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 cat-safe plants
Prefer worry-free greenery at home? These plants appear on the non-toxic lists of veterinary sources such as the ASPCA — a nibble might at most cause an innocent little vomit, as with any plant.
Spectacularly patterned foliage, the safe replacement for alocasia.
Indestructible trailing plant cats can safely nibble on.
Large statement palm, safe — an alternative to yucca and dracaena.
Lush and air-purifying, and safe for nibblers.
Trendy, easy to propagate and cat-safe.
A true fern, safe — note: the 'asparagus fern' is not.
Months of bloom, cat-safe on the windowsill.
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 cat-safe plants — found on the non-toxic lists of veterinary sources such as the ASPCA — 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 planner you keep the rest of your cat’s health on track.
How this list is put together
The plant list is compiled and written by the Kattenkamer editorial team, based on public toxicity lists from veterinary sources — first and foremost the ASPCA plant list for cats. Every plant is listed with both its common and its scientific name — and that matters, because common names overlap: a “lily” can be a true Lilium (life-threatening to cats) or a namesake that isn’t. We use three verdicts: safe, mildly toxic (usually vomiting or drooling) and highly toxic (go to the vet straight away), and for the toxic ones we name the symptoms to watch for.
It remains general guidance: how much a cat swallows and how it reacts differs per animal. Unsure about a plant that isn’t listed, or think a verdict is wrong? Email info@kattenkamer.nl — we are happy to extend the list. More about who we are and how we work is on the about page.
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.
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