You’re good to go once you add some pet-friendly succulents to your countertop, such as this Haworthia, an Echeveria, or a collection of air plants.
Care guidelines:
These common houseplants won’t require much maintenance, but you should make sure they receive enough of direct sunlight and light watering around every two weeks. Before pulling out the watering can, make sure the earth is completely dry.
What kinds of hanging plants are safe?
Although our focus is on non-toxic plants, we thought it was important to list a few typical indoor plants that are dangerous and might injure your family. If you have these plants in your home, make sure to keep them out of tiny ones’ hands and paws’ reach.
- Pothos
- Philodendron
- British Ivy
- Hyacinth
- Dieffenbachia
- Broadleaf Vine
- Flowers (cause kidney failure in cats, do not let them sniff the pollen or chew on any lilies) (cause kidney failure in cats, do not let them sniff the pollen or chew on any lilies)
- Caladium (Also called Elephants Ears, Pink Cloud, and Mother-in-Law Plant, angel wings, or heart of Jesus)
- Also known as mother-in-tongue, law’s the snake plant
Non-Toxic Houseplants
Don’t lose hope; not all houseplants are poisonous. Here are 15 items that are safe for children, cats, and dogs. Even though they still shouldn’t go on a houseplant-eating binge, if they do eat a couple of these, they will be fine.
1. The Christmas Cactus (or Easter or Thanksgiving Cactus)
Holiday cacti are common indoor plants in Iowa because of their vibrant, oddly shaped blossoms. Cut back on watering a little bit 6–8 weeks before you want them to bloom if you want them to blossom in time for the holidays. Before watering, allow the top half inch of soil to dry off.
Boston Fern 2. (also called Sword Fern)
The ideal temperature range for Boston ferns is between 6 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity. It needs extra humidity if its fronds are becoming yellow. In the fall and winter, you might need to mist it every day, keep it on a pebble tray, or run a humidifier close by.
African Violet 3.
This magnificent bloomer may be kept healthy and happy by keeping it in a pot that is roughly one-third the size of the plant, letting it absorb water from below, and fertilizing it frequently with African Violet fertilizer. The leaves are a little sensitive; avoid getting them wet.
Peperomia 4.
Peperomia is rather simple to care for, however keep in mind that they prefer not to be near windows. Their leaves may burn if exposed to direct light. When the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry, water your peperomia.
5. Tears of a Baby
To spread out and hang over the edges, Baby’s Tears prefers a broad, shallow pot. Keep it away from the sun’s rays.
6. A prayer tree
Another easy-care low-light choice is the prayer plant. They dislike direct sunlight and can handle a sporadic or irregular water schedule rather well. Because they enjoy humidity, mist them frequently.
Palm Parlor 7.
Parlor Palms, sometimes known as Neanthe Bella Palms, also enjoy dampness. Keep them away from windows that get direct sunlight and regularly mist them. They favor direct, bright light.
Spider plants, no. 8
Spider plants are renowned for their toughness and ability to withstand severe harm. Due to its resemblance to catnip, spider plants may be particularly attractive to cats. Your cat can safely nibble on them, but if they won’t stop and the plant is wilting, try hanging it out of their reach.
9. Touchy Plant
These intriguing plants can endure some sun, but they like damp soil that is not drenched. Kids love sensitive plants because they respond to touch so quickly.
Haworthia Pearl Plant No. 10
The ideal non-toxic substitute is this plant that resembles aloe. It is a normal succulent and will benefit from some sunlight and from having its soil go for one to two inches without watering.
Phalaenopsis Orchids, 11.
One of the most popular types of orchids is the phalaenopsis orchid, sometimes known as the moth orchid. Although they may appear picky, orchids merely appreciate routine care. To keep phals content, regularly water them and place them in indirect sunshine.
Fittonia 12.
Fittonia, often known as the Nerve Plant, has unusual white and green leaves that stand out sharply from other houseplants. Because it prefers moist soil, keep an eye on it frequently. Up to twice a week of watering Fittonia may be necessary in the fall and winter.
Hoya carnosa 13.
Hoya carnosas’ waxy leaves are surprisingly non-toxic despite their appearance! With its dark foliage and magnificent clustered blossoms, this lovely vine plant looks like a relic from the 1970s.
