The combination of cats and plants is a real dilemma: on the one hand, cats love and need greens, on the other hand, many plants are poisonous and harmful to their health.
But that doesn’t mean you have to do without all plants. In our little guide, you can read which species you should avoid, how you can recognize potentially dangerous plants and which plants are welcome to move in with you.
Why do cats eat plants and grasses at all?
At first glance, it seems very strange that cats, being pure hunters and carnivores, also nibble on greens.
However, eating plants is an instinctive need of cats. There are several reasons for this: On the one hand, the indigestible plant components help your cat to excrete hair that it picks up when cleaning. These hairballs need to be regurgitated regularly. Grass acts as a natural emetic here. In this way, the cat can regurgitate the swallowed hair together with the plant fibers.
On the other hand, grass contains the important trace element folic acid, which cats cannot absorb sufficiently through their meat meal.
Identify plants with certainty
You should therefore make sure that you only choose special food plants and harmless plants for cats, especially for the apartment and the balcony, so that nothing can happen if your kitty nibbles on them.
However, identifying plants with certainty is not that easy. There are some pitfalls here, as many plants and flowers look very similar or have similar names, which can lead to confusion. Sometimes they are also wrongly labeled in the garden center.
Tip
So that you can really identify plants with certainty, you should always use the Latin / botanical name as a guide. This is the best way to identify and distinguish plants.
If you cannot clearly see or identify a plant, then it is better to leave it alone.
Poisonous Plants in the home and in the garden
If you only have an indoor cat, it is particularly important, as already described, that you pay attention to a species-appropriate and cat-friendly green covering for your apartment. Because your kitty depends on you providing her with plants that she can safely consume.
But even if you have an outdoor cat, there can be poisonous plants lurking in the garden or on the balcony that you should be aware of.
Note: The list in this article does not claim to be complete. There are simply too many poisonous plants for that. Therefore, you will find the most common and particularly toxic plants here.
You can find more information about poisonous plants in this article: Poisonous plants for cats or on the poisonous plant page of the veterinary medicine portal.
Especially poisonous plants in the apartment
- Cyclamen or Cyclamen (Cyclamen)
- Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia seguine) and all arum plants (Araceae)
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna) or Knight’s Star (Hippeastrum)
- Weeping fig or Benjamini (Ficus benjamina) and rubber tree (Ficus elastica)
- Azalea and rhododendrons (Rhododendron simsii or Rhododendron japonicum)
- Bow hemp or bayonet plant (Sansevieria)
Attention: Even beautiful cut flowers such as chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum), lilies (Lilium), daffodils or daffodils (Narcissus), and tulips (Tulipa) are poisonous for your cat! Poisoning can also be fatal here!
Particularly poisonous plants in the garden and on the balcony:
- Yew (Taxus baccata):
- monkshood and foxglove (aconite)
- Cherry Laurel(Prunus laurocerasus)
- Oleander or rose laurel (Nerium oleander)
- laburnum
- Thuja or tree of life (Thuja and Thuja occidentalis)
- Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
- Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Boxwood (​Buxaceae)
What Plants Are Good For Cats?
Of course, you don’t have to do without plants in your home. So-called nibbling plants are particularly suitable for cats, which they like to nibble on and which they can eat without hesitation.
You can set them up in the apartment as well as on the balcony or terrace. The nibbling plants include the following plants:
Cat Grass: Every cat owner should have in their home. These are germ grasses made from wheat, rye, oats, or barley. Most cats love to eat it. Cat grass should always be planted or bought again, as it doesn’t last that long.
Creeping cushion (Callisia repens): Is very durable and has a high nutrient content. Should not be bought as a sprayed ornamental, but labeled as a forage plant.
Cyprus grass (Cyperus zumula): Is particularly easy to care for and durable. However, Cyprus grass should not be placed in the sun, otherwise the stalks become very firm and can get caught in your cat’s throat.
Spider plant (Chlorophytum Comosum): Is particularly robust and easy to care for and is available in different variants. The seeds of the flowers contain toxins, so the flowers should always be removed. Green lilies also absorb toxins from the environment, e.g. from smokers or when painting, so it is better not to set them up.
Room bamboo (Pogonatherum paniceum): Belongs to the sweet grasses and is usually only available as a sprayed ornamental plant. In this case, the pesticide should be washed off well. Its sprouts should not be eaten as they are poisonous. These should be removed or it should be ensured that the cat only nibbles on the outer leaves.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria):
There are now many different colors and sizes and is extremely popular with cats. Catnip sometimes smell a bit harsh for human noses.
Blooming ideas for the home and garden
In addition to the nibbling plants, there are also harmless ornamental plants that are not necessarily suitable for consumption, but nothing happens to them if your cat nibbles them because they are non-toxic.
There is a large selection of plants here, so you are sure to find something suitable for your apartment, balcony, or garden.
These ornamental plants are well suited for the apartment, the balcony or the terrace:
- Kentia palm (Howea Forsteriana) and coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)
- Corianders (Calathea species, e.g. Calathea ornata, Calathea rufibarba, Calathea crocata)
- shamflower or lip stick plant (Aeschynanthus sp.)
- African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha)
- Succulents or Echeveria (Echeveria agavoides)
- Hibiscus (Hibiscus sinesis)
These plants are great for the garden:
- Marguerites (Leucanthemum)
- Violets or pansies (Violaceae or Viola x wittrockiana)
- Fuchsias (Fuchsia)
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Dahlias or georgines (Dahlia)
- Shield fern (Polystichum setiferum)
Conclusion: cats and plants
As you can see, as a cat owner it is really important that you always keep an eye on which plants are in your apartment, on the balcony, or in the garden. Because many plants threaten your cat with bad poisoning if they nibble on them.
However, the whole thing can be mastered with a little know-how and there is also a large selection of beautiful plants that are completely harmless to your kitty.
