If you share your home with curious kitties but want to bring greenery indoors, choosing cat-safe plants is a must. Although you may not realize it, many common houseplants are toxic to cats and can cause symptoms including vomiting, lethargy, and trouble breathing. Fortunately, there are many cat-friendly plants you can add to your home without worry.
We’ll cover 23 non-toxic plants for cats that you can safely add to your home and garden. Plus, we’ll introduce a few common houseplants that can harm your cats.
African Violet
Scientific name: Saintpaulia ionantha
Light: Bright yet indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining and moist
When you combine the African violet’s fuzzy green leaves and cute flower clusters, you end up with a beloved flowering houseplant. If you set these plants on a bright windowsill and keep them moist, they’ll reward you with purple, pink, or white flowers from spring through winter.
Baby’s Tears
Scientific name: Soleirolia soleirolii
Light: Indirect light to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Soil: Rich
When you look at baby’s tears from a distance, it seems to resemble a mat of moss. But when you look closer, you’ll see it’s made up of small, round leaves. It’s a good cat-friendly alternative to the toxic string of pearls.
Bamboo Palm
Credit Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chamaedorea_seifrizii7.jpg
Scientific name: Chamaedorea seifrizii
Light: Bright and indirect
Water: Low to moderate
Soil: Well-draining
Also known as the parlor palm, this common houseplant isn’t a true bamboo. However, its skinny stalks and slender leaves make it resemble these well-known plants. The plants can grow up to 20 feet outdoors but remain smaller when grown indoors.
Boston Fern
Credit Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_potted_Nephrolepis_exaltata_02.jpg
Scientific name: Nephrolepis exaltata
Light: Indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
Often seen in hanging baskets, Boston ferns make excellent additions to porches, decks, and indoor rooms. They prefer warm and humid areas, so you can grow them outdoors in the summer and bring them indoors when the weather cools.
Burro’s Tail
Scientific name: Sedum morganianum
Light: Bright and direct
Water: Low
Soil: Well-draining
This trailing succulent features stems covered with fleshy green leaves. When grown in the right environment, the stems can grow over three feet long! Although the plant is non-toxic to cats, the fragile succulent leaves can fall off the stem if touched.
Calathea
Scientific name: Calathea spp.
Light: Bright and indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
You can find many Calathea species, including the peacock plant, rattlesnake calathea, and pin-stripe calathea. All of these cat-safe houseplants thrive in moderate to high humidity and warm air. If you keep them in a dry area, the plants will likely develop yellow or brown leaf edges.
Canna Lily
Scientific name: Canna spp.
Light: Full sun
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
Grown from rhizomes, the large leaves and bright flowers of the canna lily make it a beautiful addition to garden beds and containers. The plants aren’t true lilies and are more closely related to plants like ginger and turmeric. Be careful not to confuse the canna lily with the calla lily, as the latter is toxic to cats.
Cast Iron Plant
Scientific name: Aspidistra elatior
Light: Medium to bright indirect light
Water: Low to moderate
Soil: Well-draining
The cast iron plant has a reputation for being nearly indestructible, making it perfect for beginning and forgetful plant parents. It produces large, oblong leaves that add a pop of green to offices, bedrooms, and anywhere else.
Celosia
Scientific name: Celosia spp.
Light: Full sun
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
An easy to grow garden annual, celosia are beautiful cut flowers. You can find plumed varieties that resemble large wheat heads and cockscomb types that look like small brains. All of these flowers are non-toxic to cats, so you don’t have to worry about growing them on your patio or cutting them for an indoor vase. Learning about more pet-safe flowers can help you design a beautiful and cat-friendly cutting garden.
Christmas Cactus
Scientific name: Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri
Light: Bright
Water: Low
Soil: Well-draining
This cactus doesn’t have sharp spines but features flat, fleshy leaves arranged on trailing stems. The cacti produce bright pink or red flowers in the winter, hence their common name. Since the plants are prone to rot, make sure to only water when the top third to half of the soil is dry.
Friendship Plant
Credit Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pilea_involucrata_D2306.jpg
Scientific name: Pilea involucrata
Light: Bright and indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
These cat-friendly plants feature textured leaves that come in shades of green, pink, and red. The plants are easy to propagate by stem cuttings, allowing you to share the plant with friends and family. Warm temperatures and high humidity will keep the plants happy.
Gerbera Daisy
Scientific name: Gerbera spp.
Light: Bright
Water: Moderate
Soil: Rich and well-draining
A flowering plant often grown in indoor containers, the gerbera daisy is a classic, cheerful plant. The large round flowers come in various colors and pair nicely with the dark green leaves.
Haworthia
Credit Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Succulent_haworthia.jpg
Scientific name: Haworthia spp.
