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Cats are naturally curious creatures, and one way they satiate their curiosity is by chewing everything they come across. Cats are obligate carnivores, which implies that meat makes up a sizable portion of their diet. Cats may, however, consume modest amounts of plant and leaf in the wild, either to supplement their diets with vital vitamins and minerals or just because they enjoy the flavor.
In the home, it could appear as though they’re just trying to complicate your life, but it could just be that they’re bored and seeking for anything to do. Alternatively, they might assume that plants can fill a nutritional gap in their diet, or they might simply love the flavor of your tenderly cared-for potted plant.
It is your duty as a responsible pet owner to make sure that your cat isn’t being harmed by the ferns and other plants it eats. Fortunately, the common majesty palm, also known as the majestic palm, is non-toxic and regarded as harmless, however it may not always be advantageous to your cat’s health. Additionally, you should watch out for symptoms of gastrointestinal trouble because eating the fronds may result in them getting lodged or causing discomfort. Otherwise, if your cat eats this plant, they should be okay.
Are both cats and dogs safe to use the Majesty Palm?
The Majesty Palm is the most frequent palm found at large box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, and it has the power to transform any space into something straight out of a spa. They make excellent pet-safe houseplants and are comparatively simple to care for. Cats are obsessed, so beware. My first palm was almost completely consumed by both, which looked terrible and made me unhappy. You could always put them up high where cats can’t reach them or make a quick repellant to spray on the fronds. Keep palms out of direct sunlight, which will cause the leaves to turn brown. I water my palm once a week (less frequently in the winter), let it drain, and then put it back on its saucer. In general, they prefer temperatures that are higher than 70 degrees. Look for the plant’s label to contain the term Ravenea rivula.
Silver Ribbon Fern
This gorgeous long-leaf fern adapts nicely to indoor environments and thrives there throughout the summer. These grow bushy and look very lush in a bathroom or workplace. They are completely safe for pets. Cat consumption is moderate. My cats haven’t eaten any of my fern, however they do sneakily look at it. Keep the soil moist (checking roughly 1-2 times a week) and mist the area with a spray bottle to maintain humidity. Choose a spot that gets some light sunlight.
Bunny Cactus
These lovely cactus are not only wonderfully adorable and cheery (perfect), but also useful scratching posts for my cats (not ideal). Although they have TINY thorns that would make you unhappy if they got lodged in your finger, I prefer these since they are quite durable cacti. They look best when planted together or in a planter with other non-toxic succulents (see this post). Basic medical treatment is, well, very basic. Allow to thoroughly dry, and only wet when absolutely necessary. Bear in mind that they typically inhabit deserts.
Staghorn Fern
Staghorn ferns can be either wall-hung or left in pots. They are also fluffy! As a vegan alternative to antlers, mount this fern on a wall or hang it from the ceiling with kokedama. They’re incredibly beautiful ferns that are entirely safe for pets. This Gardenista article on mounting ferns is absolutely fantastic. In terms of maintenance, they are actually connected to air plants and do best with weekly misting and weekly watering (if they are in a pot). Use various watering techniques if you want to mount your Staghorn Fern. Additionally, they prefer high humidity and moderate light—not direct sunlight.
Which palms are secure for canines and felines?
Because many plant species have the potential to be harmful, pet owners worry about maintaining houseplants in their homes. Many of us who love animals are drawn to the natural world and plant life in particular because of the many advantages that plants may provide to our living spaces. Living plants can make us feel less stressed, literally clean the air, and provide beauty to our homes. These qualities can all enhance happiness and quality of life. It is true that many plants have the potential to be toxic and that it is risky to keep them in residences with cats, dogs, birds, or really any other pet that has any kind of indoor freedom. Having said that, there are also a good number of plants that can live in your house with your pets without posing a threat to them.
Venomous Plants:
The spider plant is a typical houseplant that requires very little maintenance and is available in a few unique variants, including curly and variegated. Although they require little maintenance, these resilient indoor plants can nevertheless be kept in check by the size of the pot they are grown in. Both hanging and tabletop plants can use them. They function well in low-light settings or with some sunlight. If you have cats, you might want to use the hanging application for keeping this member of the indoor plant family because cats like to nibble on and occasionally outright consume spider plants.
Real Palms
Many different types of palms are safe to keep with animals. Pony tail, Parlor, and Areca palms are a few of these types. If you want to keep palms indoors, you must make sure that they are of the indoor variety and that you stay away from anything that contains the terms sago or cycad. Sago palms are actually cycads, not true palms, and they are exceedingly hazardous to animals. Although this plant is intended for outdoor use, it is crucial to make sure you do not get a cycad when buying palms for your home. True palms don’t need a lot of light, and with some research on their upkeep, they may be a simple addition to your home’s flora.
