Pets and Plants: How to Help Them Safely Coexist

By Kara M.

Pets and houseplants can safely share a home if you do two things: keep plants that are toxic to cats or dogs out of reach, and protect your plants from curious pets by raising them up and giving pets their own greenery. The most important rule is to keep true lilies away from cats, because even a tiny amount can be deadly to them.

Pets and plants at a glance

Question	Answer
Can pets and plants coexist?	Yes, if you keep toxic plants away from pets and protect plants from curious pets
Most dangerous plant	True lilies and daylilies: deadly to cats (kidney failure), even tiny amounts
Protect plants from pets	Block access: elevate or hang them, use barriers, and offer cats their own cat grass
Keep pets safe	Know which plants are toxic and keep them out of reach or out of the home
If a pet eats a plant	Act fast: call your vet, ASPCA (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661)
Pet-safe options	Choose pet-friendly plants and give cats their own greenery like cat grass

Which Plants Are Toxic to Pets?

Start by knowing the risks. The most dangerous common plants for pets are true lilies and daylilies: the ASPCA warns that Lilium and Hemerocallis species cause kidney failure in cats, and that even a small amount of any part, including the pollen and the vase water, can be fatal. They are, notably, not toxic to dogs.^[1] Several other popular plants are also listed as toxic in the ASPCA plant database:

• Sago palm is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses and can cause liver failure.^[2]
• Pothos and dieffenbachia contain insoluble calcium oxalates that cause mouth burning, drooling, and vomiting.^[2]
• Tulip and daffodil bulbs are the most toxic part of those plants.^[2]
• Philodendron is another common oxalate-containing houseplant on the ASPCA list.^[2]

When in doubt about any plant, look it up in the ASPCA searchable toxic and non-toxic plant database.^[2] For plants that are safe to keep around pets, see our guide to pet-friendly plants and flowers.

How to Protect Your Plants From Pets

If your pet treats your plants as toys or snacks, the most reliable fix is physical. Cornell’s Feline Health Center is blunt about it: the only way to guarantee protection for both your plants and your cat is to block access to the plants.^[3] In practice that means raising plants out of reach on high shelves or in hanging planters, keeping them in a room your pet cannot enter, or using barriers. You can also redirect the behavior: Cornell suggests offering cats their own greenery to chew, such as oat grass, catnip, or catmint, so they leave your houseplants alone.^[3] Humane deterrents can help too, including commercial pet-repellent sprays and gentle startle setups; some gardeners also try citrus scents, since cats often dislike them, though results vary.^[3]

How to Keep Your Pets Safe From Toxic Plants

Protecting your pets is the other half of the job, and the core principle is simple: know which of your plants are toxic, and keep those out of reach or out of the home entirely. The ASPCA specifically advises against bringing true lilies into a home with a cat, given how dangerous they are.^[1] Check any new plant against the ASPCA database before you buy,^[2] and when you are unsure, consult the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.^[4] Where you can, choose pet-safe plants in the first place; our guides to pet-safe houseplants and dog-friendly plants and flowers are good places to start.

What to Do If Your Pet Eats a Plant

If your pet eats a plant you are not sure about, act promptly rather than waiting for symptoms to appear. Call your veterinarian right away, or reach a 24-hour animal poison hotline: the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435,^[4] or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661.^[5] Both charge a consultation fee, but they can tell you immediately whether what your pet ate is dangerous and what to do next. Timing can matter a great deal: with lilies and cats, for example, treatment is most effective when it begins within about 18 hours of exposure.^[1] Keep these numbers somewhere easy to find before you ever need them.

Building a home that works for both your pets and your plants? Stop by any Green Thumb Nursery and our team can help you choose pet-safe plants and smart ways to display them.

Pets and Plants FAQ

How can I protect my plants from my pets?

Block access to the plants: raise them onto high shelves or into hanging planters, keep them in a room your pet cannot reach, or use barriers. Offering cats their own greenery, like cat grass, also redirects chewing away from your houseplants.^[3]

What plants are toxic to cats and dogs?

True lilies and daylilies are the most dangerous, causing kidney failure in cats from even tiny amounts. Sago palm, pothos, dieffenbachia, philodendron, and tulip and daffodil bulbs are also toxic. Check any plant in the ASPCA plant database to be sure.^[1][2]

How do I keep my cat from eating my plants?

The only guaranteed method is to block access to the plants. Cornell’s Feline Health Center also recommends giving cats their own greenery to chew, such as oat grass, catnip, or catmint, and removing truly dangerous plants like lilies from the home entirely.^[3]

Are there pet-safe houseplants?

Yes. The ASPCA plant database includes a non-toxic list you can filter by cats or dogs, and many attractive houseplants qualify. Our pet-friendly and pet-safe houseplant guides highlight good options.^[2]

What should I do if my pet eats a plant?

Act promptly instead of waiting for symptoms. Call your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 right away.^[4][5]

Sources

• [1] ASPCA, Which Lilies Are Toxic to Pets: aspca.org
• [2] ASPCA, Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants (searchable database): aspca.org
• [3] Cornell Feline Health Center, Destructive Behavior: vet.cornell.edu
• [4] ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: aspca.org
• [5] Pet Poison Helpline: petpoisonhelpline.com

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