House Plants Safe For Cats

Tips For Pets And House Plants

House Plants safe for cats - which indoor plants are toxic to cats? We will help you to select cat friendly house plants that won't harm your pet. You can have cats and house plants!

If you have cats or other pets like rabbits, guinea pigs or birds you have to make sure not to have poisonous house plants in your home.

Are all house plants safe for cats?

As a cat and dog owner I was always aware of the fact that some indoor plants are very dangerous for our pets. Some plants contain toxic substances that can lead to poisoning or allergies if they are touched or eaten by animals.

Particularly cats that are kept indoors like to chew on greenery and they don't know which house plants are safe for cats! Supplying some cat grass might be a good idea to keep your house cat from chewing on your plants.

Cats And House Plants - Thorny Plants

Other plants like for example Agaves have very sharp thorns that can lead to wounds or even worse: eye injuries. This is particularly dangerous for cats if you keep thorny house plants near windows. Some of my cats are always around the windows trying to catch flies. They could easily hurt themselves on thorny plants while hunting for flies.

Pets And Chemicals

Another danger for cats and other pets can be fertilized water that plants have not soaked up completely.

All my cats like to drink out of the saucers underneath my plants and one of them is always trying to 'help' when I am watering my plants. I am extra careful when I am feeding the plants and keep him locked away.

Chemical pest sprays or fungicides can of course be dangerous for cats. It might be best to use organic or home made pest spray if necessary. Biological pest control with beneficial insects is guaranteed harmless for your pet.

How To Stop Cats To Use Plants As Toilets

Another problem with cats might be that they think plant pots make great toilets! You will have that problem particularly if you have large house plants with big containers. They just love to scratch in the potting compost, spread it all over the place and use it as a toilet. That of course is not very good for your plants...and of course it is very messy!

The best way to combat that is with a layer of pebbles or flat stones on top of the soil. I use stones that are at least 2 inches or bigger. The cats are well able to scratch the smaller stones out of their way.

House Plants Safe For Cats And Other Pets

Cat friendly house plants are neither toxic or have thorns that can harm your pet. Choose house plants safe for cats from the list below.

For house plants toxic to cats check out our list for poisonous house plants here.

• Adiantum - Maidenhair fern
• Aechmea - Pink Urn
• Aloe vera
• Areca palm
• Asparagus
• Azalea
• Aphelandra - Pineapple Plant
• Banana Tree
• Beaucarnea recurvata - Ponytail Palm
• Calathea - Prayer Plant
• Calceolaria
• Camellia
• Christmas Cactus
• Cissus - Russian wine
• Citrus - Orange or Lemon Tree
• Cocos nucifera - Coconut Palm
• Coffea arabica - Coffee Plant
• Cordyline
• Crassula - Money Tree
• Cyclamen persicum - Cyclamen
• Chamaedorea elegans - Table Top Palm
• Begonia rex and other Begonia house plants
• Bougainvillea glabra - Bougainvillea
• Cinearia
• Coleus Hybrids
• Dracaena marginata - Dragon Tree
• Fatsia
• Fuchsia
• Ficus elastica - Rubber Plant
• Gardenia
• Gloxinia
• Guzmania
• Hibiscus
• Howeia - Kentia Palm
• Hoya - Wax Flower
• Hydrangea
• Impatiens - Bizzy Lizzy
• Indoor Bamboo
• Jacaranda
• Jasmin
• Kalanchoe - Flaming Katy
• Maranta
• Myrtus - Myrtle
• Orchids
• Pachira
• Passiflora - Passion Flower
• Pelargonium - Geranium
• Radermachera - China Doll Plant
• Saintpaulia - African Violets
• Stephanotis
• Strelitzia - Bird Of Paradise Plant
• Sanseveria trifasciata - Mother In Law Tongue
• Spider Plant
• Tradescantia - Wandering Jew Plant
• Yucca

If you are interested in more detailed house plant care advice check out these books

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