Opinions on having plants around

[alysker]

Hey!
I was wondering what people's opinions are on having plants that might be poisonous in your house when you have cats.
Personally I've never had cats that were interested in plants so I don't know how to feel about it.
I have a few plants that are in a different room now because they might be poisonous but I've heard people say that cats know which plants they should or shouldn't try to eat. Not sure if the average house cat has enough brain cells to decide this for themselves...
Curious what you guys think!

 

[NY cat man]

Having plants that are harmful to cats, such as lilies, in the house is a hard 'no' from me. Having any plants at all, for that matter, is impossible with five cats that have to inspect everything that piques their interest. Same goes with Christmas trees- the path of destruction would be epic.

 

[misty8723]

I would never in a million years have plants that are potentially harmful to cats in my house. A neighbor once brought me over flowers, may have been lillies when my mom passed. Anyway, something I knew to be poisionous to cats. I thanked her, said how beautiful they where, put them on top of the book case and took a couple pictures. Then I took it right out to the car and took them into work the next day.

I even researched what plants are poisionous to cats/dogs/animals in general because I had some planted outdoors.

 

[Winchester]

No way, absolutely not. We don't have any plants in the house, simply because I don't trust any of the girls around them. I was babying some African violet leaves to become plants and put the container in the bathroom on a shelf. Figured it was moist in there and the container was on a shelf! Trying to be nosy, Mollipop knocked the container off and made a heck of a mess. It was on a shelf!

My plants are out in the WeShed.

 

[Emmypeps]

Every cat me or my family have ever owned would and will eventually get into a plant (including fake ones) If you have any poisonous plants to cats in your home please make sure they can’t be reached. It’s not worth the risk bottom line.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I don't have plants in the house because the boy's would definitely have to taste them. I wouldn't have poisonous one's even in a room the cat's never went in accidents happen and cat's are really good at getting into were they shouldn't. I do occasionally have flowers but they are cat friendly so haven't been near other flowers that might harm the cats. Believe me my boy's always try the taste them. My hubby love's that he doesn't have to buy me flowers

 

[KittyFriday]

I don't have any plants that might drop poisonous pollen (like lillies).

I do have a couple of plants that would probably be harmful if chewed on - a pathos, a cactus, and a snake plant. Friday has never been one to go for anything beyond catnip or cat grass, but I still have them all high enough that he can't reach them.

 

[Alldara]

I would say to me, it depends on the toxicity level, cats, home (are there cat free rooms where the door is shut), and kind of plant.

However, I'd recommend anyone to rehome any plants that are toxic that their cats can access. And never ever bring anything home where the pollen is toxic to cats.

While I'd never bring something home where even the pollen can be toxic to cats, I do have some snake plants and we have a fiddle leaf fig. They are on high stand alone planters and we haven't had any issues. The leaves are large and waxy and unappealing. I could never have something with small leaves or appealing leaves like something wispy. So nothing that a small chomp would hurt them; all the toxic plants we have they would have to eat an amount over time. So if we witness any bite marks, the plant would go.

Nobel and Lily never bothered any plants.or fallen leaves so we did have some ivy. I didn't know it was toxic to cats when we first got it. We had a bad case of spider mites in spring 2020 that killed off our ivy and Magnus crunches any kind of small leaf he finds so we never replaced any of the regular leafed toxic to cat plants.

We did have a Croton but Magnus would dig in the pot so we rehomed the plant. I had that Croton with Lily and Nobel and they never touched it.

We also grow our yearly outdoor seedlings in a glass case. Thing like brussel sprouts, bell peppers and all that are toxic to cats but are outside before they are flowering and in a glass case beforehand to prevent munching.

My attitude definitely comes from my Mum. It's not perhaps the safest one. But it's the route we took growing up and never had issues with any of our cats or the foster cats.

 

[neely]

You can check this Article for which plants are toxic and non-toxic to cats: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants

However, like many members advised I feel it's best to not take a chance which is why we don't have any plants in our house.

 

[stephanietx]

I have exactly one live plant in my house, a Pathos, that I've had for 30 years. It's up high and out of the reach of the kitties.

 

[alysker]

Interesting opinions! Funny to see how people all feel slightly different or exactly the same about some topics. I personally would never have flowers in my home with poisonous pollen like Lilys. I do have one ficus ginseng but it's up high. Miso my cat tried to climb on that closet once but because of her weight it wobbled all over the place and she didn't know how quickly to get off it again xD if she loses weight I'll definitely be bringing the plant to my parents. I also put it in a different room if I'm not around. So far she hasn't even looked at any of my plants but you never know!

