Pet-Safe Houseplants for Cats and Dogs: How to Choose

The quickest way to know whether a houseplant is safe around your cat or dog is to look up its scientific name in the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plants database and read the listing for your animal. Several easy houseplants are listed there as non-toxic to both dogs and cats, including spider plant, cast iron plant, parlor palm, Boston fern, moth orchid, baby rubber plant, zebra haworthia and Christmas cactus. Many popular ones are listed as toxic, among them pothos, Monstera, philodendron, peace lily, snake plant, aloe and jade plant. Lilies are a particular danger to cats. "Non-toxic" doesn't mean harmless, either: the ASPCA notes that eating any plant material can cause vomiting and stomach upset.

If a pet chews a plant, contact your vet or an animal poison control service.

How to check any plant in two minutes

Find the scientific name. Check the plant tag or the seller's label. Common names overlap. On the ASPCA's pages, "mother-in-law's tongue" is the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), while "mother-in-law plant" is listed as another name for kalanchoe. The ASPCA also lists Monstera under "cutleaf philodendron", one of its many common names.
Search the ASPCA database. It holds more than 1,000 entries and can be filtered by dogs, cats and horses. Confirm that the page you land on names your plant and its scientific name.
Read the verdict for your animal. Toxicity often varies by animal as well as by plant (University of Vermont Extension). The Easter lily, for example, is listed as toxic to cats but non-toxic to dogs.
Not listed? Don't assume it's safe. The ASPCA says its list is not all-inclusive: it covers the plants it encounters most often. Ask your vet before bringing an unlisted plant into a home with pets.
If sources disagree, treat the plant as uncertain. When two reliable sources give different verdicts for your animal, choose another plant or ask your vet. Check what a warning refers to as well: some plant databases describe risks to people, such as skin irritation or eating a part of the plant, rather than risks to pets.

ASPCA listings can be revised, so look up any plant again before you buy.

"Non-toxic" doesn't mean "eat freely"

A non-toxic listing means a plant isn't known to cause poisoning. It doesn't make the plant food. The ASPCA states that eating any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats. Vomiting is one of the most common signs of plant poisoning in both species (UVM Extension), so a pet that has been sick after chewing a "safe" plant still deserves a call to your vet if you're worried. Non-toxic also doesn't mean edible. Our guide to whether orchids are edible explains that difference for orchids.

Toxicity differs by animal, and lilies are a special danger to cats

Some plants affect cats very differently from dogs. True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are the clearest example. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists Easter, tiger, stargazer, Asiatic and Oriental lilies among those that can cause kidney failure in cats. The whole plant is toxic, including the pollen and the water in the vase. The FDA says a small bite of leaf or petal, a few pollen grains licked off the fur, or a drink of vase water can be enough. Early signs such as vomiting, drooling, lethargy and loss of appetite can appear within hours. The FDA notes that if treatment is delayed by 18 hours or more, the kidney damage is usually irreversible. Its advice is not to bring these lilies into a home with cats.

Not every plant called a lily is a true lily. Peace lilies and calla lilies don't cause kidney failure, but they contain calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and throat (FDA).

Common houseplants to keep out of reach or skip

The plants below are all listed as toxic on their individual ASPCA pages. Several popular foliage plants share the same mechanism. Pothos, Monstera, philodendron, peace lily and dieffenbachia are aroids that contain insoluble calcium oxalates. These cause intense burning and irritation of the mouth, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. University of Illinois Extension also names schefflera (umbrella tree) as a calcium oxalate plant. It singles out the sago palm: every part is toxic, the seeds carry the highest concentration, and the toxin can cause seizures and liver failure.

Plant (ASPCA page)	Scientific name on ASPCA	Listed as toxic to	Signs the ASPCA lists
Golden pothos	Epipremnum aureum	Dogs, cats	Oral irritation, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Monstera (ASPCA: cutleaf philodendron)	Monstera deliciosa	Dogs, cats	Oral irritation, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Heartleaf philodendron	Philodendron hederaceum	Dogs, cats, horses	Oral pain and swelling, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Peace lily	Spathiphyllum	Dogs, cats	Oral irritation, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Dieffenbachia (dumb cane)	Dieffenbachia	Dogs, cats	Oral irritation, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Snake plant (ASPCA: mother-in-law's tongue)	Sansevieria trifasciata	Dogs, cats	Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea
Aloe	Aloe vera	Dogs, cats, horses	Vomiting, lethargy, diarrhoea
Jade plant	Crassula argentea	Dogs, cats, horses	Vomiting, depression, incoordination
Kalanchoe	Kalanchoe spp.	Dogs, cats	Vomiting, diarrhoea, abnormal heart rhythm (rare)
Amaryllis	Amaryllis spp.	Dogs, cats, horses	Vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, drooling, tremors
Sago palm	Cycas revoluta	Dogs, cats, horses	Vomiting, bloody gastroenteritis, bruising, liver failure, death
Easter lily	Lilium longiflorum	Cats (listed non-toxic to dogs)	Vomiting, lethargy, kidney failure; death possible

For more on individual plants, see are pothos toxic to dogs?, are Monsteras toxic to cats?, are orchids poisonous? and the safety section of Monstera plant benefits.

