Hello, all! TL;DR available at the bottom!
I'm wanting to beautify and enrich my home with some houseplants, but of course I want to ensure that my kitty will be safe and comfortable in our home. I have low-light conditions (unless the heat and UVB lamps for my various terrariums increase that at all?) and don't mind frequent watering (I have hermit crabs, so I water frequently anyways). I plan on putting in some shelving and would like easily-trimmed trailing plants. Flowers and colorful leaves most welcome.
I would like things easier to care for (no complex fertilization, no having to provide live insects (in case pitcher plants or something are safe), etc.) and hard to kill. On a scale of Zero to Jolly Green Giant, my thumb is a stubborn brown kelp- just enough green to not be /totally/ hopeless. Something I can water on a specific daily or weekly schedule (nothing that would be different days each week, because I would forget.)
So far, the only low-light indoor plants that are non-toxic that I've found are the Staghorn Fern and Calathea, both of which I like and plan on getting.
I would also like suggestions on non-obnoxious ways on keeping my cat Autumn from digging them up or pushing them over (no orange peels or other things that might make her uncomfortable). An idea I had regarding this: what about a mesh cover over the dirt of the pot, and something like heavy stones in the bottom to keep it weighted down?
A related question- if I have trailing plants on a shelf ordinarily inaccessible to kitty, is she going to get the not-so-bright idea to try /climbing/ those vines if they get too long?
TL;DR: Looking for non-toxic, low-light houseplants and ways to keep kitty out of them.
I already live in a zoo- time to get the botanical garden wiggle on!
I'm wanting to beautify and enrich my home with some houseplants, but of course I want to ensure that my kitty will be safe and comfortable in our home. I have low-light conditions (unless the heat and UVB lamps for my various terrariums increase that at all?) and don't mind frequent watering (I have hermit crabs, so I water frequently anyways). I plan on putting in some shelving and would like easily-trimmed trailing plants. Flowers and colorful leaves most welcome.
I would like things easier to care for (no complex fertilization, no having to provide live insects (in case pitcher plants or something are safe), etc.) and hard to kill. On a scale of Zero to Jolly Green Giant, my thumb is a stubborn brown kelp- just enough green to not be /totally/ hopeless. Something I can water on a specific daily or weekly schedule (nothing that would be different days each week, because I would forget.)
So far, the only low-light indoor plants that are non-toxic that I've found are the Staghorn Fern and Calathea, both of which I like and plan on getting.
I would also like suggestions on non-obnoxious ways on keeping my cat Autumn from digging them up or pushing them over (no orange peels or other things that might make her uncomfortable). An idea I had regarding this: what about a mesh cover over the dirt of the pot, and something like heavy stones in the bottom to keep it weighted down?
A related question- if I have trailing plants on a shelf ordinarily inaccessible to kitty, is she going to get the not-so-bright idea to try /climbing/ those vines if they get too long?
TL;DR: Looking for non-toxic, low-light houseplants and ways to keep kitty out of them.
I already live in a zoo- time to get the botanical garden wiggle on!
Both are easy to care for. The cat grass will need replanting every other week or so depending on the pot size and if the cats chew / eat a lot of the grass. Cat nip grows best in a deep wide pot and if you thin out out the plants so only the biggest healthiest ones grow and pick the leaves often to encourage growth. The leaves can be dried.
