Safe Flowers For Cats: Spring Guide

April showers bring May flowers! And sometimes, flowers are exactly what you need to liven up your home. But which flowers are safe to keep in the house when you have cats? Find out below.

Flowers that are safe for cats

Even if you have a feline friend at home, there are plenty of flowers you can safely keep in your space:

• Orchids – Orchidaceae family
• Roses – Rosa species (we actually have a blog specifically about roses here!)
• Sunflowers – Helianthus species
• Snapdragons – Antirrhinum species
• Hibiscus – Hibiscus syriacus
• African violets – Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia
• Asters – Symphotrichum species
• Gerbera daisies – Gerbera jamesonii

Flowers that are toxic to cats

If you have a cat living with you, here are the flowers it’s best to avoid. Even having them in the house can be dangerous (if a cat ingests any part of a lily, they can suffer from kidney failure), so it’s always better to go with one of the above flowers instead of these below:

• Birds of paradise
• Lilies
• Daffodils
• Dahlias
• Hyacinths
• Gardenias
• Daisies
• Morning glories
• Peonies
• Tulips
• Chrysanthemums

Other things to consider when keeping flowers in your home

Although some flowers are considered cat-safe, there are some things that cat owners should still be aware of when keeping flowers in their home:

• Be sure to remove plant feeding packets and any packaging like rubber bands, wires, or plastic wrap
• Pesticides could be dangerous; get untreated flowers when possible
• Ingesting plants can still cause some stomach upset

Having furry family members doesn’t mean you can’t fill your house with beautiful flowers. Just make sure to buy cat-safe flowers and keep them out of your cat’s reach when possible, and you can bring the joy of spring indoors.