21 Low Maintenance Plants that are Safe for Cats

Cat sitting with a spider plant and catnip, which are both low maintenance plants that are safe for cats

21 Low Maintenance House Plants that are Safe for Cats

Having cats and plants in a house together can be a gamble. Some cats leave houseplants alone and you never have to worry. Other cats will chew on anything resembling a plant in your home, even a fake one. If you have a cat who’s prone to chewing, it’s a good idea to look for non-toxic plants in case your kitty does get ahold of one. The following are the easiest, most low-maintenance houseplants that you can grow to keep your cat safe while still enjoying greenery.

Plants Specifically for Cats

Let’s get a few of the most obvious plant options out of the way first:

Catnip

A plant not only safe for cats, but defined by its association with cats. Some cats will get a bit high off it, while others will ignore it completely. That said, it’s a perfectly safe, cat-friendly plant to keep in your home! It loves well-draining soil, regular watering, and lots of bright sunlight. It reseeds so readily that it might as well live forever!

Cat Grass

Another cat favorite, cat grass may be just the plant to grow if your kitty doesn’t seem to be affected by catnip.

A couple of tips – plant the seeds in a container that seems smaller than it needs, and don’t let your cat at it until it’s several inches high. Otherwise, your cat may just yank the plants right out of the soil and leave little half-eaten dirt balls all over the room. It’s better than half-eaten mice, but still.

Catmint

For a pretty version of catnip, you can try growing catmint as a houseplant. It produces lovely purple flowers. While some cats won’t be interested in it, it is completely safe for the ones who do nibble on it!

Traditional Low-Maintenance, Cat-Safe Houseplants

The following are all cat-safe plants, but it’s still a good idea to use caution and keep them away from your cat if possible. Just because the plant wouldn’t hurt your cat doesn’t mean your cat won’t hurt the plant! We’ve had a few plants get some bad haircuts when our newest cat came through…

And on top of that, even though they shouldn’t significantly hurt your cat, there’s always a chance your cat has an unusual allergy, and if they eat a large amount of any plant or food it can make them ill.

African Violet

African violets are small pet-friendly plants that are exceptionally easy to maintain – you don’t even have to water them each week! Just get a special African violet planter and keep water in that consistently, and it’ll water itself.

Air Plants

Air plants are an extra low-maintenance plant – they don’t even require soil! They make great bathroom plants, since they can grow in the shower.

American Rubber Plant

The American rubber plant, also known as a baby rubber plant, does best in indirect bright light and doesn’t need to be watered too frequently. It can grow large or be kept in a small pot to keep it from taking over. Make sure your plant is specifically an American rubber plant (the tag should say Peperomia obtusifolia), because rubber trees are poisonous to cats.

Bird’s Nest Fern

Bird’s nest ferns are non-toxic houseplants that grow well in low light areas.

Boston Ferns

Boston ferns make a great option for cool, low light spaces in your home and are perfectly safe for cats.

Cape Primrose

Cape primroses are pet-friendly houseplants that produce beautiful flowers for several months at a time. They’re also hardy in a variety of lighting and watering situations.

Cast Iron Plant

Cast iron plants are resilient plants that can withstand a bit of neglect. They are a great option for low light areas, including offices.

Echeveria

Echeveria, which are small spiky succulents, are popular houseplants that are entirely safe for cats. There are many varieties of echeveria to choose from, which vary in their growing preferences, sizes, and colors.

Money Tree

Money trees are another great large plant for pet owners. They can survive in low light with fairly little water.

Parlor Palm

Parlor palms are tall houseplants that enjoy indirect light and being watered every 1-2 weeks. They also help by being great air purifiers!

Peperomia

Just like American rubber plants, other varieties of peperomia are great cat-friendly houseplant options. Peperomia plants require minimal light and watering.

Polka Dot Plant

Polka dot plants have unique leaves and are a great choice for adding low maintenance interest to your home.

Ponytail Palm

Ponytail palms enjoy bright natural light and drying out in between waterings, making them perfect for a sunny window and minimal care.

Prayer Plants

These pet-safe plants enjoy high humidity and are easy to care for.

Rattlesnake Plant

Rattlesnake plants are easy to care for and do well in indirect sunlight. Don’t confuse this cat-friendly plant with snake plants. Snake plants are also low maintenance, but they are poisonous to cats.

Spider Plants

These resilient plants are perfectly safe for cats. Unfortunately, they may not be safe FROM cats, as our lovely Marie demonstrates on a near daily basis. (If your cat hasn’t chewed them off already, you may find that your spider plants get brown tips – here’s how to fix them.)

Swedish Ivy