You want to liven up your home and demonstrate to your pals that you are “hip to the newest interior design trends (hint: indoor rainforests are trendy)” so you want to add some greenery. Before you buy that fancy fiddle leaf fig, huge cactus, or cut-leaf philodendron at the neighborhood nursery, keep in mind that your cat or dog will also be residing with and probably attempting to consume your newest plant-child. We conducted research to assist you in making plant selections that are secure for your pet family members!
Unexpectedly, some of the most common and accessible house plants are harmful to your dogs. Among many other plants, this list includes ficus, snake plant (mother-in-tongue), law’s philodendron, and the majority of cacti.
The most common offenders when it comes to chewing on indoor plants are cats. But pets are also in danger. Dogs can be poisoned by many of the same plants that can harm your cat. In addition, there is a chance that dogs will dig up and consume potentially harmful horticultural bulbs.
If consumed by cats or dogs, aloe vera is toxic and can result in vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and tremors.
Mother-in-Tongue law’s (Snake Plant)
If consumed by cats or dogs, it is toxic and can result in diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
Philodendron
If consumed by cats or dogs, this substance is toxic and can cause oral irritation, pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips, excessive drooling, and trouble swallowing.
Anguished Fig Tree
Toxic to cats and dogs; when consumed, it can result in oral irritation, excessive drooling, and vomiting as well as dermatitis when the plant is in touch with the animal’s skin.
Fig, Fiddle Leaf
If consumed by cats or dogs, this substance is toxic and can cause vomiting, excessive drooling, and oral irritation.
LiliesThe majority of lily cultivars are hazardous to your pet. A freshly cut spring bouquet on your dining table may be lovely, but your cat or dog can view it more as a meal than a decorative item. For your pets, even a small nibble of the leaves or blossoms or a smell of the pollen from some types can be lethal.
Even though some lily kinds, like Peace and Calla, are not fatal to animals, they can nevertheless produce mild to severe poisoning symptoms in your cat. Excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, pawing at the mouth, loss of appetite, and mouth irritation are among the symptoms.
Easter, Tiger, Day, Japanese, and Stargazer lilies are examples of lilies that can cause renal failure. Vomiting, loss of appetite, excessive drooling, lethargy, dehydration, increased or decreased thirst and urination, stomach discomfort, and kidney failure are all symptoms of poisoning.
Get your pet to a veterinarian right once for treatment if you believe they may have ingested some harmful plant material or if you observe these symptoms in them.
What is a pet and plant lover to do then? There are several animal-safe plants available that can give your decor that contemporary, lush jungle feel!
Here are a few nice illustrations:
Majesty PalmA sizable indoor palm that prefers moist soil and 6 to 8 hours of bright light.
Fern in maidenhair
It needs consistent hydration (not sloppy dampness) and oblique morning or afternoon light to grow because it is delicate and picky.
Spider Plant is versatile and simple to grow. Your spider plant will thrive if you give it well-drained soil and bright indirect light.
Orchids
For an orchid to bloom, strong, indirect light, high humidity, airflow around the roots, and alternating periods of drying soil and heavy watering are desired. This varies based on the type.
Ferns, Staghorn
usually fixed on a piece of wood to allow air to circulate around the roots. This epiphyte benefits from humidity, bright indirect light, and consistent, but not soggy, wetness.
BambooA fast-growing plant, bamboo prefers moist soil with good drainage, lots of water, and five hours of direct sunlight each day.
Cast Iron Works
This plant, a member of the lily family, is not harmful to your pet. Maintain consistent soil moisture and expose it to bright to semi-bright light. It dislikes exposure to direct sunshine.
BromeliadAn ancestor of the pineapple, bromeliads appreciate monthly irrigation and bright, indirect light.
Perhaps you already have some of the listed hazardous plants, and your dogs get along just fine. Or perhaps, despite your pets’ interest, you lack the heart to give away your collection of cacti. Growing pet grass is one method for diverting your pets’ attention away from any potential threat. Once it has grown, put the grass next to your pet’s bowl to reward good behavior. The idea behind a pet herb garden is that some animals will intuitively consume plants that have medical benefits, such as peppermint to calm an upset stomach.
Another choice is to purchase a plant spray that is suitable for pets and has a harsh taste to discourage nibbling.
If my cat eats a fiddle leaf fig, what will happen?
If you are aware that your cat has consumed a fiddle leaf fig, you should call your veterinarian right away. Call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435 if you don’t have a veterinarian on hand.
A cat that has consumed a fiddle leaf fig will be treated by having its mouth cleaned out with distilled water. This distilled water will lessen further oral irritability and stop the cat from ingesting additional pollutants.
