PETS VS PLANTS

KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE & HAPPY

So many people, including me, ask about the pet-friendly plants out there, but where are all the plant-friendly pets? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll take a good cuddle with a pup any day of the week, but shouldn't they respect all the other life (including the furniture) in our home?

I actually lucked out and have a cat that does not care too much about plants. My cat definitely prefers the warmth of our home to living on the streets, which would probably be the case if he messed with one of my plants. Just kidding. But really... stay away from the plants. While I haven't always been a cat person I must say that I definitely care more about my cat that I do about my plants. Not having a green thumb and struggling to keep them alive is one of the reasons why. The plants... not my cat.

Disclaimer: above photo is not my cat.

In my past, having plants and pets hasn't always been harmonious. I once lived with a cat that was what I would call a plant terrorist. He expressed his hate - or maybe it was his love - by chewing on every single plant in his path. As most of the plants I had were toxic to him, I had to learn to help both him and the plants by placing the plants higher in the room, away from his little claws.

I found trailing plants that could be hung useful for this, like philodendrons, Christmas cacti, and calatheas. Another solution is to grow larger tree-like plants that have tall trunks which keeps the foilage out of reach. Another good technique is to arrange plants on a windowsill, filling it up completely. This will deter your cat(s) from jumping onto the windowsill - when they can't see a safe place to jump onto, they avoid it altogether.

Lastly, if you see your pets interacting with your plants in a way that you don't like, this is the perfect time to pull their attention away from the plants by playing with them. In most situations, they play or eat your plants because they're bored.

If you are looking for non-toxic plants for your furry friends, try these lucky seven:

1. Air plant (Tillandsia)

2. Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

3. Rattlesnake plant (Calathea lancifolia)

4. Calathea orbifolia

5. Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides)

6. Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera)

7. Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

Do you have any other tips or tricks on how to safe your plants from your pets or vise versa? Feel free to reach out via the comment section below or send an email to: timeasdesign@gmail.com