Finding indoor plants safe for cats is important if you are keen to keep both plants and your feline friend as healthy as possible. There is nothing worse than worrying that the plants you grow are not cat-safe houseplants, and fearing that your cat may come to harm. Fortunately, there are plenty of cat-friendly plants to consider.
Some cats won’t touch houseplants at all, while others won’t leave them alone. But if there is even a slim chance that your cat will take a nibble of the plants you grow, it is of course very important to make sure that the plants won’t be toxic to your pets.
15 Cat-Friendly Plants That Are Safe for Your Furry Friend
Here is a list of some cat-friendly houseplants to consider growing in your home:
1. Adiantum raddianum – Maidenhair Fern
Maidenhair fern is one of several fern varieties that won’t pose a risk to your cat companion. This type, Adiantum raddianum, is one of the most popular ferns to grow indoors. Note that these ferns can be fussy though, so you will need to position one carefully and make sure that you provide it with the right care.
2. Aspidistra elatior – Cast Iron Plant
Unlike the above, this plant is particularly easy to care for. It is a good choice for even complete beginners as it is relatively unfussy and can cope without much care. Out of direct sun, it will not need much watering and can be a great low-maintenance choice for a cat-friendly home.
3. Calathea orbifolia – Prayer Plant
This plant, known as the prayer plant because of how it folds up its leaves at night like the hands of a praying person, is another cat-safe indoor plant. It has attractive striped leaves and will do well in bright but indirect light in a relatively humid location.
4. Calathea sanderiana – Pin Stripe Plant
Known for its large and stripy leaves, which are green with pale stripes on top and purple underneath, this plant likes a warm spot in bright, indirect light. In a cat-friendly home, it should do well when watered regularly when the top few centimeters of the growing medium are dry and misted every few days in low humidity.
5. Ceropegia woodii – String of Hearts
Named for its heart-shaped foliage, the long stems of this plant look great trailing over the sides of a raised container or hanging basket. It works well in a bright location but one that is out of direct sun.
6. Chamaedorea elegans – Parlour Palm
One of the easiest cat-friendly houseplants, the parlor palm is a great choice for novice and experienced houseplant growers alike. It adds height and impact to any room and is pretty tolerant of neglect though you will need to make sure you water when the potting mix is dry in summer.
7. Chlorophytum comosum – Spider Plant
Spider plants are among the most popular houseplants with good reason. Not only are they very easy to grow – finding a happy home in many different conditions – they are also non-toxic to your pet. These houseplants really can thrive on neglect.
8. Haworthia fasciata – Zebra Plant
If you would like a plant that resembles Aloe vera but is not, like Aloe vera, toxic to cats, then this is one interesting option. Its striped leaves look striking and as long as you are sure you have this plant and not something similar, you can rest assured that your cat will stay safe.
9. Howea forsteriana – Kentia Palm
As popular today as they were in the 19th Century, in Victorian times, these palms are safe for cats and look great in bright but indirect light, adding height to the corner of a room. Make sure you water to keep the medium moist but not waterlogged and your plant should thrive for many years.
10. Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ – Banana Plant
If you really want a large, bold plant to make a statement in your home, why not consider a dwarf banana? These cat-friendly plants will bring an exotic look to your interiors with their large and impressive leaves. Just make sure you give them plenty of light and keep their growing medium moist.
11. Nephrolepsis exaltata – Boston Fern
A great air-purifying plant, Boston ferns are another type of fern that is safe for homes with cats. Somewhat less fussy than maidenhair ferns, these ferns do still need a warm location, out of direct sun, with moist compost and high humidity levels.
11. Pachira aquatica – Money Tree
Storing water in its trunk, this plant is easy to look after as long as you ensure good drainage and don’t water too much. This popular houseplant is also safe for cats, so can be placed in any bright spot out of direct sunlight in your home.
13. Phalaenopsis – Moth Orchids
These exotic blooms are popular to grow indoors, and moth orchids are among the easiest orchids to grow. Fortunately, these favorites are also cat-friendly plants, so you can keep them in a humid room where cats will also roam.
14. Peperomia argyreia – Watermelon Peperomia
With its round leaves with watermelon-like markings, this attractive foliage plant is another possibility for cat lovers. It will thrive in bright but indirect light when misted every few days and is not too difficult to grow.
15. Pilea peperomioides – Chinese Money Plant
Chinese money plant, also known as pancake plant, is another relatively easy and low-maintenance choice. It has round leaves up to around 15cm across and does well in bright light within a home, watered only when the soil dries out.
You should also definitely consider growing herbs and other edible plants indoors. Some herbs, like basil, rosemary, thyme, and parsley, are just fine for cats. But look out for other herbs, like oregano, garlic, chamomile, and sorrel, for example, which can pose a threat to your feline friend.
Though you do have to be careful with cats around, as you can see from the above, there are plenty of cat-safe houseplant options that you can have in your home.
