Kelsey
I am a first time cat owner, and u have a ton of plants throughout my home… every plant I’ve looked up I have all shows toxic to cats/dogs. What are yalls thoughts ? TIA
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I am a first time cat owner, and u have a ton of plants throughout my… | Pets and Plants | Planta-Community
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FaerybugI have 2 cats, and several “toxic” plants. Personally, I would look up what the specific toxicity is for individual plants. Some, such as lilies, are extremely dangerous and should never be around pets at all. Others may upset their stomachs some without doing lasting damage (these I still try to keep out of reach, but cats can reach lots of places), and some will irritate their mouths if they chew them (which my cats generally leave alone, but it’s definitely still good to keep an eye on it. Some cats will chew them anyway, and you’ll want to move them out of reach or remove them entirely if it’s causing a problem). I’m not an expert though, so it’s always best to consult someone who is. If you’re very worried about it, you can look up pet safe plants to add to your collection, and give those you don’t feel comfortable having around your cat to a pet-free friend or relative
2 Likes- Kelsey
Thank you. I have looked them all up and it feels like 95% shouldn’t be around cats. I don’t want to get rid of my plants. They are my babies. Rite now I have them all in one room and it’s to much.
1 Like
AdrianIf you can try placing your plants in a room with a closing door so you can close them off from coming in contact with the plants, that’s your best bet at both protecting your cat and your plants. Hope this helps. Are you looking for any non-toxic plant recommendations?
1 Like- Kelsey
I appreciate that, yes that’s what I have done so far. Ijust love having them spread all over the house. They make me so happy. BUT cat comes first. Oh yes I would love some recommendations… TIA
1 Like - RedPanda
I can recommend Areca palms - non-toxic and my cat LOVES them! As for the plants you have at the moment, cats are usually very sensible when it comes to eating and usually won’t nibble a toxic plant. The ones to worry about are those like lilies, which should not be around cats at all (note this is true lilies - peace lilies should be fine as long as you keep them out of reach). If you like having them around the house maybe take some of the smaller ones that are less toxic and put them on shelves that are big enough for the plant(s) without providing a landing platform for the cat. This should prevent your cat from jumping on the shelf and getting to the plant. My sister has a few mildly toxic plants (peace lily, philodendron etc) and this has worked really well for her.
1 Like - RedPanda
(ps. Your cat is adorable 😻)
1 Like - Adrian
Non-toxic plants - Peperomia would be my top pick. All of their varieties can handle a low-light north-facing windowsill that only gets 2-4 hours of sun a day, but their obtusifolia variety can also enjoy as bright as a south-facing windowsill that gets 6-8 hours of sun. There’s a ton of varieties to pick from, including trailing varieties, with a myriad of leaf patterns and colors. It’s a really beautiful species with lots of beautiful options to choose from, and they’re usually very affordable too. I’ve never spent more than $16 on a Peperomia, and that’s for a large one. They usually run for about $7-10 where I live. - Sedum morganianum/sedum burrito - Many succulents, including echeveria, lithops, pachyphytum, haworthia, sedum, aeonium, sedeveria, and some cacti - Holiday cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) - Hoya - Goldfish and Lipstick Plants (Nematanthus and Aeschynanthus) can flower and have a couple of cool varieties to choose from. The flowers are very unique and they’re usually make for beautiful trailing plants that you can hang. - African Violets are a pretty popular pick and thrive in lower light conditions. - Marantas and Calatheas - Polka dot plants and Nerve Plants - Elephant bush is a non-toxic alternative to jade or bonsai trees - Ferns - Spider plants - String of rubies is a non-toxic alternative to other string of things type plants. Other ones I’d recommend checking out are Peperomia’s ruby cascade and string of turtles. - Air plants - Jewel orchids and moth orchids I’d personally go for the peperomias, string of rubies, string of turtles, ruby cascade, peperomia pepperspot, goldfish plants, lipstick plants, succulents and cacti, holiday cactus, Hoya, and African Violets as some low-maintenance and beginner-friendly options.
4 Likes - Kelsey
Thank you so much for that information
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PupluvfureverIf you want a chill cat, I would recommend catnip
1 Like- Kelsey
I need to get some. She’s pretty chill as it is. She’s around a year old and not as hyper as I thought she would be.
0 Likes
RitaWhenever I have a new plant, I always let my cat next to it to see what is reaction is. The ones he shows interest in I try to put them out of reach (even if not toxic, for the sake of the plant’s heath). But to be honest, I think he instinctively has no interest in some of the ones that are toxic. I don’t have any of the really toxic ones like lillies. But I have a zz on the floor and he has absolutely zero interest in it. Also, I keep one plant in the house specifically for the cat. Whenever he wants to nibble a plant, I direct him to his plant. That seems to have been working with my cat. But it will definitely depend on the personality of your cat
1 Like- Kelsey
Yea for now I have them mostly in my office. But I can’t enjoy them as much as I did when they were thought the house
1 Like
- Filipendula
Different cats will have different propensities to explore plant materials. I collected most of my plants with my previous cat, now passed, who showed zero interest in anything other than hanging out with us, so I could trust him never even to sniff a plant (of course I still excluded super dangerous plants like lilies which can kill if so much as the pollen lands on their fur). Now we have two cats: the brother is a hamburger and fries cat who would never dream of adding salad to his diet, so he's all good. But the sister is into whole foods and can't help but impulsively give everything green a nibble given half a chance. Consequently, after years without issues, I suddenly had to begin gifting plants I knew were too toxic to risk or that I couldn't keep out of her reach. I'm now tentatively testing some of the mildly toxic ones to see if I can position them safely, e.g. I have a tall yucca, that I don't *think* she'll climb to get to the green bits, but we've just put it in a space that allows us to watch how she behaves with it before we leave her alone with it, just because she's also a bit of a monkey. Other than getting to know your cat, I agree with all the other advice you've had so far.
0 Likes - Jenna
For me personally my plants are not worth the vet bill that may come along with my cats getting into them. My cats are also nosey and like to bite my plants. In the meantime I would keep them in a high spot where the cats cannot get to.
0 Likes - Waspinator
If your cat isn't much of a plant-nibbler, it's fine to have plants that are only toxic if they eat them (lilies are toxic for cats to even inhale the pollen). If kitty likes to bite leaves, then any toxic plants should be removed, placed in rooms that can be sealed safely, or put into containers (butterfly enclosures would work well; they let light through but seal well.) Also be sure to play with the cat regularly so it doesn't find plants interesting as toys
0 Likes- Kelsey
I have only noticed where she likes to get in the larger pots and scratch around in the dirt. Haven’t noticed her trying to eat them (yet) lol
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