These 13 Indoor Plants Are Safe for Cats and Dogs (and Will Spruce Up Your Space)

Air Plants

• Botanical Name: Tillandsia
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: n/a (epiphytic)
• Soil pH: n/a (epiphytic)

Hardy yet featherlight air plants, or Tillandsia, can thrive hung from the ceiling in a globe, mounted in a chic frame on the wall, or arranged on a narrow windowsill—all places that are extra-tough for cats and dogs to reach. And even if your critters do manage to sink their teeth into one, it’s comforting to know that air plants are nontoxic.

Choose from varieties like Tillandsia ionantha (also known as sky plant), whose leaf tips turn pink when it flowers, or a fuzzy, gray-green xerographic with long, curling leaves. 

Staghorn Fern

• Botanical Name: Platycerium bifurcatum
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: n/a (epiphytic)
• Soil pH: n/a (epiphytic)

Like air plants, staghorn ferns are epiphytes. That means you can sidestep the soil-and-planter combo and grow your fern by wrapping its root ball in moss, then mounting it on a wooden board or plaque. Not only does this method of planting reward you with a living sculpture once you hang it on a wall, it helps keep your fern out of the reach of your four-legged friends. It’d take a pretty athletic pup or curious cat to get a bite of one of the fern's long, antler-shaped fronds.

Money Tree

• Botanical Name: Pachira aquatica
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining, peat-moss-based soil mix
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5

The tropical tree Pachira aquatica is often sold with several stems braided together. The plant gets its nickname from feng shui, where it earned a reputation for bringing financial fortune if you keep it in a bright, well-lit space in your home. If you’re a pet owner, consider yourself lucky already: The worst thing that can happen to your cat or dog if they eat a leaf from your money tree is an upset stomach—meaning no big vet bills for you!

Haworthia

• Botanical Name: Haworthiopsis attenuata
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining soil mix
• Soil pH: 6.6 – 7.5

If you’re missing the spiny, tapering leaves of pet-unfriendly succulents like aloe, look no further than the many species in the Haworthia genus for an elegant, compact, and pet-friendly replacement. One of the most common is Haworthia fasciata (also known as zebra plant) for its point, dark-green leaves lined with thin, white horizontal stripes.

The Sill Haworthia $25.00

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Echeveria

• Botanical Name: Echeveria lilacina
• Sun Exposure: Direct sun
• Soil Type: Sandy, well-draining soil mix
• Soil pH: 6.0

Several species in this colorful, roselike genus of succulents—wax rosette (Echeveria gilva), blue hen and chicks (Echeveria glauca), Copper Rose (Echeveria multicaulis), and Mexican gem (Echeveria elegans), to name a few—are nontoxic to dogs and cats. To keep them showing their brightest colors and prevent them from getting leggy, display yours in the brightest, sunniest spot in your space. 

Polka Dot Plant

• Botanical Name: Hypoestes phyllostachya
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Rich, well-draining soil mix
• Soil pH: 5.6 – 6.5

Your cuddly fur babies are just about the only thing cuter than the polka dot plant (also known as baby’s tears). Its bushy green foliage, which looks like it’s been splatter-painted with shades of white, pink, or red, won’t hurt your dog or cat if they happen to chomp on a leaf or two. Even better, its colors show best in medium-bright light, giving you a little flexibility in where you decide to display it. 

Bird's Nest Fern

• Botanical Name: Asplenium nidus
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Light, well-draining soil mix
• Soil pH: 5.0 – 5.5

Along with other true ferns like Boston ferns, bold spear ferns, and staghorn ferns, bird's nest ferns are non-toxic to cats and dogs. With their long, drooping leaves—they do well in a window with bright, indirect light—they’re great hanging plants that can be displayed out of reach of your pets.

The Sill Bird's Nest Fern $43.00

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African Violet

• Botanical Name: Saintpaulia ionantha
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Loose, porous, well-draining soil mix
• Soil pH: 5.8 – 6.2

These adorable, pet-friendly houseplants are a kitchen windowsill classic, boasting cute flowers with yellow centers and petals in vivid shades ranging from white to deep purple—but you can put them anywhere in your home that gets lots of bright, indirect light. African violets thrive in moderate temperatures with good humidity, so choose a spot away from cold drafts to display yours. 

Parlor Palm

• Botanical Name: Chamaedorea elegans
• Sun Exposure: Low to bright indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining, peat-moss-based soil mix
• Soil pH: 5.1 – 7.5

Parlor palms give a graceful tropical feel to any space and make great tall statement plants for high-ceilinged or open-plan spaces. Since large specimens are typically displayed in containers directly on the floor, it’s great news that they’re nontoxic to cats and dogs. They grow best with lots of bright, indirect light—think in front of a large, east-facing window—but can tolerate lower-light conditions, too. 

Prayer Plant

• Botanical Name: Maranta leuconeura
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining soil mix
• Soil pH: 5.5 – 6.0

Add a pop of color to your bathroom with a pet-safe prayer plant, the collective name for plants in the Calathea and Maranta families. These humidity-loving plants get their nickname from the way their vibrant, stained glass-patterned leaves fold up at night as if in prayer, and they’re nontoxic to both dogs and cats. They need bright, indirect light, but not too much. Try displaying yours in a north-facing or east-facing windowsill. 

Spider Plant

• Botanical Name: Chlorophytum comosum
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.2

This charming tropical pops up in every kind of space not only because of its hardiness, flexibility, and elegant growth habit, but because no harm will come to your critters if they sink their teeth into its long, variegated leaves. Even better, spider plants can grow well in bright, indirect light or lower-light spaces, so you have lots of options when deciding where to display them.

Baby Rubber Plant

• Botanical Name: Peperomia obtusifolia
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
• Soil pH: 5.0 – 6.0

Nicknamed the "baby rubber plant," Peperomia obtusifolia shares some features with the traditional rubber plant—think thick, fleshy leaves; an upright growth habit; and a resilience against not-so-green thumbs. However, unlike the rubber plant, Peperomia obtusifolia is safe company for four-legged friends.

The thick, fleshy leaves of this succulent-like houseplant—a native of south Florida and the Caribbean—appreciate bright, indirect light, so perch yours upon a sunny windowsill. Note that the plant will tolerate low humidity, but easily succumbs to root rot when overwatered.

The Sill Peperomia Obtusifolia $37.00

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Orchid

• Botanical Name: Orchidaceae
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Loose, well-draining potting mix
• Soil pH: 5.5 – 6.5

While orchids are often deemed difficult to care for, the popular phalaenopsis (or moth) orchid isn't particularly fussy. In fact, this orchid variety will reward you with delicate, showy blooms provided that you meet a few simple demands: Keep the plant in bright, diffused light; allow the soil to dry between waterings; and don't let its surroundings dip below 65 degrees.

Prefer the look of a different orchid variety? Rest assured that your dog or cat will be safe sharing a space with the plant—all plants within the Orchidaceae family are generally considered to be non-toxic.

The Sill White Orchid $98.00

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