During the holidays, who does not want a nice poinsettia to celebrate inviting family into your home? If you have a cat, you want to think again about bringing that beautiful red plant into your home because it is toxic to cats. So, let us talk about plants and flowers that are known to be toxic and plants that are not toxic to your cats. A lot of these plants are also toxic or not toxic to other animals so it is a good list to have!
Toxic plants –
Poinsettia, Sago Palm, Amaryllis, Aloë, Oleander, Azalea, Lily, Cyclamen, Tulips, Hyacinth, Widow’s-thrill, Autumn crocus, Chrysanthemum, Daffodil, Philodendron, Asparagus fern, English ivy, Peace lily, Pothos, Dieffenbachia, Jade plant, Yew, Bird of paradise flower, Dracaena, Dumbcane, American Holly, Apricot, and there are so many more that you can look up on the ASPCA site – aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants?field_toxicity_value[0]=02&page=1
Plants that are really great for cats –
Spider plant is easy to grow and a great air purifier
African Violet is easy to grow and prefers low to moderate light, making it easy to care for
Calathea is another great air purifier
Parlor Palm is not toxic to any pets and is a popular houseplant
Radiator Plant is a plant with short leaves and it holds water so it is hard to kill
You can find more good for pets houseplants at planetdesert.com/blogs/news/cat-friendly-plants-top-34-easy-to-care-for-nontoxic-varieties#:~:text=The Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium,worrying about your furry friends.
Another thing to think about is buying and having plants that cats can chew on and eat like – wheat grass, oat grass, barley grass, and you can grow a variety of catnip, some only attract cats once hung and dried.
If you are looking to buy a plant it is always a great idea to google the plant to see if it is toxic or not toxic. I received a plant for free and accepted it without thinking of it being toxic or not, and unfortunately it was a Anthurium andraeanum, which is a toxic plant. I have to keep it outside or in a place I know where my cats will not go. I should have done more research on the plant before accepting it.
So, before you bring in those holiday plants, make sure they are okay for your furry friends and family members!
After roughing it outside the first few months then raising a litter of her own all before she turned one, Babybel is ready to take an early retirement to her forever home! Babybel is a sweet girl and has quite possibly the loudest and most constant purr you’ve ever heard. You are more likely to find her purring than not, no matter what she’s doing – eating, relaxing, playing, you name it. She LOVES attention and pets, but gets scared when picked up. Give her some time to get to know you though and she will be your little shadow! Babybel would do well in a home with or without a kitty playmate (no dogs please!), just as long as there’s a laser toy for her to play with!