Lilies are deadly to cats — including pollen and vase water. Has your cat had contact with a lily or another toxic plant? Call your vet immediately.
Cat-Safe Plant Checker
Look up a houseplant, garden plant or cut flower and instantly see whether it's safe, mildly toxic or highly toxic for your cat.
🌿 10 beautiful, 100% cat-safe plants
Prefer worry-free greenery at home? You can pair these ten plants with the most curious nibbling cat without a second thought.
Spectacularly patterned foliage, the safe replacement for alocasia.
Indestructible trailing plant cats can safely nibble on.
Large statement palm, completely safe — an alternative to yucca and dracaena.
Lush and air-purifying, without any risk.
Trendy, easy to propagate and completely cat-safe.
A true fern, safe — note: the 'asparagus fern' is not.
Months of bloom without danger to your cat.
Dozens of safe varieties, compact and decorative.
Folds its leaves in the evening — safe theatre on the windowsill.
The one plant your cat gifts to itself.
Or browse all 154 plants
Toxic plants for cats: what you need to know
Many popular houseplants and cut flowers are toxic to cats. That doesn’t have to be a disaster — most plants cause “only” mouth irritation, drooling or vomiting — but a number of species are life-threatening. Cats nibble on greenery out of boredom or curiosity, and young cats and indoor cats are especially at risk. So check every new plant and every bouquet before it enters your home; searching by the scientific name on the plant label often works best.
Which plants are deadly to cats?
Number one by a mile: the lily (and the daylily). Any contact can cause acute kidney failure — a few bites of leaf, pollen your cat licks off its fur or a sip of vase water is already enough. Other highly dangerous species include yew, oleander, sago palm (cycas), autumn crocus and the bulbs of tulips and daffodils. Has your cat had contact with a lily? Go to the vet right away, even if your cat shows no symptoms (yet): fast treatment saves lives.
Which houseplants are safe for cats?
Luckily there’s plenty of cat-friendly greenery. Safe favourites include the spider plant (Chlorophytum), calathea, areca and kentia palm, Chinese money plant, fern alternatives such as the Boston fern, and of course cat grass and catnip. In the list above you’ll find ten beautiful, 100% cat-safe plants with an explanation of why they’re suitable. Is your cat nibbling on plants a lot? That can point to boredom — in that case also try the boredom meter for an enrichment plan.
Is a monstera toxic to cats?
Yes, mildly to moderately. The monstera (Swiss cheese plant) contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause a burning mouth, drooling and vomiting when nibbled. It’s rarely life-threatening, but still put the plant out of reach or choose a safe alternative. The same goes for many relatives such as philodendron and dieffenbachia.
What should I do if my cat has eaten a toxic plant?
Remove plant remains from the mouth, call your vet immediately and tell them which plant it is — take a leaf, photo or the label with you to the practice. Never make your cat vomit without consulting first. Then immediately check the rest of your home too: with the Can my cat eat this? checker you can see which foods are toxic, and with the feeding planneryou keep the rest of your cat’s health on track.
This information is general and educational and does not replace veterinary advice. Has your cat eaten a (possibly) toxic plant? Always contact your vet immediately.