Light: Bright
Water: Low
Soil: Well-draining
The Haworthia genus contains many popular small succulents. Many of these plants form rosettes of spiky leaves. Since they’re succulents, they prefer bright light and can tolerate dry soil.
Hens and Chicks
Scientific name: Sempervivum spp.
Light: Bright
Water: Low
Soil: Well-draining
This group of plants forms low-growing rosettes of fleshy leaves. The plants spread by runners and new rosettes pop up near the mother plant. Hence the name hen and chicks. Since the plant can tolerate drought, it works well in rock gardens and well-draining pots.
Hindu Rope
Credit Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hoya_FR_2013.jpg
Scientific name: Hoya carnosa
Light: Bright yet indirect
Water: Low to moderate
Soil: Well-draining
A popular type of hoya, the Hindu rope features trailing stems covered with twisted, succulent leaves. The plants are slow growers, so don’t be alarmed if they stay a similar size for multiple years. You can encourage growth by providing bright, indirect light and keeping the plants slightly rootbound.
Norfolk Pine
Scientific name: Araucaria heterophylla
Light: Bright and indirect, direct
Water: Moderate
Soil: Loose and well-draining
Pine trees aren’t just for winter decor! Add a potted Norfolk pine to your home for a year-round display of soft, green needles.
Orchid
Scientific name: Orchidaceae family
Light: Indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Loose and well-draining
There are hundreds of different orchid species that vary in flower shape, color, and size. Although these plants have distinct appearances and care requirements, they’re all safe for cats!
Parlor Palm
Scientific name: Chamaedorea elegans
Light: Bright to moderate and indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
An excellent palm for plant beginners, parlor palms feature classic palm-shaped leaves with multiple long, slender leaflets. The plants can adapt to low light and cooler temperatures as long as they don’t experience sudden changes.
Peperomia
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peperomia_obtusifolia,_Conservatorio_bot%C3%A1nico,_Fort_Wayne,_Indiana,_Estados_Unidos,_2012-11-12,_DD_01.jpg
Scientific name: Peperomia spp.
Light: Bright and indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Moist and well-draining
All types of peperomias are cat-safe plants including the watermelon peperomia, baby rubber tree, and trailing jade plant. Since these plants vary in size, shape, and color, you can mix and match peperomias until your home is filled with plants.
Prayer Plant
Scientific name: Maranta leuconeura
Light: Bright and indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
Prayer plants get their name from their tendency to fold their leaves up at night and let them down during the day. These plants thrive in high humidity, so consider putting them in a well-lit bathroom or next to a humidifier.
Spider Plant
Scientific name: Chlorophytum comosum
Light: Bright to partial
Water: Moderate
Soil: Well-draining
The spider plant’s softly draped leaves and easy-to-care-for habit make it a popular houseplant. Not only are they popular non-toxic plants for cats, but they’re also one of the best dog-friendly plants. The plants produce plantlets, often known as spiderettes, on their leaf tips. You can remove and replant these tiny plantlets to grow more spider plants.
Staghorn Fern
Credit Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Platycerium_(Staghorn_fern)_(15270880535).jpg
Scientific name: Platycerium bifurcatum
Light: Bright and indirect
Water: Moderate
Soil: Loose and well-draining
The staghorn fern grows as an epiphyte in the wild, meaning it attaches to other plants rather than the soil. At home, you can mount the plant on a piece of wood or plant it in an extra chunky soil mix. The antler-like fronds add a unique look to any room.
Venus Fly Trap
Scientific name: Dionaea muscipula
Light: Bright and direct
Water: Moderate to high
Soil: Rich
One of the most well-known carnivorous plants, the venus trap features specialized leaves that close to capture insects. Although these plants are harmful to flies and ants, they’re non-toxic to cats. However, you may want to keep them out of your pets’ reaches so they don’t touch the sensitive leaves.
Plants Toxic to Cats
Unfortunately, many common houseplants are toxic to cats. If your cats chew on the leaves, they may experience symptoms like vomiting, tremors, and lethargy. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact a veterinarian for advice.
The best way to keep your cats safe is to keep toxic plants out of your home. Here are some plants that are toxic to cats.
- Aloe vera
- Bird of Paradise
- Dieffenbachia
- Hyacinth
- Kalanchoe
- Monstera
- Peace lily
- Poinsettia
- Pothos
- Sago palm
- Snake plant
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Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between your love of plants and your love of pets. Adding cat-friendly plants to your home will add a natural feel to your space while keeping your cats healthy and safe. Ordering plant delivery is an easy way to add a new houseplant to your house or send a plant to a friend. Along with offering pet-friendly plants, we also carry some of the best low-maintenance plants and farm-fresh flower bouquets.
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