Cats are amazing pets to have in the house, but if you have house plants, the two can potentially be a deadly combination. A lot of plants are toxic if cats eat them, so if you want to grow plants indoors and you are a cat owner, it is imperative that you know which plants are safe and which can be dangerous.
Popular plants like azaleas, buckwheat, true aloe, tiger lilies, tomato plants, mums, lavender, and irises are all on the toxic list for cats. But these are just a few of the hundreds of dangerous plants that could cause harm to your sweet kitty. Luckily, there are even more plants on the non-toxic list, so, there are a plethora of options if you want to grow plants indoors with a cat in the house.
Of course, it isn’t a good thing to just let your cats eat your houseplants anytime they want. Even non-toxic plants can cause an upset stomach or vomiting if your cat eats too much. But, having cat-friendly plants in your home is a must, just in case your fur baby decides to take a bite.
The following plants are a safe bet for your indoor collection, but if you want to get more ideas, the ASPCA has an extensive database that you can search through.
Spider Plant
This popular plant is low maintenance, cat-friendly, grows incredibly fast, and they even have the ability to clean the air, according to NASA. These plants require their fair share of water, but you also want to give them a chance to dry out between waterings.
Even if you don’t have the best track record of keeping plants alive, you will have a good shot with a spider plant since they do well in most temperatures and light conditions. Which means they will be fine no matter where you put them in your home.
Peperomia
One of the easiest houseplants to grow, peperomia don’t need a lot of room to make a big impact, especially when you choose to plant them in a colorful container. There are many different varieties of peperomia, with numerous colors and textures, so you can create a beautiful display by growing them together.
Bamboo Palm
Another air-purifying plant, the bamboo palm is also easy to grow indoors, and they do not take a lot of time or effort to care for. You need to make sure that you don’t overwater this plant or leave it sitting in water, instead just use enough room temperature water to make sure the soil is evenly moist.
These plants, however, are not the best for small spaces, since they can grow as high as 12 feet tall with a width of up to five feet.
African Violet
This ever-blooming flower is a perfect choice for cat lovers. It is best to keep the African Violet in a warm location in your home near a window that gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day — and that usually means a window with western or southern exposure.
You also want to make sure that you rotate them a quarter turn every time you water them, so the plant gets even sunlight on all sides.
Boston Fern
Not all ferns are safe for your cat, but if you have your heart set on having a fern in your home, then the Boston Fern is a great choice. This type of fern is non-toxic for cats, but knowing how to take care of it is essential to keeping it healthy.
The best place to put a Boston Fern is in a cooler room with high humidity and indirect light. Because of this, some suggest hanging this plant in the bathroom, which is the one room in your home that has the right conditions to keep this plant low maintenance.
Ponytail Palm
This unique-looking plant is easy to grow and loves neglect. As long as you don’t overwater them, a ponytail palm will live a long time in your home with leaves up to three-feet long. For most of the year, keep this plant in normal room temperature, but keep it a bit cooler during the winter months. Also, during winter, make sure to keep this plant away from cold windows at night time because freezing temperatures can severely damage them.
Echeveria
A type of succulent plant, which means they don’t need much water, the echeveria is a wonderful cat-friendly option. In addition to being drought-tolerant, they are also okay with extreme temperatures. However, they do need plenty of light.
The echeveria comes in many different colors and sizes, and you can cut off their offshoots and grow a new plant with the clippings.
Phalaenopsis Orchids
In addition to being safe for cats, phalaenopsis orchids are also edible for humans, too.
These flowers are a true work of art, and they are surprisingly easy to care for. It’s best to keep them in even temperatures — away from an air conditioner or heater — and keep them in bright light (but not directly in the hot sun). You also want to make sure to water these orchids thoroughly and be sure the water completely drains out.
Lipstick Plant
These cute, unique houseplants are safe for a cat-loving home. Known for their shiny foliage and beautiful flowers, the name comes from the flower buds looking like a tube of lipstick because they peek out of dark-colored tubes.
A lipstick plant is a great choice for adding some color to any brightly-lit room, and you can enjoy them year-round.
Prayer Plant
Another houseplant that is easy to grow, the prayer plant got its name because it closes its leaves at night. Often grown in hanging baskets, the prayer plant is a slow-grower that can also grow horizontally along a tabletop or other surface.
Most types of this plant have foliage with different colors, and if you are nice to them, they will grow tiny flowers.
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