This is a reprint. The original blog post can be seen on the Life's Abundance blog here.

We love houseplants but some pets do too. Having plants in your home is a great way to add beauty, keep your air clean and boost your overall mood. However, you have to be careful when choosing houseplants when you have pets. Some houseplants are toxic and can even cause life-threatening health problems for your pet. 

So, which pets are dog or cat friendly? No worries because we’ve compiled a list of pet-friendly plants that are safe if you have dogs, cats, or both. 

Pet-Friendly Houseplants

African Violets

African violets can add touches of vivid color to any part of your home. These flowering plants can thrive in low light and don’t require a lot of care in order to grow, so they’re a great option if you’re not used to having plants around. Since they’re non-toxic, you also don’t have to worry about curious dogs or cats chewing on them. However, it doesn’t hurt to distract playful pets with healthier items to chew, such as our nutritious dog treats or cat treats.

Boston Ferns

Boston ferns can add some bright greenery to your home with their long, shaggy leaves. They do like humidity and some light, but they don’t need direct sunlight. Since their long fronds might become chew toys for dogs or cats, you might want to consider keeping these ferns in an out of the way spot that your pets don’t frequent, such as bathrooms or a guest bedroom.

Bromeliads

Bromeliads are beautiful plants with hardy leaves. These flowering plants can make any room more inviting.You will want to keep them in an area that gets bright light and some humidity. In addition to being safe for dogs and cats, one of the other perks of bromeliads is that you can grow them on logs rather than in soil, making them a good option if you have cats that might dig in potted soil.

Friendship Plant

If you’re looking for a small plant that’s easy to care for, consider friendship plants. These plants have fuzzy leaves and normally won’t grow taller than a foot high. You can keep these plants on counters, shelves, or other surfaces in more humid areas of your home, but make sure they have low or medium light. You can also set up a terrarium to keep friendship plants out of reach of pet claws and teeth.

Maidenhair Ferns

Maidenhair ferns are a bit more challenging to care for than Boston ferns. If you decide to get these non-toxic, pet friendly plants, just make sure to give them plenty of water and some bright light. These ferns have long, delicate leaves with a feathery shape, so they might catch the eye of your cats. Having healthy cat treats around might lower the risk of having your cats paw at or chew on maidenhair fern fronds.

Polka Dot Plants

Polka dot plants are another colorful houseplant you can enjoy without fearing for your pet’s safety. These plants have wide leaves with a spotted or speckled appearance, giving them a visually interesting look. Keep these plants in bright light rather than low light to deepen their coloring, or they’ll end up with a more muted look. If you’re going to get polka dot plants, plan on replacing them from time to time. While your pets might leave them alone, these houseplants usually don’t have a long lifespan.

 Spider Plants

Spider plants (or chlorophytum) are among the most common plants that are safe for both dogs and cats. You can decorate shelves or window sills with potted spider plants or place a few hanging ones near windows. These plants are easy to grow if you don’t have a green thumb. They just need a bit of water every so often, indirect light, and some pruning so their leaves don’t get too long. In fact, cutting back the leaves regularly might help prevent pets from playing with them or chewing on them. ** If you have cats, we suggest keeping these higher up and out of reach from cats. 

 Succulents

Succulent plants are ideal houseplants if you usually forget to water plants. However, some succulents, such as jade and aloe, are toxic to pets when ingested. Safe succulents that won’t hurt dogs or cats include echeveria and haworthia. These plants just need to be kept in areas with bright light and watered about once a week in order to thrive.

Houseplants That Are Toxic To Pets:

Now that you know several plants that are safe for pets, there are some you should immediately remove from your home if you have them. Ingesting any of these plants can lead to serious health problems for your pets and require a visit to the nearest animal hospital. The following are common houseplants known for being toxic to pets:

• Asparagus fern
• Caladium (elephant’s ear)
• Jade
• Lilies
• Pothos
• Sago palms

When you're a pet parent, it's important to be thorough and protect your furry friend in every way that you can when they're at home. Double-checking your houseplants is just one more way you can ensure your pet's safety!

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