Nursery Resources & Useful Information
Pets & Plants FAQs
Filling your home with plants is one of the easiest ways to make it feel alive — but if there’s also a cat or dog in the house, it pays to be a little careful about what you bring home and where you put it.
Some popular houseplants can cause anything from mild stomach upset to serious illness if a pet decides to chew on them. The good news is that the genuinely risky plants are a short list, and most problems come down to just two things: choosing safer species in the first place, and keeping them somewhere your pet can’t easily reach. Get both right and everyone in the house — plants included — can happily coexist.
Want to learn more? Check out Plant Runner’s thorough guides for dogs and cats.
Which common houseplants are actually dangerous to dogs and cats?
For dogs, the one to avoid entirely is the Sago Palm. It’s highly toxic and can be fatal even in small amounts.
For cats, the equivalent is true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species), which can cause acute kidney failure.
Beyond those two, a handful of very common houseplants — Pothos, Monstera, Peace Lily, Dieffenbachia and ZZ Plant — contain calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and cause drooling if chewed. It’s uncomfortable rather than life-threatening for most pets, but worth keeping out of reach.
What plants are safer to have around both cats and dogs?
Quite a few plants are safer for pets: Spider Plant, Parlour Palm, Boston Fern, Chinese Money Plant, Cast Iron Plant, Ponytail Palm, Rattlesnake Plant, Bird’s Nest Fern and Staghorn Fern are all considered non-toxic to both cats and dogs.
Keep in mind “safer” isn’t the same as “snackable”. Even these plants can cause mild stomach upset if eaten in real quantity, so it’s still worth discouraging the habit.
Even with safer plants, how should I position them?
Placement solves most of the remaining risk. Go vertical where you can: shelves, hanging planters and plant stands keep temptation out of reach, especially for trailing plants that dangle at pounce height.
For floor plants, a heavier pot (or a lightweight pot slipped inside a weighted cover pot) stops tipping and digging. And before you commit to a new spot, check the light on a bright day; a shelf that’s out of your dog’s reach is no good if it’s also out of the sun’s reach.
What should I do if my pet eats part of a plant?
If your pet shows any signs of distress — vomiting, drooling, lethargy, loss of appetite or difficulty breathing — contact your vet straight away. This FAQ is a helpful starting point, not a substitute for professional advice. The Australian Veterinary Association and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center are both good resources if you need to identify a plant or check its toxicity in the meantime.
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