Additionally, an emetic will be given to the cat. Any plant matter that hasn’t been digested by your cat will be expelled from its system by an emetic. To further stop your cat from ingesting the plant’s poisons, your veterinarian can also recommend giving it activated charcoal. The veterinarian could also want to provide Kapectolin or Sucralfate in a critical case.
To what extent are fiddle leaf figs toxic?
The toxicity of fiddle leaf figs to cats, dogs, and people is a major concern for many fiddle leaf fig owners or potential fiddle leaf fig owners.
The bad news is that fiddles are poisonous to humans as well as animals like cats and dogs.
Fiddle leaf fig leaves, stems, and trunks release an unpleasant white sap when cut, which you do not want to get on your skin or consume!
The good news is that fiddle leaf figs are only mildly poisonous, so even while eating them can make you sick and irritate your stomach, throat, and mouth, it won’t kill you. The sap from a violin can also hurt or possibly cause skin blisters. Gloves should always be worn when pruning or propagating your violin (for this reason, of course)!
Here’s what you need to know and what to do if a pet ingests any portion of your fiddle or gets the sap on its skin if you have animals that might bite into your fiddle’s leaves.
Are cats poisonous to ficus lyrata?
Despite not being fatally harmful to cats, Ficus lyrata is best avoided because it makes cats extremely uncomfortable. There are numerous other plants with lovely leaves that cats can safely consume.
So, with a little knowledge, you can keep your curious kitties content and safe while maintaining a beautifully decorated home with a wide range of plants.
Cats are safe to play fiddles?
Cats should avoid eating the stems and leaves of fiddle leaf figs. The sap or flesh of a fiddle leaf fig can induce a brief sickness that necessitates veterinarian attention. When felines come into touch with fiddle leaf sap, their skin may get irritated or blister.
In other words, fiddle leaf figs might not be the best choice for your home if your cats have a propensity for eating your plants (as so many do). On the other hand, if your cats don’t bother your plants, they can coexist peacefully.
This is because cats won’t show symptoms unless they consume a portion of the plant, such as by biting or eating the leaves or coming into contact with the sap.
You, as the cat’s owner, will be the best person to judge whether your cat tends to be destructive around your plants. If you intend to introduce a fiddle leaf fig to its environment, it’s wise to see how they respond even if they don’t.
What part of the fiddle leaf fig is toxic to cats?
The roots, stem, and leaves of a fiddle leaf fig can all be harmful to cats. This is due to the fact that fiddle leaf figs contain a milky white fluid made up of plant cells that are crystallized calcium oxalate. If your cat chews on the plant, the sharp edges of these crystals can hurt its mouth, skin, and digestive tract, leading to disease.
Damage will result from any sharp object coming into contact with sensitive or delicate tissue. When calcium oxalate crystals rub up against and slash through the lining of your cat’s mouth, digestive tract, or stomach, this is precisely what happens.
They consequently exhibit excessive drooling, vomiting, or swelling of the mouth and lips as a result of their discomfort. If left untreated, this may result in weight loss and dehydration.
Cats that come into contact with fiddle leaf sap experience the same effects. It causes scraping and irritation, which may be made worse by your cat’s licking, scratching, and itching.
The good news is that the plant needs to be broken or ripped for the sap to escape, despite the fact that this sounds terrible and is a distressing experience. Therefore, fiddle leaf figs only become a problem if your cat tears or chews on them.
How toxic is Ficus for cats?
Ficus lyrata, the fiddle leaf, is only marginally poisonous to cats. However, how much of the milky white sap of the plant they consume determines their symptoms and prognosis. Small amounts can cause momentary irritation that is simple to recover from. Larger doses may exacerbate existing medical conditions.
Scientific classification of the fiddle leaf fig sap as a minor poison suggests that, with proper medical care, your cat’s entire health can be restored upon ingestion.
However, this depends on whether they take in a tiny taste or a sizable amount—say, the equivalent of half a leaf—of sap.
You need to be aware that your cat’s symptoms could get much worse if you don’t treat the Ficus toxin, which can cause stomach upset and mouth irritation.
For instance, a cat with a sore mouth may not want to drink water or eat, which can lead to dehydration. Unexpected weight loss might result from frequent vomiting.
Similarly, if fiddle leaf sap dermatitis isn’t treated promptly, it might turn into an uncontrollable rash and scratching behavior.
How can I prevent my cat from getting near my fiddle leaf fig?
