A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Needed- Cat Proof House Plants

But not cactus.

The cats have eaten, tore up and peed on the Peace Lilly (Funeral Lilly, I call 'em, cause I see them at every one) so much that it died. They munched on the Lucky Bamboo and one even tried to eat Buffalo Burr seed pods that I had drying.

Any ideas?

I would definitely say no to Spider plants, because my cats are always after them. I do grow coleus, and the cats seem to stay away from that. African Violet? I'm not sure. I haven't had one long enough to say, but I don't think they go after that. Maybe a Snake plant or Jade plant?

Sideburns, try a sanserveria or "snake plant" or "mother-in-laws tongue", they have very durable and sturdy leaves, and strange almost sweet "vegetable like" smelling sap. when my cat breaks a leaf trying to play with it... she smells the sap, becomes revolted, and leaves it alone. You may want to use a tall stalked plant but, then they will want to climb on it... other than that try to do what I do, keep the plants in a room that they cant get into...

Unfortunately it won't prevent them from spraying on it...

schefflera is pretty cat resistant too

Well snake plant or mother in laws tongue at my house was destroyed in just a few weeks, the cats want to lay in the pot pull pieces off and bat them around the house. My solution to the problem has been to put wire on some shelves with lights to keep the cats from my plants....My African violets started out in a sunny window sill until the third time the cats knocked them out of the window sill and the Aloe Vera was knocked from the window sill twice before the pot got broken. Here is how I have saved most of my smaller plants (this is an older picture I have other plants on the shelves now):

WOW confrey! I really like that! That is a great idea, and I bet it definitely keeps the cats out. Do you have the lights on timers? And how do you open the cage, just a little latch at an end? That is really, really cool!

neat idea I have 2 cats inside but luckily they dont' bother my plants !

JONI

My cats haven't bothered my Norfolk Island pine or my ponytail palm. They do like to eat on my ferns so they always have to go outside in the summer.

Well I have 20 cats that live part time in the house. The wire fronts on the shelves open separately and fold down flat out of the way to water or tend to my plants. I do not have a timer, so they get turned on when I get up and turned them off later in the evening.

I have a TON of catnip and it's easy to grow. Loves light, though. I will suggest getting some to deter your cats away from your other plants and atract them to it instead. It works in my garden, I have two cats, myself. Go to petsmart or petco and pick some up! If your cats go outside, this stuff will spread like a weed in the ground so BEWARE. It is very hardy even in winter and flowers purple shoots in the summer and has ruffled leaves. And a fresh scent too.

Before you do any planting I am a veterinary technician so it is my natural instinct to advise you go on the aspca website and look at the list of poisonous plants. Some ivys and lillies are dangerous. There are a lot of plants that are!

Here's some. Go to www.aspca.org

A
- Aloe
- Amaryllis
- Andromeda Japonica
- Asian lily (Liliaceae)
- Asparagus Fern
- Australian Nut
- Autumn Crocus
- Avocado
- Azalea

B
- Bird of Paradise
- American Bittersweet
- European Bittersweet
- Branching Ivy
- Buckeye
- Buddist Pine

C
- Caladium
- Calla lily
- Castor Bean
- Ceriman (aka Cutleaf Philodendron)
- Charming
Diffenbachia
- Chinaberry tree
- Chinese Evergreen
- Christmas rose
- Clematis
- Cordatum
- Corn plant (aka Cornstalk plant)
- Cornstalk plant (aka Corn plant)
- Cutleaf Philodendron (aka Ceriman)
- Cycads
- Cyclamen

D
- Daffodil
- Day lily
- Devil's Ivy
- Dumb Cane
- Deadly Nightshade (See Nightshade)

E
- Easter lily
- Elephant Ears
- Emerald Feather (aka Emerald Fern)
- Emerald Fern (aka Emerald Feather)
- English Ivy

F
- Fiddle-Leaf Philodendron
- Flamingo plant
- Florida Beauty
- Foxglove
- Fruit Salad plant

G
- Glacier Ivy
- Gladiolas
- Glory lily
- Gold Dieffenbachia
- Gold Dust Dracaena
- Golden Pothos
- Green Gold Nephthysis

H
- Hahn's self branching English Ivy
- Heartleaf Philodendron
- Heavenly Bamboo
- Holly
- Horsehead Philodendron
- Hurricane plant
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea

I
- Iris

J
- Japanese Show lily
- Japanese Yew (aka Yew)
- Jerusalem Cherry
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K
- Kalanchoe

L
- Lace Fern
- Lacy tree
- lily of the Valley

M
- Macadamia Nut
- Madagascar Dragon tree
- Marble Queen
- Marijuana
- Mauna Loa Peace lily (aka Peace lily)
- Mexican Breadfruit
- Mistletoe "American"
- Morning Glory
- Mother-in-Law

N
- Narcissus
- Needlepoint Ivy
- Nephthytis
- Nightshade

O
- Oleander
- Onion
- Orange Day lily

P
- Panda
- Peace lily (aka Mauna Loa Peace lily)
- Philodendron Pertusum
- Plumosa Fern
- Precatory Bean

Q
- Queensland Nut

R
- Red Emerald
- Red lily
- Red-Margined Dracaena (aka Straight-Margined Dracaena)
- Red Princess
- Rhododendron
- Ribbon plant (Dracaena sanderiana)
- Rubrum lily

S
- Saddle Leaf Philodendron
- Sago Palm
- Satin Pothos
- Schefflera
- Spotted Dumb Cane
- Stargazer lily
- Striped Dracaena
- Sweetheart Ivy
- Swiss Cheese plant

T
- Taro Vine
- Tiger lily
- Tomato plant
- tree Philodendron
- Tropic Snow Dumbcane
- Tulip

V
- Variable Dieffenbachia
- Variegated Philodendron

W
- Warneckei Dracaena
- Wood lily

Y
- Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
- Yew (aka Japanese Yew)
- Yucca

My cats love chewing on asparagus fern!

I would have to look further into it, but some of these are not fatal, but still not good for them to be snacking on.

lillies can be especially fatal..they cause kidney failure.

Thanks

I have been growing cat grass for the cats for a few months. They love it! I grow Cosmic Kittyherbs; a mix of oats, barley and wheat. I've only tried the lucky bamboo since growing the grass and the cats did eat on the bamboo only when they had no grass.