Looking for a list of easy-to-care-for houseplants that are non-toxic to your feline family members?

Below are just a few of the plants I’ve had success with, despite our cats’ curiosity.

They can all be found on the ASPCA’s list of plants considered to be non-toxic to cats, which is a handy tool to check whenever you’re thinking of adding a new leafy friend to the household.

Using the ASPCA list of Non-Toxic Plants for Cats

The ASPCA database is a great resource when you want to look up a plant you’re interested in. You can look at the entire list, or set filters to show only the non-toxic plants for a type of pet (dogs, cats, or horses), or to list only the toxic ones for that pet.

The main search page includes images, which may help if you don’t know the name of the plant, though I would recommend verifying the identification, because many plants look similar to each other. You can also search the alphabetical lists by either common name or “scientific” (botanic) name, which is very helpful!

Common Names vs Botanic Names

Using common names can be a good place to start, but because plants can have multiple common names, or the same common name can be used for more than one plant, I check the ASPCA lists for the botanic name. I will also look up the particular variety of plant I am considering, unless I can find a note in their description that says all of them are okay.

One example of how tricky it can be to navigate this as a beginner: Begonias.

The actual begonia plant is TOXIC to cats. However, if I searched for begonias and cats, saw a preview of a result that mentioned climbing and trailing begonia as being safe, I might assume that all begonias were fine to have around the house.

That would be a bad idea.

Climbing begonia is a common name (name popularly used) for Cissus discolor, which is not a begonia at all. It’s sometimes called a Rex begonia, which complicates things even further – The beautiful Begonia rex you saw at the hardware store? Toxic, and an actual (botanic) begonia.

Do Your Research

This all leads to doing some research on any plant that catches your eye. The plant tag will often have the botanic name listed, and I have no problem whipping out my phone and googling “(Botanic name here) and cats”.

Another thing to watch out for: blogs or websites (including mine!) that post a list of plants and say they’re safe for pets. You can’t depend on one source of information.While researching the plants I wanted to buy, I ran across more than one contradictory list!

I’m sure the mistakes are not intentional, but you’re talking about the safety of your furry family member, here, so DO YOUR RESEARCH. Check sites that you trust. And take a look at the ASPCA list – just make sure to check under the botanic name.

I don’t say all of this to scare you away from buying any plants. Not at all! I want to help you enjoy your plants, and knowing that they’re a good, safe fit for your family is worth a little bit of research up front.

Now, even houseplants considered “safe” for cats can cause irritation or tummy distress, so you still won’t want kitty chewing on plants, or digging up roots. But a toxic plant can be poisonous to the point of causing kidney failure, so its important to know what you’re bringing home.

And if Muffin is intent on snacking on random leaves, stick around: we’ll also cover some tips and tricks for keeping your cats out of your houseplants’ faces.

But first, the list. (Again, there are many suitable options, this is just a starting point, and we’ll come back to the topic often, because LIFE WITH CATS.)

A Few Non-Toxic Plants

Spider Plant – Easy, easy, easy plant that can tolerate some neglect from whoever was supposed to be watering it – oh, wait! That was you! This plant likes a bit of a dry spell between waterings. It also doesn’t mind low-light situations; in fact, it prefers to be kept away from bright windows (this will help prevent brown tips on the leaves).

Your spider plant will also provide you with lots of baby spider plants that grow from long, hanging stems all around the mother plant. You will feel like a plant-propagating pro with no effort!

How much easier can you get?

Pilea peperomioides – Don’t worry, you won’t have to pronounce all of that. You can also call it Chinese money plant, or if you’re in a Dutch mood, the pancake plant!

This is one of those houseplants that everyone went NUTS over. There are hundreds of Pilea species, but Pilea peperomioides used to be a rare find, and was passed along from friend to friend until recently, when even I have been able to find it in the floral section of our grocery store.

This cheerful plant just seems to brighten up a space – the round leaves will be familiar to you if you’ve spent any time looking at stylized photos of white-walled, Scandinavian rooms on Pinterest.

Peperomia – There are so many varieties of Peperomia that people are collecting them like Pokemon. I have a few myself, and they are all different. They’re also all listed as safe for kitties.

False Aralia – The name may make her sound like the traitorous lover in some old ballad, but Dizygotheca elegantissima is an upstanding gal. She’s also listed as non-toxic to cats. Here’s a tricky bit, though. She was renamed Schefflera elegantissima (but Scheffleras are considered toxic to cats!), and then renamed again as Plerandra elegantissima...confused, yet?

Despite all of these shenanigans, False Aralia is not a double agent – she’s still considered safe around your cat!

She’s also easy to care for, likes bright, indirect light, and is happiest in a well-drained but moist soil.

Polka-dot/Splash Plant – I first had one of these as a teenager, and even though it was back in my plant-murdering days, it was easy to take care of, and managed to survive me for quite a long time.

Hypoestes phyllostachya lives up to its common name, with bright reds and pinks splashed and stippled across its bright green leaves. It’s a bit of a water-lover, so try to keep an eye on this one. You may want to keep it near the next plant on my list, so you can water them together.

Fittonia, or Nerve Plant – A total drama queen. Vivid veining draws your attention to this sweet-looking little plant. You’ll be thinking, oh, I have to have one. Or three.

This one can get a little picky about water, but will definitely tell you when she’s thirsty. In fact, Fittonia will make quite a little scene about it. As in, the instant it wants water, it collapses in a fainting spell, and you will think you’ve killed it.

Luckily, it perks up just as quickly after a good soak. Because of its thirsty habits, Fittonia may do better in a more humid spot, or in a terrarium. I still consider it to be fine as a beginner plant, because she’ll have you trained pretty quickly.

Like I said, drama QUEEN.

Waffle Plant – These are beautifully colored houseplants with waffly leaves that can have purple undersides or tricolor markings. I’ve had trouble keeping a waffle plant happy, so I have more research to do on these, but they are on the safe list.

Grape Ivy – Also known as oak-leaf ivy, though it’s not a true ivy at all (all ivy (Hedera) is toxic to cats). Cissus rhombifolia is actually in the grape family (Vitaceae), and is considered safe for cats.

This one is listed as non-toxic, and I am totally in love with it, but something about it is particularly alluring to our two cats: I’ve caught them both trying to snack on the leaves when it was within reach. I’m definitely keeping it hanging high.

If your cats ignore it, it can be a great screening plant, climbing a room divider, or vining down a set of shelves.

There are more plants that could be added to this list, of course, but let’s start simple. Some plants are a bit more finicky. I’ll post about them later.

In the meantime, how do you keep your little furball from murdering the plants you just brought home?

Well, you can start here: Keeping Your Houseplants Safe From Cats