African violets: These diminutive fuzzy beauties with their lovely dark green leaves, as well as their vibrant flowers, which come in a variety of hues and may be arranged alone or in pairs, light up a home. Pets are not at risk from the toxicity of African violets. They can be a little more fickle than some indoor plants. They prefer to have just the proper amount of bright sunlight, with their heads dry but their feet submerged in water. These little cuties can be kept content with a little investigation and experimentation. They are frequently raised in little clay pots that cats can readily topple. To keep pots weighted down, I either use heavier pots or place stones in the bottom of the pots.
Boston Fern: You may keep this lovely cascading plant both as a hanging plant and on a table top. If properly managed for, it can grow quite huge. These plants are difficult to maintain because, as forest plants by nature, they require moist soil and greater humidity levels than are common in most homes. Salutations to those of you who can maintain a Boston Fern’s happiness all year round. They are such a wonderful plant, though, that even though I haven’t yet succeeded, I’ll keep trying.
Cast Iron Plant: I’ve never had the pleasure of owning a plant like this. Despite being a part of the lily family, this plant is safe for cats and dogs to consume. The lovely dark green foliage lend a tropical touch to the interior, and this plant can also be planted outside in warmer areas. A hidden beauty are the tiny purple blooms that might bloom at the base of the shrub. This plant requires very little maintenance, and it even tolerates being ignored.
Speaking of tropical flair, bromeliads are colorful and relatively low-maintenance if you pay attention to their requirements. Many of them are epiphytes, which means that they grow adhering to a substrate rather than in soil and actually draw moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere. These indoor plants are fascinating, lovely, non-toxic, and definitely worth trying.
Christmas cactus: I adore Christmas cacti and have several of them. It’s another interesting and colorful plant. Given their name for their propensity to blossom profusely in the first few months of the year, they are non-toxic, low maintenance plants that, when in bloom, display cascades of red/orange, violet, pink, or white flowers. They have the potential to become fairly enormous, but they can also thrive in a smaller container with strong roots. Despite being regarded as non-toxic to animals, this plant can still produce mild GI irritation when consumed (vomiting, diarrhea). Although there shouldn’t be any systemic toxicity, who likes an upset stomach? or having to clean up after a stomach ache? Some GI distress conditions may need veterinarian care, depending on how delicate your pet’s GI tract is. Keep your Christmas cacti out of your pet’s reach if you believe they have a tendency to chew on them.
Phaleaenopsis Orchid, also known as the Moth Orchid, is one of my all-time favorite flowering plants. Several of these can be seen on my kitchen counters, coffee table, and office window sill. If their requirements for bright light and careful watering are met, they are simple to care for. Their blossoms can remain for months before falling off the plant and they consistently bloom with enormous cascades of flowers. This plant does need some fertilizer with products made especially for orchids. To prevent your pet from licking the fertilizer, I advise keeping the plant out of your cat or dog’s reach for a day or two after fertilizing. This plant is an epiphyte, like the bromeliad, and is cultivated on a substrate like bark rather than in soil.
Succulents: Both residential and commercial plantings of succulents are very popular right now. While some types, like Kalanchoe, can be extremely harmful to animals, others, like Haworthia, Peporomia, and Burrow’s tail, are not toxic to animals. I advise careful research and identification of the varieties you want to retain before bringing them into your home if you intend to raise succulents with your pets.
Swedish ivy is a wonderful, green, cascading shrub with small, bluish-purple blossoms and charming, round, softly serrated leaves. It is the ideal house plant because it is non-toxic to animals and simple to care for. It enjoys loamy soil and direct, bright sunshine. Make sure the ivy you are purchasing is Swedish ivy and not another variety like Devil’s ivy (Pothos), which is poisonous to animals.
Lipstick Plant: This attractive, multicolored flowering plant is simple to maintain. Wintertime blooms of brilliant red flowers bring color to the gloomy, chilly days. To honor its tropical roots, it prefers brief bursts of bright light, well-aerated soil, and a slight increase in humidity.
So, enjoy both the animals and the flora! Many individuals enjoy having pets and plants in their homes. Beyond this basic list, there are other plant species that are non-toxic. Before bringing any new plant into your home, do some research on its potential to be hazardous to pets. Even if your pets have never touched any of your existing plants, it is a good idea to go over them, see what you have, and make sure they are all non-toxic. One hazardous exposure is all that is necessary to make a pet ill. Spend some time learning about how to take care of the plant to make sure you can maintain the happiness and health of your new plant friend. Enjoy all the great moments that your pets and plants bring you most of all.
