Urban Jungle: Which Plants Are Toxic to Cats

Green Living: Which Plants Are Toxic to Cats – and How We Can Still Live Green

As cat owners, we know that almost nothing is safe from young house tigers. Almost everything gets poked, tested, scratched, or nibbled. Cats love to explore their surroundings fully – with claws, noses, eyes, and teeth – because, after all, we're really just keeping a mini version of tigers at home. Naturally, plants are especially popular with indoor cats. The green, the leaves, the rustling… a palm like that is almost irresistible to our kittens! Cats' proverbial curiosity even made it into a well-known English saying: "Curiosity killed the cat!" In other words – sometimes our beloved pets' love of discovery can even become dangerous. Unfortunately, that also applies to our jungle at home – because many plants are toxic or even deadly to cats. So it never has to come to that, we at LucyBalu have put together a short guide for all our cat owners (and those who want to become one) about the most popular plants in stylish homes. We'll now explain which of them might be dangerous for our velvet paws, and what great alternatives are out there.

Sounds simply wonderful at first – a little jungle right in your own home. Tastefully matched to colors, fabrics, and furniture, we can hardly imagine anything cooler than styling our own four walls with lots of greenery to make them extra cozy. You can lose yourself for hours in trends and new arrivals, and trendy little labels offer exotic plants delivered right to your door. Plants improve the indoor climate, are an eye-catcher, and soothe many a stressed-out city dweller. No wonder houseplants are so much more than mere space-fillers.

Trendy plants – which ones are off-limits for cats?

For cats, plants are more than just decoration or a toy substitute. Outdoor cats regularly eat grass – this completely natural behavior is meant to cleanse the digestive tract and is well known. And of course, it doesn't stop at grass. Many things get bitten and tested. In the wild, cats actually have an excellent nose for plants that are safe and non-toxic. But we owners need to know that indoor cats sometimes can't recognize which plants in their own home are toxic to them – for example, because they're exotic species. Then this completely natural, instinctive behavior can often land on the wrong plant. Any boredom or lack of stimulation in the home only strengthens this urge – so a trendy plant at home could potentially end up being fatal for our cats.

Unfortunately, some of today's trendiest plants are extremely toxic to our cats. These include popular classics like the Monstera, orchids, pothos, or the lovely snake plant. Palm varieties such as yucca or holly, as well as the dragon tree, are also highly toxic. Less toxic, but still dangerous, are unfortunately also the calla lily, the mandevilla, and the weeping fig.

Succulent lovers also need to brace themselves now – aloe vera, cacti, or agaves can harm our cats and should therefore be kept out of reach – an almost impossible task with house tigers eager to explore.
The holiday season is tricky too – hellebores, mistletoe, and especially poinsettias are an absolute no-go for cats.

Extra caution is needed with certain cut flowers

Cats find anything new especially exciting – and that includes fresh cut flowers. Indoor-only cats rely on stimulation from outside, so a bouquet of flowers must be inspected immediately upon arrival. New scents and colors make cats' hearts race and tempt them to nibble and bite. So extra caution is needed here on our part; unfortunately, daffodils, chrysanthemums, tulips, or lilies can in some cases be deadly toxic.

No need to panic!

Reading this list, you might feel a bit of despair for a moment – is that the end of our Urban Jungle dream? Absolutely not! First of all – if you've so far lived with a cat that's completely uninterested in plants, you don't need to get rid of your beloved philodendron or aloe right away. What matters is staying alert and knowing that poisoning could indeed occur.

It's also crucial to offer your cats variety and plenty of different, rotating toys. A cat-friendly, varied layout of your home also means your house tiger will prefer the climbing wall to the palm tree. There are many ways to give even purely indoor cats a truly species-appropriate and exciting life with excellent cat accessories. And if you occasionally change things up and introduce new stimuli, you won't recognize your once-lazy couch cat anymore.
Do you have a single cat that still seems bored despite everything? Then a second cat might be the best solution.

In the second part of our Green Living series, we'll tell you which plants are safe and how you can design your dream Urban Jungle.

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