3 House Plants that are Safe for Cats

Having a hard time finding house plants that are safe for cats? I did a little research at my local nursery and rounded up a few good options!

We know that house plants can do wonders for indoor air quality, but finding house plants that are safe for cats can be tricky business. Many house plants, like pothos, are toxic to cats and dogs. If your cats are anything like mine, they love to chew on anything green, so choosing safe house plants is super important.

Plants that thrive in your typical house require only low to medium sunlight. If you're like me, plants that don't need frequent watering are a good choice, too. Finding a plant that met all three qualifications - grows indoors, is safe for cats, and doesn't need a lot of water - was tricky, but I managed to find three that got pretty close!

1. Peperomia

My phone's autocorrect was sure that when I searched for this plant I meant "pepperoni." This is probably my favorite of the indoor plants I found. The leaves are beautifully variegated, and the stems grow at a curve, so they look a little bit kooky. They need moderate light, so find a sunny windowsill for this guy. You want to water enough, but not too much, so stick your finger into the soil. If it feels dry more than 1" down, it's time to water.

2. Rex Begonia

I love the colorful leaves on this plant! They don't need much light to grow, which is perfect for my living room, which gets very little daylight. You want to be careful not to over-water these, so just keep an eye on them. You want to water when the soil feels dry, but don't just touch the top. Stick your finger into the pot to see if it's moist below the surface. If so, it's not time to water yet. They need humidity to grow, so put your pot in a tray full of gravel. The water runoff that collects there will do the trick.

3. Staghorn Fern

Staghorn ferns don't look like your typical fern, and from the reading I did on this plant, it sounds like finding one as small as I did might be uncommon. They don't need quite as much water as your typical fern, and it's best to wait until they get every so slightly wilted to water them. Staghorn ferns need indirect light, so choose a sunny windowsill for this house plant.

My cat has already tried gnawing on the staghorn fern, and since I haven't put them into clay pots yet, she knocked the light pot from the nursery right off the shelf. Cleaning up dirt is a bummer, but at least I know that these house plants are safe for cats, so she didn't hurt herself by chewing on it!