Pets and Houseplants; how to live together safely

Here at Nelly’s we love our pets AND our houseplants, but we know that having them both live in harmony can be tricky sometimes. From chewed leaves to knocked-over pots (and worse), keeping plants and pets under the same roof can be a challenge.

Here is how you can enjoy a thriving plant collection and a happy, healthy pet.

photo by Alice Castro

Choose pet safe houseplants

Start by selecting houseplants that are non-toxic to animals.
At Nelly’s we will label our houseplants if they are toxic for pets.
Some safe varieties (that we regularly stock at Nelly’s) include:

String of Hearts

Spider Plant

Calathea

Prayer Plant

Boston Fern

Peperomia

Christmas Cactus

Fishbone Cactus

Chinese Money Plant

Hoya Heart

Avoid common toxic varieties like Peace Lily, Pothos, Philodendron, and Aloe Vera.

For more in-depth lists visit Cats.org or PDSA

pet safe Hoya labelled at Nelly’s

Secure your plants

Plants are prone to being knocked over, particularly by dogs with powerful tails or cats that love to curl up on windowsills, so it can be a good idea to choose sturdy pots, stable plant stands with four legs rather than tripod style stands are also a good idea. Consider heavy ceramic or concrete pots that resist tipping and wall-mounted pots or hanging planters.

Watch out for chewers

Provide alternative safe options like cat grass which can be grown indoors or catnip toys for feline foragers. See our blogs about Cat Grass or Catnip for lots of product suggestions that we sell at Nelly’s to help encourage your cat away from your houseplants and entice them towards Cat Grass or Catnip products instead.

Cat grass for sale at Nelly’s

Enrich their environment

Sometimes pets mess with plants simply because they’re bored. To keep your furry friend mentally stimulated offer a variety of toys on a two-weekly rotation to keep the toys interesting. Puzzle feeders and treat-dispensing toys are a great addition or add a scratching post for cats.

Refillable Catnip toys are a great idea, giving your cat a natural high and encouraging positive, playful behaviour.

Cover the soil if necessary

Some pets love to dig in potting soil. To prevent this you could cover the soil with decorative stones. It might also be worth trying a natural pet deterrent spray, you can look for ones with citrus scents which will be effective in deterring your pets.

Covering the soil with decorative stones, should be done only if necessary to stop digging. Covering the soil with decorative stones may lead to the soil staying too wet for prolonged periods of time, resulting in root rot. Always ensure you have drainage holes in the bottom of your pots, or your pot is not sitting in a pool of water for long.

Know emergency protocols

Even with precautions, accidents happen. If your pet ingests part of a plant and shows signs of vomiting, drooling, or lethargy:

Remove plant material from their mouth.

Take a picture or sample of the plant.

Call your vet