14. Chickens and hens
Additionally, hens and chicks prefer warm, dry environments. They’ll stretch out and add cute small baby plants to fill their pot. There are many different hues and textures of hens and chicks.
Burros Tail, No. 15
Burro’s tail, another succulent that enjoys spilling over the side of its container, looks amazing in hanging pots.
Just because you have curious pets or kids around doesn’t mean you have to give up on houseplants. You can be sure that the plants mentioned above will be safe for your family while also bringing a lot of beauty, interest, and fresh air into your home. A fast google search might assist you learn the toxicity of a plant if you’re unsure. Alternatively, if you’re nearby in Iowa, stop by the garden center and talk to our experts; we’ll assist you in locating some lovely and secure solutions for your home.
Can felines access hanging plants?
Please always check to see if your plants are poisonous as this list is not comprehensive! Also keep in mind that it would often take quite a bit of most plants for your cat to become ill.
25% of the cats in our Instagram Panel have consumed a poisonous plant at some point. Fortunately, for the majority of them, nothing happened, but most cats did vomit up the leaves they had consumed. Be cautious because there are tragic tales of cats dying after consuming plants (we frequently receive letters about it). Be safe rather than sorry!
Plants suggested by our panel’s plant- and cat-lovers: • Hanging plants; spider plants (out of reach, if your cat can reach it, they are attractive because of the movement) • Palm trees (some cats love to eat juicy sweet palm leaves, which destroys them) Olive trees and cacti (but their spines can harm cats!) succulents Haworthia and Echeveria; zamioculca • Peperomia (the taste repels cats!) Grasses, Tillandsia air plants, Calathea, Ferns, Strelitzia, and Calathea (mildly toxic) • Large-leafed plants (less tempting) • Maranta • Lemongrass • Staghorn ferns (which can be mounted and hung out of reach)
Our Instagram panel was consulted for advice on how to coexist peacefully with both cats and plants. These are their top advice and techniques:
- Start with non-toxic plants and watch how your cats interact with them. To preserve more harmful plants, keep some areas off-limits to cats. Put your plants on a refrigerator or plantshelfie or somewhere else where cats can’t get to them. Or in a space you can lock up when you’re not there to keep an eye on your cat’s antics. Where your cats cannot reach, suspend plants from the ceiling using plant hangers. Use wall-pots instead, but only if your cats aren’t too clumsy! Make sure there is no way for your cat to jump up there if you place a plant up high. There must be room for your cat on the #plantshelfie or else the planter can get knocked over. Make sure your plant containers are heavy enough to prevent your cat from knocking them over. If my cat were more of a curious taste tester, I’d advise placing the plants on higher shelves where cats can’t curl up next to them. For your cat to continue to feel that they are the owners of the house rather than you, create another perch location, as I like to call them. When they are little, teach them not to worry them. Behold a spray bottle’s might. A cat-hating essential oil can be found. Cats generally loathe citrus. Put a drop of citrus essential oil on each pot or around the space where you store your plants. This ought to discourage your cat from trying to play with, consume, or harm your plants in any other way. Give your feline pals their own wheat grass, cat grass, or catnip! Set this up at ground level next to your non-toxic plants so that they may easily get it (before they reach your expensive houseplants). Regularly prune growing plants to prevent them from becoming too long becoming cat toys. Maintain the more sensitive plants in terrariums. In order to prevent her from removing the plant from the water so she can drink it, I keep my plants that I am propagating in water safe for her as well. Because my cat enjoys playing with water, I also make an effort to avoid leaving any on my plant trays. Play with your cats to exhaust them. A content and worn-out cat will respect your plants. Chicken wire should be flattened and laid on top of the ground. This will stop your cat from making a big mess by digging up the dirt or by using it as a litter box. To partially cover the soil, you might also add some larger stones or diamonds. Make sure they have all they need and don’t use your plants as a litter box or a scratching post by providing a good scratching pole and a clean litter box. Accept the fact that your cats will eat (some of) your houseplants, and that certain cat scars won’t make them look their best. Acclimate yourself to your plants’ imperfections. After all, your cat also calls it home.
