Safety note: PawPlants is for general plant safety education only. If your pet ate a plant or is acting sick, contact your veterinarian, ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.
Start with pet-safe placement
A free printable pet-safe plant checklist for safer houseplant shopping. Print or save as PDF from your browser.
Even plants commonly listed as pet-safer should not be treated as pet food. Use smart placement, sturdy pots, and supervised access if your cat or dog chews, digs, or knocks over containers.
Safer plant ideas to compare
- Spider Plant — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Boston Fern — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Parlor Palm — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Areca Palm — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Calathea — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Prayer Plant — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Peperomia — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- African Violet — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Orchid — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
- Ponytail Palm — generally better choice for many pet homes, but still not pet food Safer
Emergency signs to watch for
Do not wait for multiple symptoms to appear. A single sign — especially after a known exposure to a toxic plant — is reason to call a veterinarian immediately.
Repeated vomiting or drooling
Weakness or collapse
Tremors or seizures
Trouble breathing
Pawing at the mouth
Not eating or unusual lethargy
Changes in thirst or urination
Related PawPlants guides
Use these guides to plan a pet-conscious plant setup before bringing a new plant home.