"People and animals and plants will leave you, but the joy of having them, for however long, is worth the sorrow."

What does it mean to say a houseplant is pet-friendly? Simply that it is non-toxic. Did you know that many common houseplants are actually quite poisonous?

Some of our favorite plants that are not safe for pets (or people!) to chew on or eat include: philodendrons, most euphorbias, aglaonemas, anthuriums, asparagus ferns, dracaenas, sansevierias, begonias, tradescantias, ficus, and many more.

So why do our furry friends eat our plants? Many people think they do it to calm an upset stomach or help remove hairballs, or maybe our pets are attempting to fix a nutritional deficiency. Dogs and cats sometimes chew on houseplants during play sessions, attacking waving fronds as they would a toy. It can be difficult to keep a houseplant away from a pet that is determined to chew, so it's up to us to ensure that any plants we grow in the home are safe and non-toxic to cats and dogs. With the exception of edibles like cat grass, it's always better to keep prized plants out of a pet's reach if you can.   

According to the ASPCA, a cat or dog that consumes any plant material may experience upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea. Fortunately, with many plants this is a mild reaction, and the plant can still be considered non-toxic.  

Even non-toxic plants can cause stomach issues if the animal is sensitive or just eats too much. Assuming you don't want a chewed up plant you can spray your plant with harmless sprays made from lemon juice diluted with water, or diluted Tabasco sauce  or  cayenne pepper diluted with water.  (test on small leave first to see if it harms the plant) If you’re lucky, your pet will be repelled by the scent or taste and leave it alone