15 Cat Friendly Flowers & Herbs You Can Safely Grow in Your Home
So, you have a feline friend in your house and you want to keep your space beautiful while making sure it's safe for your cat. You may have done some research on your own to discover which plants are safe for your cat and which are not. You will find plenty of suggestions that lead you towards ferns, vines, succulents, and cacti. Generally speaking, these plant families are the safest bets but you don't have to sacrifice your colorful flowers to keep your cat safe. You simply need to know which ones to keep around.
The Problem
If you own a pet, I don't even need to tell you this: Pets are incorrigibly curious and will look for trouble high and low. My cat, for instance, loves wires. My solution was to cover all of the wires in my home by taping them down to the floors and walls. It turns out, my cat loves to eat tape just as much as he loves to eat wires.
Simply keeping things out of sight or out of reach doesn't always stop a determined animal (I know).
What's The Risk?
Having a cat that likes to chew wires and push glasses off of counter tops may be very frustrating, but it's not necessarily dangerous for them.
When it comes to plants, however, the risks can be much more serious. When a cat eats a toxic plant, they can exhibit all kinds of symptoms including lethargy, loss of appetite, dehydration, and vomiting among other things (See a more complete list here).
Most often, your cat will be able to naturally work through a plant poisoning in 1-3 days, albeit not pleasantly. In more severe cases, or in cases that go on for more than 24 hours without signs of improvement, it is advised to call a veterinarian, especially because there is a chance your cat may have gotten into something more serious than a houseplant. Many of the same poisoning symptoms can be a result of ingesting or inhaling fumes from household chemicals and cleaners.
Plants To Avoid
Though many cat-toxic plants will do little more than upset their stomach for a day, there are a few plants that are severely toxic to cat and should be avoided in the house altogether.
Azalea
Birds of Paradise
Tulips
Daffodils
Hyacinth
Iris
Lavender
Lilies
Poinsettia
Oleander
Narcissus
Wisteria
The worst offenders on the list are tulips and lilies, both notorious for making cats sick. You also have to remember, during the holidays, that poinsettias can be toxic to your pets too.
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**Article updated April 2, 2021; please contact us at info@ferrymorse.com with any questions and/or concerns regarding this information.