Any other fur-parents caught on to the wonders having plants inside? I sure have. I am most definitely embarrassed to share the number of houseplants we currently share our space with – but it is many. I never liked having house plants. They would always just shrivel up or rot and make me feel bad about myself. Then, a few years ago I got my sister a plant for Christmas. And then I wanted one. And then I got more. And more.
Of course, being a plant enthusiast comes with added complications. What about the pets? Well, aside from the inevitable destruction our happy-tail dog and ever-mischievous cat would cause, there is of course the concern of safety for them! I will be honest up front: not all of my plants are 100% “safe” for pets. How did I go about deciding where to draw the line? I will share my lists of current plants towards the end of this article.
First, when beginning to fill your house with plants (or even purge ones you have to make a pet-safe environment for them), figure out the name(s) of each plant and write these down.
Next, type into google “[plant name] ASPCA” – typically the first result will lead you to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Website’s page on that specific plant. For example, if I search “Sago Palm ASPCA”, this is what shows up:
As you can see above, the ASPCA names the actual toxin in the plant, who it is toxic to, and what it causes. A sago palm would absolutely not make my list of plants I would have in my house for two reasons: 1. It is extremely toxic (I could stop there) and 2. It looks like grass, and my cat would most definitely try to chew on the leaves.
One family of plants that are particularly safe to have around pets are those of the Calathea family. This includes all varieties of “prayer plants”. I have several of these – they like to be kept in fairly humid environments, but I don’t have to worry if my cat eats them. She does, however, like to “smack them” to get my attention when she feels like she is not getting it.
I did mention that I *DO* keep some toxic plants at home. The plants I keep at home that are toxic are ones that 1. My cat and dog have minimal interest in (ie. they don’t look like fun strands of grass) and 2. Only cause very mild signs if ingested – some burning sensation in the mouth or stomach upset if they really keep trying to eat them (which can be a risk if your pet is so sore they stop eating! Bring them in to a vet!) – typically these are “Insoluble calcium oxalate or mild saponins”. The most common one would be pothos (aka. devil’s ivy):
The plants I would never allow to enter into my house would be lilies – true lilies (ie. tiger lilies, easter lilies, day lilies, etc.), lily of the valley, shamrock (as well as Sago Palm as mentioned above). True lilies & shamrocks cause acute kidney failure and death in cats – they don’t even have to chew the plant. The pollen can be enough to cause injury. If your cat even so brushes against the pollen of the flower, then cleans themselves off later, this could be end-game for your precious pet. The water in the vase is also toxic.
Lily of the Valley is another plant your pets (BOTH dogs and cats) should steer clear of. Although not common indoors, my husband and I’s first rental house had a giant patch of this growing right outside the door. Although we didn’t dig it up, our pets were both fully supervised at all times when outside. With the severity of the consequences (heart attacks, coma, seizures) this isn’t one worth inviting into your yard.
The most deadly house plants for pets:
- True lilies (cats)
- Sago Palm (cats and dogs)
- Shamrocks (cats)
- Lily of the Valley (cats and dogs)
- Oleander (cats and dogs)
- Autumn Crocus (cats and dogs)
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I will give you a general list of what I keep in my house.
Totally safe indoor plants:
- Pilea family (Chinese money plant/friendship plant, amongst others)
- Calathea family (Prayer Plants – multiple varieties – aka Marantacea family)
- Lipstick plant (I have multiple – the colors of leaves can vary as can the flower colors, they like to vine)
- Hoya varieties
- Chinese Money Tree
- Christmas Cactus
- African Violet
- Grape Ivy (MOST ivy varieties are very toxic!)
- Mimosa pudica / sensitive plant
- Boston fern, bird’s nest fern and Staghorn fern (MANY fern varieties are toxic)
- Banana plant
- Spider Plant (but looks like grass, so many pets will eat it)
- Cat grass (wheatgrass or oats)
Not safe, but likely not going to cause death either (oral ulcerations CAN still be serious, if your cat isn’t eating for more than a day, get them to the vet ASAP. Three days without eating in a cat can cause life-threatening fatty liver disease!):
- Pothos / devil’s ivy (these are really easy plants to take care of – they thrive on neglect)
- Satin pothos
- Snake plant
- Monstera varieties + Rhaphidophora tetrasperma (split-leaved plants)
- Bird of paradise (the flower/fruit is the most toxic part)
- Aloe vera
- ZZ plant
- PEACE LILY (This is not part of the lily family OR lily of the valley)
The ASPCA has a full list of toxic plants (dog list, cat list, horse list) on their website. If you are unsure about the safety something your pet ate, you can call the Pet Poison Helpline or the ASPCA Poison Control, or contact your nearest emergency veterinarian.
Thank you for reading!
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