Are cats allowed near majestic palm leaves?
Majesty palm is classified as being fully non-toxic to cats by the ASPCA. This indicates that none of the plant’s parts, including the leaves, stems, trunk, and roots, contain any elements that can endanger your cat. Therefore, if your cat just can’t seem to get enough of your palm, there’s no need to worry about their health.
Can cats be poisoned by indoor palms?
Underrated are palm trees. They are easily maintained, readily accessible at retailers like IKEA and Lowe’s, safe and non-toxic to cats, dogs, and birds, and they grow swiftly. While Fiddle Leaf Figs and Monsteras are oversaturated on Instagram, I personally would love to see more #palmlove.
My first Majesty palm and one of my first indoor plants is Harold (shown top). He has endured a mealybug infestation, sweltering summer heat, and my negligent mothering mistake of leaving him outside in subfreezing weather. He somehow recovered. Because they are resilient, palms will become your favorite large pet-safe plant if you pay attention to them and appreciate them. They are also among the best plants for cleaning the air in your house.
Pet Friendly Houseplants
At Earth’s Ally, we care about our plants just as much as we do about our canine companions. However, pets and plants don’t appear to get along all that often. Many of our favorite plant species, as well as many popular herbal remedies, are toxic to cats and dogs. Learn more about our top 10 pet-friendly houseplants in the next paragraphs, as well as about the solutions we develop to keep our homes and gardens healthy without using harsh chemicals.
#1 Haworthia Succulent (Haworthia species)
Want to protect your pets while still enjoying the low-maintenance beauty of plants of the aloe genus? The best plant for you is a haworthia. This chic small succulent simply needs a little water once a week and would look wonderful in a sunny location.
#2 Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exalta bostoniensis)
The Boston Fern is a reliable houseplant with thick fronds that expand quickly with minimal attention. They thrive in a slightly humid climate, making bathrooms with some filtered sunlight an ideal location for them. Despite having what appear to be delicate leaves, Boston ferns are remarkably hardy.
#3 Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
Several well-known and eye-catching plants, such as the trendy Chinese money plant, the variegated aluminum plant, and the simple-to-procreate friendship plant, belong to the Pilea genus. These plants prefer a lot of indirect light and are said to be safe for cats and dogs.
#4 Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Pets may have concerns about palms, but the parlor palm is thought to be non-toxic. This tall, graceful plant is suitable for pets and does well in dimmer lighting conditions as well. They usually grow to a height of around four feet, but with care, they can grow as tall as eight feet.
#5 Banana Palm (Musa acuminata)
The banana palm is another substantial accent plant that is secure for your dogs. If you have lots of space, a banana plant is a fantastic option because of its enormous, glossy leaves and remarkable size.
#6 African Violet (Saintpaulia spp.)
Look no further than the African violet for a pop of color. The African violet, a native of Tanzania with alluring purple, pink, blue, or white blossoms, is regarded as safe for pets. This low-maintenance plant doesn’t worry if the light isn’t as strong.
#7 Gloxinia Flower (Sinningia Speciosa)
The Sinningia genus encompasses everything from the most extravagant flowers to the tiniest, most delicate ones. They are frequently called Gloxinia and are widely used as gift plants. If you get one of these gorgeous things as a gift from a friend, you don’t have to worry about your dogs.
#9 Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spider plants are referred to as “unkillable houseplants” and produce festoons of lovely striped leaves. The best part is that spider plants produce baby mini-plants that grow into their pots from the main plant. Spider plants are a great option for pet-friendly gardens because they’re so simple to grow and maintain.
#10 Air Plants (Tillandsia)
They only need water and sunlight to survive. They are safe for cats and dogs because there is no soil for your pets to spill. They can be grown in a variety of containers with weekly watering.
Pet Safe Plant Care
The first step in creating a safe habitat for pets is selecting a non-toxic plant. Due to sporadic overwatering, common pests including scale, aphids, spider mites, and fungus gnats virtually always affect indoor plants. Think about safe alternatives to common treatments when those annoying bugs appear.
For an immediate kill on soft-bodied insects, use an essential oil insecticide like Earth’s Ally Insect Control. When used as instructed, Earth’s Ally is extremely successful in treating pest issues and safe for People, Pets, & the Planet. It is made from rosemary, clove, and peppermint oils.
With the help of these suggestions, you may make a secure haven for your animal pals out of a lush oasis. We’d be interested to know how Earth’s Ally is assisting you in raising wholesome indoor plants that are safe for dogs and cats. Connect with the #EarthsAlly community on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share your pet photographs, have access to our most recent blog posts, giveaways, and special offers.