Feline Favourites: 5 Cat-Friendly Indoor Plants
These five stylish indoor plants will breathe life into your home while being kind to curious cats
Emma Bolger
4 February 2018
Houzz Australia Contributor. As someone who juggles multiple roles, the one thing they all have in common is connection. For over seven years, I've worked within the home decorating industry and am constantly capivated by different decorating styles and spaces, as well as the people that create and live in them. The connection between people and the spaces they live in is truely powerful and one I continually love to explore.
Houzz Australia Contributor. As someone who juggles multiple roles, the one thing... More
With summer in full swing, these cat-friendly indoor plants will brighten up your decor while withstanding the warm weather… as well as the affectionate rubs of your feline friend.
Bringing greenery into the home isn’t so easy for those of us with curious cats. In addition to selecting plants that won’t upset any feline tummies, it’s necessary to consider placement and display options to keep from ending up with chewed plants.
These five evergreen indoor plants tick all the boxes, bringing style into your home while looking after your furry friend.
These five evergreen indoor plants tick all the boxes, bringing style into your home while looking after your furry friend.
1. Sword fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
While some ferns aren’t safe for cats, the sword fern is. The gracefulness of its lush green foliage makes the sword fern a perfect choice for bathrooms or other spaces in the home where you want to create a sense of elegance.
Benefits:
While some ferns aren’t safe for cats, the sword fern is. The gracefulness of its lush green foliage makes the sword fern a perfect choice for bathrooms or other spaces in the home where you want to create a sense of elegance.
Benefits:
- Ideal in either a pot or a hanging basket
- Easy to maintain
Top care tips:
- The high humidity and indirect light of this Toorak, Victoria bathroom provides the fern with the ultimate growing environment. Kitchens are also another great space to consider.
- Keep the soil moist, but refrain from over-watering
- The ideal growing temperature is 20-25°C
2. Blue echeveria
Native to Mexico and the US, the blue echeveria’s stunning rosette formation makes it one of the more stylish succulents. These summer-loving plants can tolerate extended dry periods, which makes them a perfect low- maintenance option for small spaces.
Native to Mexico and the US, the blue echeveria’s stunning rosette formation makes it one of the more stylish succulents. These summer-loving plants can tolerate extended dry periods, which makes them a perfect low- maintenance option for small spaces.
Benefits:
- Able to tolerate extreme temperatures (both hot and cold)
- Suitable for pots and glass terrariums
Top care tips:
- Plant in free-draining, porous soil and try to keep it moist
- The placement of the echeverias featured in this Palm Beach, NSW living room provides the perfect conditions: a well-ventilated space with lots of natural light
- The ideal growing temperature is 15-30°C
3. Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Also known as elephant’s foot, this distinctive plant originates from Mexico and has a palm-like trunk, swollen base and dense clusters of long thin leaves. The ponytail palm’s swollen base allows it to store water, giving you peace of mind if you forget to water it. Its resilience, combined with its striking appearance, makes it an ideal feature plant in any room, especially against neutral colour palettes, as demonstrated in this Brighton, Victoria bathroom.
Also known as elephant’s foot, this distinctive plant originates from Mexico and has a palm-like trunk, swollen base and dense clusters of long thin leaves. The ponytail palm’s swollen base allows it to store water, giving you peace of mind if you forget to water it. Its resilience, combined with its striking appearance, makes it an ideal feature plant in any room, especially against neutral colour palettes, as demonstrated in this Brighton, Victoria bathroom.
Benefits:
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor areas (so if it ever outgrows its indoor space, take inspiration from this Bantry Bay, NSW courtyard and plant it in your garden)
- Easy to maintain
- Place in a warm, bright space
- Keep the soil fairly dry, watering regularly during the warm weather and sparingly in the cooler months
- Ideal temperature is 7-21°C
4. Prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura)
This plant originated in the West Indies, Central and South America, where its unique habit of raising its leaves in an upright position at night time inspired its name. With intricate oval-shaped leaves in a variety of green shades, the prayer plant will instantly draw attention (but hopefully not too much of your cat’s).
Benefits:
This plant originated in the West Indies, Central and South America, where its unique habit of raising its leaves in an upright position at night time inspired its name. With intricate oval-shaped leaves in a variety of green shades, the prayer plant will instantly draw attention (but hopefully not too much of your cat’s).
Benefits:
- Suitable for pots
- Stunning foliage
Top care tips:
- This Elwood, Victoria living room provides the ideal environment: a bright sunny area with indirect sunlight (as direct sunlight won’t just burn the leaves, it can quickly kill the whole plant)
- Grows best in moist, well-drained soil
- Ideal temperature is 15-30°C
5. Cascade palm (Chamaedorea atroviren)
With luscious long green fonds, this gorgeous clumping palm is also referred to as a Mexican hat palm, a name that identifies both its country of origin and its naturally wide shape. A design long associated with the tropics, it instantly brings a touch of paradise to this Melbourne, Victoria living room.
With luscious long green fonds, this gorgeous clumping palm is also referred to as a Mexican hat palm, a name that identifies both its country of origin and its naturally wide shape. A design long associated with the tropics, it instantly brings a touch of paradise to this Melbourne, Victoria living room.
Cascade palms are also ideal to fill empty corners such as the one alongside the fireplace in this Murrumbeena, Victoria living room, mask any imperfections you’d prefer to ignore and, as they grow larger they can even be used as a screen to help separate areas in open-plan spaces.
Benefits:
- Easy to maintain
- Ideal for pots
- Place in a bright area with indirect light
- Keep the soil moist, but be cautious of over-watering
- Ideal temperature is 15-26°C
If you have cats, and your eye is on other indoor plants, consult the RSPCA’s toxic plant list first, and consider asking your vet for advice too.
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Find out more about your favourite plant with our plant profile series
Tell us
If you enjoyed this story, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share any additional cat-friendly indoor plants in the Comments. Join the conversation.
More
Find out more about your favourite plant with our plant profile series
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I have never had a problem with my cat chewing house plants. She is an indoor/outdoor cat and has plenty of grasses for flossing her teeth, and I have no control over where she goes outdoors and what she chews. I think she can smell things we can't and knows what to stay away from. I have watched her many times sniffing and sorting out the best blade of grass for the job. She also stands on a wall to chew the sugar cane.
My cat is a plucker! He will pluck leaves and bits of leaves off plants to get even - have I left him outside when he wants to be inside, have I not fed him on demand, have I told him off for something. Those plants he plucks are usually on the back verandah and their leaves are of a succulent quality. Only one has ever made him sick - it was a water hyacinth and was binned when I realised what was happening.