Plants Toxic to Cats

After yesterday's post about houseplants, my aunt pointed out that some plants are poisonous to pets. So I did a little research to find out which plants to stay away from. I visited many websites, and this one had one of the most extensive lists of plants that can be toxic to cats.

Yeah, it's pretty much every plant in existence.

These are the plants from yesterday's list of 15 Air Purifying Houseplants that can be toxic if ingested by cats or dogs:

• Heartleaf philodendron
• Dracaena (of any variety)
• English ivy
• Weeping fig
• Golden pothos
• Peace lily
• Chinese evergreen
• Snake plant

So, are you supposed to go plantless in your home? Of course not. (That's plantless, not pantless - of course you are welcome to go pantless - it's your home!) 

Dracaena marginata
My cats cannot lay off this one.

Apartment Therapy has a list of 10 beautiful houseplants that are safe for cats (and dogs and kids, too, I'm assuming). Do think twice about bringing an orchid into your home if you have cats, though. Maybe it's just my cats, but they love to pick all the flowers off of orchids. And aren't the flowers kind of the whole point of orchids?

The ASPCA also has an option to search non-toxic plants as well as a list of the 17 most toxic plants to pets (three from yesterday's post made the list: Peace lily, Pothos, and English ivy).

If you want the air-purifying power of the 15 plants listed yesterday, but you're worried about your dog or cat eating the plant, this website offers some advice for preventing your cat from eating your houseplants in the first place, as well as tips for keeping your pets from digging in the potted plants (I have had plants ruined this way when our cats were kittens).

You can also try to put your plants in places that your pet can't reach…

Emphasis on 'try'.

Like I said, they can't lay off it.

I hope this is helpful when picking out plants for your home!