“Larger leaf plants, like the fiddle leaf, are preferable in my opinion because cats can’t really take care of them. Cats can benefit from certain plants! For them to chew on, I actually have an indoor herb garden. Their digestive systems will thank you!
“I had been hanging out with my cat after work for several hours when suddenly she perked up and we both heard a rustling in my living room plant collection. Before I left for work, the neighbor’s cat managed to enter and spend hours hanging out in my plants without our knowledge. In the wild, anything is possible.
“My kitties occasionally just really enjoy sniffing and leaf-peeping. Additionally, I’ve had cat grass and other plants that cats may eat from. The cat likes to be outside and in the wild, therefore I make an effort to surround them with plants and pine cones to bring out their natural side.
“Every time I bring a new plant home, which is rather frequently, my cat examines it for a while before looking at me and appearing to ask, “Really? yet another?”
“In front of a mirror, I placed the cat grass. My cat once nearly died when he saw another cat coming out of the plant where he regularly sticks his entire head to show his love and adoration. Poor person!
“We initially cultivated a cat lawn so that our cat could eat the grass; as a result, we neglected to consider the size of the low pot. He began to sleep there every day for a short period after we discovered him there one day when the grass was almost fully grown. Just seeing him alter the intended use of his gift was entertaining.
* “My boy cat is a real troublemaker. He admires “Plants’ leaves can be punched. He stands beside the plant and begins to beat the leaf with one paw, forcing it to fall. He keeps doing this until I become enraged and remove him from the plant. He constantly makes eye contact when he starts pounding because he knows how much I dislike it when he does so. Lol.
“My first-ever Spider plant offspring made me incredibly happy. After a few unsuccessful efforts, it eventually became rooted. I placed it in his own own tiny pot. The following morning, my cat Moos was sitting over my head and had brought me a gift. Yup! baby spider plant I have. ripped it out of the pot right away and used his teeth to destroy the roots. Sigh*. Since then, Moos has a penchant for tearing little plants out of the ground. As a result, the Ikea Socker greenhouse contains all of the newborn plants securely.
“For a very long time, our cat Simba’s favorite place was a planter with some old soil in it. There once was a Bromelia there, but he kicked it to death with his butt. Simba held his position since we hadn’t yet thought to throw it away. After some time, my husband commented, “I think Simba is breeding something,” and when we lifted his tail, a new Bromelia started emerging from the pot beneath his butt.
What types of houseplants are safe for cats to consume?
The ASPCA has provided the following list of plants that are safe for dogs and cats.
- black violets
- Palm areca
- little rubber plant
- infant’s tears (can cause mild vomiting and diarrhea)
- fern of Boston
- Holiday cactus
- Palm parlor
- palm a pony
- prayer tree
- Succulents (While some are poisonous (see above), many others, such as blue echeveria (also known as hen and chicks), burro’s tail, Mexican rosettes, copper rose, plush plant, tree cactus, and wax rosettes, are safe for pets.)
- wax tree
Given their playful personalities and inquisitive natures, cats make for an interesting companion in life. Change your indoor flora to restore serenity to your home if your houseplants are the focus of their excursions.
Feed your cat a diet that maintains the balance of their gut ecology so they may better absorb essential nutrients and maintain a strong immune system for a healthy, content cat. All of NutriSource’s pet meals are created using the ground-breaking Good 4 Life approach, which promotes intestinal health. You can get NutriSource from a neighborhood, independent pet store.
What plants are safe for cats to eat?
Parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans), an easy-care foliage plant with minimal light requirements, offer non-toxic, rich greenery for your house. Both the vibrant pink and green foliage of prayer plants (Calathea insignis) and blushing bromeliads (Neoregalia spp.) that change color right before the plant blooms are safe for cats to consume. The several peperomia species, which come in a variety of leaf kinds and hues, are non-toxic to cats as well.
Which plant is beneficial to cats?
21 Pet-Friendly Plants for Cats and Dogs
- Rattlesnake Tree.
- Scorpion Plant.
- Paradise Palm.
- Calathea oblongiflora.
- Palm of the pony.
- (Some) succulents
- black violet
- Fern named Bird’s Nest