A: Well-posed query! When I post pictures of parts of my home that have plants (which is pretty much every area! ), the question I receive the most frequently online or on Instagram is probably how to keep your cats away from houseplants. You would have noticed that there were no plants in the house if you had visited my home three years ago. None. I believe that I simply believed that indoor plants belonged in Californian homes or in the waiting area of the dentist. However, after seeing how beautiful they can be (and how much life they bring to a space), I was inspired to bring some plants into our home. I searched far and wide to discover plants that were safe to have in the house because I was initially unaware that there is a lengthy list of plants that are harmful to cats (see the list here). At the time, Charlie was the only cat we had, but I soon realized that she didn’t give a damn about the plants. As far as she was concerned, they might as well have been a brand-new piece of furniture or ornamental accent. No inclination at all.
I tried buying a cactus that was on the poisonous list and just having it out when I could observe her to see if she was interested in the plant, but surprise, surprise, she wasn’t paying any attention to it. For a while, I basically used this technique whenever I got a new plant, only putting it out when I was around and watching her to see whether she was interested. She occasionally tried to rub her face on the planter (a sign of friendship), as most cats will do with anything new in a room, but beyond that initial introduction, she just pretended it wasn’t there. When we adopted Mac, our second cat, a few years later, I did the same thing, and happily, he was just as uninterested in the plants (although every so often he does like to dig in the dirt of the large plantershe loves digging outside). Having two cats who aren’t interested in houseplants makes me feel quite fortunate, but even if your cat eats every green plant in sight, don’t worry! There are still many things you can do to keep your cats healthy and happy while still filling your home with loads of greens.
Plant Stands: Plant stands are a terrific way to decorate a blank wall or corner while raising plants off the ground. Avoid placing the plant close to a table or chair so that the cat has a place to stand and disturb the plant. Instead, put the plant in a large planter that occupies the most of the planter’s top. The best cats for this are generally those who are moderately but not particularly aggressively curious about plants.
Plant hangers: For cats who love plants, plant hangers are a terrific option. They won’t be able to eat it if they can’t access it. In a group of three or five, they also fill a vacant corner of a room exceptionally well. Just remember to water plants frequently and check for any leaf drop-offs frequently.
Another excellent alternative for cats who enjoy plants is wall planters. When you need to decorate a larger space or simply want a low-profile planter next to a piece of art or a print, wall planters are a good option because they don’t protrude from the wall as much as a standard hanging planter would.
Plants with High Leaves: Some larger plants, like a fiddle leaf fig, can have their bottom foliage removed to give them more of a tree appearance, but this raises the leaves too high for cats to reach. Again, keeping it alone and away from anything they could climb will help it operate best if there are no other pieces of furniture around for them to stand on to access the leaves from another perspective. This also presumes that, like most cats, your cat is only interested in plant portions with leaves and not in stems with bark, so don’t choose this option if your cat would simply chew on the stem for some reason! False Plants: If your cat is really violent and won’t leave the genuine plants alone, you might have to resort to faux plants. In fact, I use artificial plants all over my home, including in wall planters, on bookcases, for plants that are difficult to water or in planters that are prone to leaking. Recently, they have begun producing some amazing artificial succulents, and I have seen them at practically every craft store, including Target. Even some artificial fiddle leaf fig trees I saw the other day at the mall took me a while to realize were not real. You could also use fake plants where the cat can access them and deadly plants where they can’t (like a hanging planter). Simply planting them in actual dirt will trick your house guests into believing they are real.
Aside: I only use real cacti with specific kinds of needles when placing them in areas where they might be touched or knocked by cats (such on the floor or a dresser). I only purchase cacti with really obvious thick needles that don’t eject from the cactus (like the golden barrel cactus on the right) or cacti that don’t really have needles at all like the chocolate drop cactus on the left because I don’t really like the ones with the teeny-tiny needles anyway because they always come off in your fingers (and I especially didn’t want them to be in their fur if they brushed (which has more of a really short thorn than a needle). This will prevent anything from becoming stuck in their fur when they go to clean themselves if their tail swishes in the direction of the cactus.
I must trust that my cats’ feline instincts will keep them safe while they are out of my sight because they spend hours outside every day in an environment that is undoubtedly full of hazardous plants. I suppose it makes me feel better to know that they at least don’t want to eat plants when they’re inside, and I hope it extends to their outdoor activities as well. Actually, I have to watch my own eating more than anything else when I’m indoors. There have been times when I’ve stepped out of the room only to return to discover Mac eating my pizza. When the toaster popped up, he even removed a piece of toast right away!
Anyway, I hope you were able to find some inspiration for how to include some greenery in your room that both you and your cat will love.