Non-toxic indoor plants for cats

Some cats like to nibble on our houseplants. This is simply their natural behavior. You can let them play undisturbed on these 19 non-toxic indoor plants.

Plant varieties

Cats or houseplants?

Many cat owners see this question as an inevitable dilemma as they are concerned that their cat could poison themselves with a houseplant. The latter is true, but cat owners don't have to get into a dilemma. Because there are many beautiful indoor plants that are non-toxic for cats and that please the heart and eye of the plant lover. Plants that are non-toxic to cats can be divided into different groups. The following groups do not correspond in all cases to the botanical classification. The selection should be more of a help for the purchase or be the keeping of house plants.

• all basket marants (Calathea)
• different palms
• different ferns
• various thick leaves
• flowering house plants
• Room fir

Cyprus grass (cat grass)

If you are offered a houseplant as a gift, ask for the exact name and find out if the plant is non-toxic to your cat. Also, if you want to buy a houseplant, ask specifically about its toxicity to cats. Because some plants are non-toxic to humans, but can cause poisoning in cats.

Tip: With some houseplants, only parts of the plant, for example only the flowers or the seeds, are poisonous for cats. There is no evidence of poison in the leaves or branches of the coffee tree. However, a slightly toxic effect is ascribed to the seeds.

Basket margin

Basket marants (Calathea) belong to the arrowroot family (Marantaceae). The genus with around 300 species fascinates with its two-colored leaves. In some types of plants, the upper side of the leaves is also structured. For cat lovers, basket marants are the ideal houseplants, as all species are non-toxic to humans and animals. However, Korbmaranten make some demands on the location and maintenance. The Calathea prefers a semi-bright location. Since it cannot withstand direct sunlight, it should be protected from the midday sun. Since they are tropical resp. If it comes from subtropical regions, it also needs high humidity (70 to 80 percent). She also doesn't like cold feet.

Tip: Some species of the Calathea also thrive in a shady location.

Palm trees

Palms are probably the houseplants that bring the most exotic to our living room. From a botanical point of view, palms are part of the Arecaceae family. About 2,600 species belong to it. The following are suitable indoor plants for plant and cat lovers.

• Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)
• Kentia palm (Howea)
• Date palm (Phoenix)

Coconut palm

Since the coconut palm is at home in the tropics, keeping it as a houseplant is not that easy, because the tropical climate must also be offered to it in the living room. The two varieties of the Kentia palm are much easier to care for. It is considered a long-lived, robust indoor palm that needs a light to partially shaded location. Phoenix palms, while non-toxic to cats, are not very suitable as indoor palms. If they are kept purely as indoor plants, their palm life is usually short-lived.

Tip: The coconut palm has very sharp-edged leaves. If the cat eats copious amounts of the palm, this can damage the lining of the stomach.

Mountain palm

The mountain palm is also classified as non-toxic for cats, as no poisoning is known to date. However, the airy fronds of the mountain palm invite the cat to play and nibble. And the palm cannot take that.

Cat lovers should be careful with "palm trees" which botanically do not belong to the Arecaceae family, including indoor plants like the Yucca palm, the Madagascar palm and cycads. Because these are poisonous for cats. On the other hand, this is unthinkable for cats Cobbler palm (Aspidistra) from the asparagus family (Asparagaceae).

Ferns

From a botanical point of view, varieties from the class of the real ferns are non-toxic for cats. Ferns are found all over the world and, depending on the variety, have different care requirements. The following ferns are suitable for the cat household.

• Maidenhair fern (Adiantum)
• Striped Fern (Asplenium)
• Antler fern (Platycerium)
• Shield fern (Polystichum falcatum)
• Sword fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
• Border fern (Pteridaceae)

The sword fern is one of the most decorative houseplants. He prefers a light, partially shaded spot. Otherwise he does not make high demands on the care. Striped or shield ferns are also very easy to care for. The maidenhair fern, on the other hand, is a diva with numerous special requirements in terms of location and care. The antler fern needs special care. However, it is also suitable for beginners. When it comes to care, the hem fern is classified as moderate.

Tip: Many ferns need a light or partially shaded location. They also want a high level of humidity.

Thick leaves

The best-known representative of the genus thick leaf (Crassula) is the Money tree (Crassula ovata), which is not dangerous to cats. That's why the easy-care lucky charm fits perfectly into a household with cats. However, not all types of thick leaf are safe for cats, some varieties are classified as poisonous. Crassula ovata prefers a light spot. The pfennig tree does not tolerate a location with little light. The money tree is insensitive to drought.

Houseplants

Blooming house plants

Flowering indoor plants are wonderful eye-catchers in the plant corner. With their bright flowers they shine at us and immediately spread a good mood. The following flowering houseplants can be kept in the household without the risk of poisoning for the cat.

