I just unloaded all of my not-safe houseplants on a friend, and my house is looking bare - I have just one birdsnest fern…and Miss Kitten’s catgrass! Any recommendations for a nice cat safe houseplants that don’t require much care? I’m pretty good with outdoor flowers/veggies, but not the best with houseplants so nothing tricky like orchids 
Thanks!
Check ponytail palms. I don’t think they are toxic, and mine seems pretty easy.
Thanks, Casey! They look neat, too!
I have a bunch of Christmas cacti plus a jade plant and some other succulents. I think the jade plant is mildly toxic but the cats have never bothered it or the other succulents. Hint, you can buy wheat grass in the produce dept. of your grocery store cheaper than cat grass and its basically the same stuff.
I am FLOORED that anyone can keep Christmas Cactus around cats. Every time I try, the cats eat it down to nothing within a week. Good thing it’s non-toxic!!
Thanks all! 
You could also go with herbs! I grow rosemary inside, since it’s not hardy outside here in Colorado. The cats have always left it alone. They’ve also never gotten in to my basil. They occasionally snack on the aloe, but not a lot and the plants tolerate a little snacking pretty well
Orchids! Not sure if you are looking for more greenery vs. flowering, but orchids are cat-safe and SO easy. Require very little light and need little watering - and they last forever
Dracena:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_403650-28120-MABSM6_4294797462__?productId=3698938&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3Fpage%3D4%26Ns%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
http://www.lowes.com/pd_115122-28120-LO24B_4294797462__?productId=3354662&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3Fpage%3D6%26Ns%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
and rubber trees and yucca palms.
and Sanseverias (mother-in-law tongues)
Oh nice - thanks everyone!
@Texan - orchids are actually easy? Why do I have this notion that they’re like the prima donnas of the houseplant world? Hmm.
there are A LOT of orchids on the market.
There are actually a few that are native to temperate climates (such as most of the northern US and Europe) like Lady Slippers (protected btw)
Those pretty ones you see in stores are the easy keepers. In a bright location they should do well for you. They don’t even need a lot of watering…
The blooms last a long time, but the plant will be a bit nondescript when they are spend…
Here’s a list:
http://animal.discovery.com/cat-guide/cat-preparation/cat-proofing/plants-safe-toxic.html
Some orchids, such as the phalaenopsis types you can buy at Trader Joe’s and other places, are easy unless you try to re-bloom them. Just don’t over-water. There are types that need to live in greenhouses. Other types, like cymbidiums, can live outside in parts of Southern California.
I have never had a cat eat a Christmas cactus, or any other type of cactus or succulent.
I keep my phalaenopsis orchids on a bright east-facing windowsill over my kitchen sink, & they’re nearly always in bloom year-round. Do a little research on them. Keeping them in bloom is really very easy. I’ve also had excellent luck with miniature cymbidiums & oncidium orchids in the same location, although those don’t bloom as continuously as the moth orchids - they’re more seasonal.
But if you visit a few orchid websites &/or peruse a few books, you’ll find it difficult to not find one or more orchid species that will fit into the locations you have for them.
Oh - & while cats pretty much leave my orchids alone, one cat of mine has “pruned” off a blooming flower stalk - grrrrrrr. Didn’t eat it or anything - just snapped it off.
Bacardi1 - you are a better person than me I can never get the dang things to re-bloom. My orchid friend tells me that I really don’t have a place in my house with suitable light, so we’ll go with that.
Mother in law’s tongue. This plant withstood being squashed by an 18lb cat dive bombing on top of it! It is also virtually impossible to kill by us brown thumbs…lol!
“Mother-in-Law’s Tongue” also goes by a number of other common names, & comes in a number of different varieties & colors.
Scientifically it’s known as “Sanseviera”, I’ve never had a cat bother it & BetterOffRed is right - it’s nearly impossible to kill. Years ago nearly every storefront & office had them since they did well in nearly any environment. I think the only thing that might damage them would be intense overwatering. Here’s a link to more info on them:
Hmm, the ASPCA lists MIL’s Tongue as bad for cats: http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/mother-in-laws-tongue.aspx
One of our cats will eat almost anything green, but she leaves the pothos alone and the spider plants (usually). Aloe must not be very tasty, because they ignore that. Begonias and geraniums get left alone, too. Hanging plants out of reach helps a lot!
[QUOTE=RolyPolyPony;6440256]
Hmm, the ASPCA lists MIL’s Tongue as bad for cats: http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/mother-in-laws-tongue.aspx[/QUOTE]
That may be, but they’re very unattractive-to-cats plants. The leaves are thick & very tough. I’ve never had a cat want to bother with them. Same with Amaryllis, which is also supposed to be poisonous to cats. The leaves are thick & tough, & even my most ardent greens-lover leaves them alone. They’re just not interesting to munch on.
But perhaps this needs to be taken on a cat-by-cat basis. Maybe some cats love tough greens.
It is such a 1950s plant, along with the old fashioned rubber tree, that just produces one stem up the middle and tends to shed the lower leaves after a while. 
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
