We’ve all seen the videos of cats knocking plants off shelves or tipping over a glass of water. Cats love to wreak havoc! But sometimes it can be downright dangerous for them. (And if it’s one of your rare houseplants, of course, you’ll be mad too!)
Cats love to nibble on plants, however, there are many common houseplants that are toxic to cats. For instance, did you know that the popular Jade Plant can cause depression, vomiting, and incoordination in cats and dogs? Even the awesome Peace Lilies can cause chemical burns in your cat’s mouth and throat… not fun!
However, there are many cat safe plants that are easy to care for and will add beautiful colour and texture to your room!
CAT SAFE PLANTS
Below you will find a list of cat-safe houseplants that are also easy to care for! After all, your little furry friend demands your attention, you don’t have time to endlessly care for a plant too!
Some of these plants require bright, natural light and others will do well with little or no sunlight. I’ve included a brief description of how to care for each plant, so double-check the amount of light required before finding a home for your new plant.
Bonus… a lot of these plants have also been rated by NASA as excellent plants to purify the air! So not only will you be keeping your cat safe, you will also be cleaning the air!
1. Cast iron plant
If you love the deep green leaves of the Peace Lily (which is toxic to cats), then you will love the Cast Iron Plant. This cat safe indoor plant is a VERY easy plant to care for… hence, the name!
Water: Allow soil to dry completely between waterings.
Light: Indirect sunlight to low light (perfect for north-facing windowsill)
2. Bird nest fern
I have a real soft spot for the Bird Nest Fern. I love the unique wiggly shape of the leaves and you can even just strap the plant to a plank of wood and hang it on the wall!
Water: Weekly
Light: Low to medium light
3. Spider plant
Spider plants are amazing! They are a great plant for a child to care for as they are so easy to look after (great for plant ‘serial-killers’ too!). They are also sprout will baby plants that you can cut off and grow more of! A great way to expand your houseplant collection!
Water: Allow soil to dry between waterings (they are tolerant of over and underwatering)
Sun: Low light to indirect sunlight
4. Calathea rattle snake plant
The Rattlesnake Plant is a really awesome houseplant for sooo many reasons! Yes, it’s a cat-friendly plant, it looks amazing with those cool stripes, it does well in low-light conditions, AND it raises and lowers its leaves between daytime and nighttime.
Water: Weekly
Light: Low light to indirect sunlight
5. Parlour palm
Parlor Palms have been popular houseplants since the Victorian Era in the 1840s onwards. Back then rooms were often kept very dark and this was one of the plants that could thrive in those conditions. It’s a great cat safe indoor plant that can grow to over 6′ tall!
Water: Allow soil to dry between waterings
Light: Low light to indirect sunlight
6. Haworthia zebra
This is a great little succulent plant for any living room or bedroom. Its gorgeous stripey leaves make a wonderful addition to any decor. However, it does need direct sunlight, so find a spot on your south-facing windowsill for this one.
Water: 1 – 2 times a month
Light: direct sunlight
7. Money tree
Money might not grow on trees, but a Money Tree is meant to bring you good fortune! This is a super-easy plant to care for and also pet-friendly. They’ll often find it with interwoven trunks and with proper care, it can grow pretty fast and pretty big!
Water: Allow soil to dry between waterings (recovers well after periods of drought)
Light: Medium light to indirect sunlight
8. Staghorn Fern
Like the Birds Nest Fern, it can be strapped to a piece of wood and wall-mounted – useful to keep it away from your cats (even though it’s a cat-friendly houseplant).
Water: Allow to completely dry between waterings, about 1-2 weeks average.
Light: Medium light to indirect sunlight (they are used to growing in the shade of large trees).
9. Peperomia
This is another great choice for plant ‘serial-killers’, as it is almost impossible to kill this plant… I did say ALMOST! There are lots of different types of Peperomia plants and some of them can grow to be quite large.
Water: Allow soil to dry completely between waterings
Light: Medium light to indirect sunlight.
10. Echeveria
Succulents are taking the houseplant world by storm at the moment. Even grocery stores are selling succulents now! The Echeveria is a pretty succulent that is pretty easy to care for if you give it enough light. They do prefer bright, direct sunlight.
Water: Infrequently, about once every 2-3 weeks.
Light: Bright direct sunlight.
So there you have it! The 10 best cat-safe indoor plants that are not only easy to look after but will look amazing in your home too!
Now the only problem is picking which one to buy!
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