• Losbaum
• Slipper flower
• Slate plate
• Mallow
• Shame flower
• Tapir flower
• Room hibiscus

Losbaum

In the Losbaum (Clerodendrum tomsoniae), deep red flowers peek out from white, bell-shaped calyxes. They are a wonderful contrast to the dark green leaves of the plants. The shrub's tendrils can become very long and should be pulled up on a trellis. The houseplant, which is non-toxic for cats, needs a bright location, but must be protected from direct, strong sunlight in summer.

Slipper flower

Slipper flowers (Calceolaria) are annual plants whose hybrid varieties can also be cultivated as indoor plants. Even if their lifespan is short, they bring nice splashes of color to the plant corner. The easy-care slipper flower needs a light to sunny, airy place. However, she doesn't like direct drafts.

Pubic flowers

Different varieties of shame flowers (Aeschynanthus) are often cultivated as ornamental and indoor plants because of their extraordinary flowers. Although they are not easy to care for, they are non-toxic for cats. The pubic flower needs a high level of humidity and must be protected from the blazing sun.

Slate plate

Schiefteller, botanically Achimenes, have small plate-shaped flowers. Neither the numerous flowers nor the leaves are dangerous for cats. Of the around 25 varieties, some hybrid breeds are also offered as indoor plants. The Zimmer-Schiefteller is best cultivated at an east or west window, as it cannot stand the direct midday sun. Drafts also damage the plant. Schiefteller need it warm all year round. During hibernation, the plant needs little light, which is why it also thrives in locations that are too dark for many indoor plants.

Mallow

The room maple or beautiful mallow (Abutilon) is an easy-care, evergreen shrub that is an eye-catcher in every corner of the plant with its bell-shaped flowers. The often colorful foliage of the china lantern, like the entire plant, is non-toxic to cats. Mallow trees prefer a bright, sunny location. However, the indoor plants cannot tolerate the blazing midday sun.

Tapir flower

With their orange resp. Salmon-colored flower spikes, the tapir flower (Crossandra) joins the list of non-toxic indoor plants for cats. It grows as a shrub-like bush with shiny leaves and makes no special demands on care. In order to thrive, Crossandra needs a bright location.

Room hibiscus

The indoor hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), which is a popular houseplant with us because of its beautiful flowers, is one of the easy-care plants, but makes demands on the location. So he cannot stand the blazing midday sun. The ideal location for indoor hibiscus is a spot with morning or evening sun.

Room fir

The room fir, also called Norfolk fir or monkey tree, is the only variety of the genus Araucaria (araucaria) that can be cultivated as a house plant. It has dense, frond-like branches and is non-toxic to cats. Your care needs are rated as easy to moderate. Room firs do not tolerate a location in full sun. They prefer light to partially shaded locations.

Cyprus grass

Untreated species of Cyprus grass (cyperus involucratus) are often sold as cat grass in pet shops because they are non-toxic to cats. However, depending on the variety, Cyprus grass can have extremely sharp edges. Some of the edges are also barbed. Both can injure the cat while eating. Therefore, when buying cat grass, you should pay attention to the nature of the stalks. In order for syphilis to develop new shoots, it needs a location with direct sunlight that is also easily accessible for the cat.

Cats and plants

It is not entirely clear why some cats actually enjoy indoor plants. However, there are various attempts at explanation.

• Stomach cleansing
• boredom
• Play instinct and curiosity (especially in young cats)

So that your cat (maybe) stays away from indoor plants, offer them alternatives, such as a scratching post with hiding places or toys to keep boredom away. You can also try educational measures to keep the cat away from indoor plants. However, cat lovers know that this is a seemingly impossible task.

Tip: If your cat is not yet interested in indoor plants, keep an eye on the cat and plants (nibbling tracks). Because cats can change their behavior even after years.

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Hazards from non-toxic plants

Even if the houseplant does not cause poisoning in cats, some plants pose a danger to cats.

There is a risk of injury to plants with:

• sharp or angular leaf margins
• Spines or thorns

fertilizer

Fertilizer is good for plants, but not necessarily for cats. In principle, solid fertilizers (granules) or chopsticks should not be used in cat households. They can be seen as fun toys by the cat. When using liquid fertilizer, it should be noted that cats do not drink the irrigation water with the liquid fertilizer.

• Keep cats away from watering cans with liquid fertilizer
• Remove watering water in coasters 30 minutes after watering

Note: Since every cat reacts differently to the ingestion of plants, we cannot guarantee that the plants mentioned will not cause any symptoms of illness. The information relates to adult, healthy cats. These plants, which are non-toxic to cats, can also have health effects in old or sick cats.