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Houseplants that are safe for cats and dogs

50 of 100 species in this database qualify

50 of our 100 species qualify. Spider plant ranks first on non-toxic to both. Typical prices run $4 to $250.

What this list actually means

Every plant here is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. Non-toxic is not the same as edible: a cat that eats a large amount of any plant may still vomit. What it does mean is that a chewed leaf is not a poisoning, and that matters at two in the morning.

Ranked by toxic to cats, toxic to dogs, difficulty — non-toxic to both, then least demanding. Ordering is derived from database fields and we do not accept payment for placement. Our pre-publish check rejects commission, payout, EPC and CPC as sort fields, so that promise is enforced rather than merely stated.

#PlantLight floorWaterPet safeDifficultyTypical price
1 Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum Medium 7–10d Yes Easy $10–25
2 Cast iron plant Aspidistra elatior Low 10–14d Yes Easy $25–60
3 Baby rubber plant Peperomia obtusifolia Medium 9–14d Yes Easy $12–30
4 Zebra haworthia Haworthiopsis attenuata Medium 14–24d Yes Easy $8–25
5 Ponytail palm Beaucarnea recurvata Medium 14–30d Yes Easy $25–90
6 Kentia palm Howea forsteriana Low 8–14d Yes Easy $60–250
7 Lady palm Rhapis excelsa Low 8–14d Yes Easy $50–200
8 Golden barrel cactus Echinocactus grusonii Direct 18–35d Yes Easy $15–90
9 Ladyfinger cactus Mammillaria elongata Bright indirect 14–30d Yes Easy $8–25
10 Elephant bush Portulacaria afra Bright indirect 10–21d Yes Easy $10–35
11 Mistletoe cactus Rhipsalis baccifera Medium 7–14d Yes Easy $15–45
12 Ox tongue Gasteria bicolor Medium 14–24d Yes Easy $8–25
13 Ripple peperomia Peperomia caperata Low 7–14d Yes Easy $8–25
14 Parlor palm Chamaedorea elegans Low 7–10d Yes Easy $20–50
15 Christmas cactus Schlumbergera truncata Medium 7–14d Yes Easy $12–35
16 Moth orchid Phalaenopsis amabilis Medium 5–10d Yes Easy $15–50
17 Chinese money plant Pilea peperomioides Medium 6–11d Yes Easy $12–35
18 Wax plant Hoya carnosa Medium 10–18d Yes Easy $15–60
19 Burro’s tail Sedum morganianum Bright indirect 14–28d Yes Easy $12–35
20 Watermelon peperomia Peperomia argyreia Medium 7–14d Yes Easy $10–30
21 Polka dot plant Hypoestes phyllostachya Medium 4–7d Yes Easy $5–15
22 String of hearts Ceropegia woodii Medium 10–18d Yes Easy $12–35
23 Bird’s nest fern Asplenium nidus Low 4–9d Yes Easy $15–45
24 Scarlet star Guzmania lingulata Medium 7–14d Yes Easy $15–40
25 Bamboo palm Chamaedorea seifrizii Low 7–12d Yes Easy $30–100
26 Blue star fern Phlebodium aureum Low 5–10d Yes Easy $18–50
27 Bunny ears cactus Opuntia microdasys Direct 18–35d Yes Easy $8–30
28 Fishbone cactus Selenicereus anthonyanus Medium 7–14d Yes Easy $18–50
29 Strawberry begonia Saxifraga stolonifera Low 5–10d Yes Easy $8–22
30 Goldfish plant Nematanthus gregarius Medium 6–11d Yes Easy $12–35
31 Sweetheart hoya Hoya kerrii Medium 12–21d Yes Easy $15–50
32 Prayer plant Maranta leuconeura Low 4–8d Yes Moderate $12–35
33 African violet Streptocarpus ionanthus Medium 5–10d Yes Moderate $6–20
34 Mexican snowball Echeveria elegans Bright indirect 12–24d Yes Moderate $6–18
35 Nerve plant Fittonia albivenis Low 3–6d Yes Moderate $6–18
36 Areca palm Dypsis lutescens Medium 5–10d Yes Moderate $30–90
37 Rattlesnake plant Goeppertia lancifolia Low 4–8d Yes Moderate $15–45
38 Staghorn fern Platycerium bifurcatum Medium 7–14d Yes Moderate $25–80
39 Air plant Tillandsia ionantha Medium 5–10d Yes Moderate $4–15
40 Pygmy date palm Phoenix roebelenii Medium 6–12d Yes Moderate $35–120
41 Rabbit’s foot fern Davallia fejeensis Low 4–9d Yes Moderate $20–55
42 Table fern Pteris cretica Low 3–7d Yes Moderate $12–35
43 Tree aeonium Aeonium arboreum Bright indirect 9–18d Yes Moderate $10–35
44 Baby’s tears Soleirolia soleirolii Low 2–6d Yes Moderate $6–18
45 Lipstick plant Aeschynanthus radicans Medium 6–11d Yes Moderate $15–40
46 String of turtles Peperomia prostrata Medium 9–16d Yes Moderate $12–40
47 Boston fern Nephrolepis exaltata Low 3–6d Yes Demanding $15–40
48 Calathea orbifolia Goeppertia orbifolia Low 4–8d Yes Demanding $20–60
49 Triostar stromanthe Stromanthe sanguinea Low 4–8d Yes Demanding $20–55
50 Maidenhair fern Adiantum raddianum Low 2–5d Yes Difficult $12–30

Prices are hand-verified ranges, not live figures, and move with pot size more than anything else. No affiliate links appear on this page because we have no merchant relationships yet; when that changes, disclosure appears before the first one.

Why spider plant tops the list

Forgiving of most mistakes and non-toxic, which makes it the default recommendation for homes with cats. It takes medium light as a floor and water every 7–10 days, and it is stocked almost everywhere at $10–25.

Full entry for spider plant — care fields with sources, toxicity with every authority we consulted, and propagation.

Commonly recommended for this, and shouldn't be

Every one of these is sold everywhere and appears on other lists for this purpose. Each fails on a field in our own database, stated below.

None of these are bad plants. They are bad plants for this, and the difference is the whole point of the list. Buying one for the wrong spot is the commonest way people conclude they cannot keep houseplants.

Other lists

Every list →

Sources

  1. This database's own care records for the 50 species listed — light floor, watering interval, humidity, difficulty and mature size are the fields the ranking uses. Each species entry cites its own authorities.
  2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxicity classification, cited per species on each entry
  3. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — poison severity where published
  4. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families
  5. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — cultivation and pest records

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Ranking is derived from database fields. We do not accept payment for placement, and the pre-publish check rejects payout as a sort field. How this is sourced.