 

[silent meowlook]

My cats are more important to me than plants. Cats, indoor or outdoor have no clue about what is hatful to them.

 

[cejhome]

I have a few houseplants - ones that are not toxic. They are where Buddy can't get to them, but if somehow he was able to, they wouldn't hurt him (Christmas cactus, orchids and a bromeliad). The rest of my houseplants are in the upstairs shower stall - glass door and open at the top. They get perfect light from two high up windows. They are sentimental, so I need to keep them. In the summer, the ones that can be put high out of Buddy's way go out on the screen porch. Buddy has never shown any interest in the plants I do have out where he might (if he tried hard) be able to get to. We did have two cat years ago that were a chewers. The boy kitty (Tumper) loved to chew on wicker baskets and plants. The girl (Nana) loved to destroy and chew on toilet paper. I didn't have any houseplants for about 7 years (both were adopted as older kitties), and at the same time, all toilet paper had to be where she couldn't reach it.

 

[alysker]

I have a few houseplants - ones that are not toxic. They are where Buddy can't get to them, but if somehow he was able to, they wouldn't hurt him (Christmas cactus, orchids and a bromeliad). The rest of my houseplants are in the upstairs shower stall - glass door and open at the top. They get perfect light from two high up windows. They are sentimental, so I need to keep them. In the summer, the ones that can be put high out of Buddy's way go out on the screen porch. Buddy has never shown any interest in the plants I do have out where he might (if he tried hard) be able to get to. We did have two cat years ago that were a chewers. The boy kitty (Tumper) loved to chew on wicker baskets and plants. The girl (Nana) loved to destroy and chew on toilet paper. I didn't have any houseplants for about 7 years (both were adopted as older kitties), and at the same time, all toilet paper had to be where she couldn't reach it.

Even the toilet paper oh Lord that must have been quite the chore to clean up

 

[alysker]

I do wonder where the need to chew on things comes from in cats. My first three cats never chewed on anything or even showed any interest in plants or socks or whatever. So far neither has Miso. I know one cat who loves to chew on tillandsias. But to be fair that is a quite peculiar cat in many ways.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I haven't had plants for decades, and wouldn't now even if I had room for them.

 

[BeccaCat]

One of my cats will eat anything he finds on the floor, or at least taste it to see if he wants it. I have spider plants but they’re all up high and I have a ponytail palm, also up high. And by high I mean high and narrow, almost impossible for him to get to.
I do believe both plants are non toxic to cats but I like to be extra safe anyway.

 

[Alldara]

One of my cats will eat anything he finds on the floor, or at least taste it to see if he wants it. I have spider plants but they’re all up high and I have a ponytail palm, also up high. And by high I mean high and narrow, almost impossible for him to get to.
I do believe both plants are non toxic to cats but I like to be extra safe anyway.

Both are non toxic, though the spider plants are an opiate to cats. Ours are hanging from the ceiling where they can't reach for that reason.

 

[BeccaCat]

Both are non toxic, though the spider plants are an opiate to cats. Ours are hanging from the ceiling where they can't reach for that reason.

We bought a condo that had older (not asbestos) popcorn ceilings. I actually caught this kitty boy on the cabinet eating the “popcorn”!! I’m certain that cannot be good for him. Thankfully my husband is a contractor and installed the wooden ceiling I wanted. And he started in the corner over the cabinets.
Kitty doesn’t have Pica thank goodness, he’s just a super weirdo. I love him to pieces but he’s crazy and crafty. Well, kinda like a cat, I guess

 

[Alldara]

We bought a condo that had older (not asbestos) popcorn ceilings. I actually caught this kitty boy on the cabinet eating the “popcorn”!! I’m certain that cannot be good for him. Thankfully my husband is a contractor and installed the wooden ceiling I wanted. And he started in the corner over the cabinets.
Kitty doesn’t have Pica thank goodness, he’s just a super weirdo. I love him to pieces but he’s crazy and crafty. Well, kinda like a cat, I guess

Oh my goodness. What weirdo. Sometimes chewers are just chewers.

Luckily giving Magnus some cardboard boxes deters his other chewing. He just likes the sensation.