposure. Don't wait for symptoms; observed chewing of leaves, bark, or berries warrants an immediate trip to the vet or a call to ASPCA Poison Control (888-426-4435).
What this means for your cat
Pacific yew is among the most dangerous plants a cat can chew. The taxine A and B alkaloids — concentrated in the needles and seeds — interfere with cardiac conduction, and acute cardiac collapse can occur with little warning.
Sources: ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline.
Source references
Poison-control resources
This page summarizes source-bound plant-safety information and is not veterinary advice.