Lower-risk choices by light level

Each plant below has an individual ASPCA page listing it as non-toxic to both dogs and cats. The light notes come from each plant's NC State Extension Plant Toolbox entry. Match the plant to the light you actually have, because a struggling plant is not a good buy, pet-safe or not. Our light guides for Monstera and pothos explain how to judge a spot by its window and distance.

Plant (ASPCA page)	Scientific name	Light group	Light notes (NC State)
Cast iron plant	Aspidistra elatior	Lower light	Prefers partial to full shade; intolerant of direct sun; suited to low-light spots indoors
Spider plant	Chlorophytum comosum	Lower light	Prefers medium light, tolerates deep shade; intolerant of direct sun
Parlor palm	Chamaedorea elegans	Lower light	Bright indirect light, tolerates low light; a north- or east-facing window suits it
Moth orchid	Phalaenopsis sp.	Lower light	Prefers low light; an east windowsill is the best spot indoors
Baby rubber plant	Peperomia obtusifolia	Bright, indirect	Prefers bright indirect light; tolerates low light for months; strong direct sun burns leaves
Boston fern	Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis'	Bright, indirect	Bright, indirect light; needs high humidity and soil that never dries out
Zebra haworthia	Haworthia fasciata (now Haworthiopsis fasciata)	Bright, indirect	Prefers bright indirect light; somewhat tolerant of low light
Christmas cactus	Schlumbergera bridgesii	Bright, indirect	Bright, indirect light; intolerant of direct sun

The ASPCA also lists the African violet (Saintpaulia) and the plant it calls prayer plant (listed as Calathea insignis, with "maranta" among its common names) as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Because common names are shared, check the scientific name on the tag before relying on that listing. NC State notes that the parlor palm's fruit juice may irritate skin, but says the plant is not hazardous for pets.

Placement for plants you keep

If you already own a plant listed as toxic, UVM Extension's advice is to move it somewhere your pet can't reach. Practical steps:

Check a plant's listing before you buy it, not after it's home (UVM Extension).
Keep plants listed as toxic in rooms or spots your pet genuinely cannot get to.
Pick up fallen leaves, flowers and seeds from plants listed as toxic. With the sago palm, every part is toxic and the seeds carry the highest concentration of toxin (Illinois Extension).
Leave true lilies and daylilies out of homes with cats, including cut-flower bouquets, because pollen and vase water are toxic too (FDA).
Keep the plant's tag or a photo of it. If your pet ever chews it, the FDA suggests bringing the plant or a photo to the vet so it can be identified.

Each of our plant profiles includes a pet-safety field with its source.

If your pet chews a plant: what to do and who to call

If a pet chews a plant, contact your vet or an animal poison control service. The ASPCA advises contacting your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which answers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply (ASPCA).

Say which plant it was. Illinois Extension stresses telling the vet what plant you believe your pet ate. The FDA suggests bringing the plant, or a photo of it, to help identify it.
Don't wait for symptoms if a cat may have touched a lily. The FDA advises calling a vet or pet poison control centre immediately, because delays affect the outcome.
Note what you've seen, such as vomiting or drooling, and roughly when your pet was near the plant.

Frequently asked questions

Are spider plants safe for cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) as non-toxic to dogs and cats, and University of Vermont Extension gives it as an example of a non-toxic plant. As with any plant, eating it can still cause vomiting or mild stomach upset.

Is a snake plant toxic to pets?

Yes. The ASPCA lists the snake plant, under the name mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata), as toxic to dogs and cats. It contains saponins, and the listed signs are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Are all lilies dangerous to cats?

True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are the dangerous group: the FDA warns they can cause fatal kidney failure in cats, even from pollen or vase water. Peace lilies and calla lilies are not true lilies. They don't cause kidney failure, but they do irritate the mouth and throat. Contact a vet immediately if a cat is exposed to a true lily.

My plant isn't in the ASPCA database. Does that mean it's safe?

No. The ASPCA says its list is not all-inclusive and covers the plants it encounters most often. Treat an unlisted plant as unknown and ask your vet before keeping it where pets can reach.

Is pothos safe if my pet only chews a leaf?

The ASPCA lists golden pothos as toxic to dogs and cats. Its insoluble calcium oxalates can cause intense mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. If a pet chews a plant, contact your vet or an animal poison control service.

Does it cost money to call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center?

It may. The ASPCA says a consultation fee may apply. The line, (888) 426-4435, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your own vet is the other first call.

Pet-Safe Houseplants: How to Choose Plants When You Have Cats or Dogs