#NipFest #ContainerGarden #Cats #CatioPlants #CatSafePlants Look what mom got for me! 😻 A tiny catnip plant in a giant pot! It's indoors for now cuz' nights are still cold, but if all goes well I'll be having some mellow days all season! #TabbyCat #TabbyTude

I should have hidden these long details behind a tag, but here's a link for anyone interested, and a place I can add more in the future
#CatSafePlants #PlantLovers #CatLovers #NeverOpuntia
https://infosec.exchange/@saraislet/109418399299010687

@djspacebunny the following may be too much detail, but it's useful for me to document for myself and for other people who ask

Succulents are almost all cat safe — but cacti mostly aren't cat safe. The extra spiky ones protect themselves, but some spikies have toxins IN the spikies (e.g., Madagascar palm, sago palm), and many have "oxalate crystals" which have mixed assessments but are probably Not Good.

Different succulents need different conditions from medium indirect light to full direct light. Most need to dry out, but Kalanchoe likes some regular watering and can't dry out too long. Ponytail palm is lovely and easy to care for and technically a succulent.

In the non-succulent families:
Prayer plants and Calatheas are spectacular, but picky. Money trees and bromeliads and spider plants are flexible and easy (highly recommend). Hoya and peperomia are good. Passion flower AND passion fruit are cat safe climbing vines!

Palms are mixed on cat safety—take care. Parlor palm, Aretha palm, and Majesty palm are good, but some cats will nibble on anything that dangles (which isn't toxic, but could lead to vomiting).

Citrus trees are good, as are juniper bushes and Japanese maple, and all can grow in (very) large pots.

The popular rubber trees, fig trees, and ficus are all toxic to cats. However, Jade plants (gollum Jade, crassula whatever) are very similar and—checks notes—well shit ok also mildly poisonous, so nevermind that. Aeonium is cat safe though!

There's some lemon and pepper and other specialized cat-safe cat deterrent sprays. I'm personally not comfortable relying on that with plants that are toxic to cats. There's "mildly harmful", "poisonous", and "Extremely Toxic". I strictly avoid exposing my cats to the latter two, and strongly avoid the first. YMMV. My very few toxic plants are placed where cats can't go without observation (e.g., outdoor balcony).

My personal general rule for plants that are or may be not safe for cats is this:
★ Don't keep the worst tier at all (lilies), and the second worst tier (my Madagascar palm that I should give away) must have more than one physical barrier that won't be accidentally moved or broken through by cats
★ Keep it isolated where cats don't or can't go without observation
★ Make sure it won't be accidentally or mischievously knocked down where cats might nibble at leaves or roots
★ Avoid anything tempting for cats to nibble or pull down to expose roots when the pot smashes on the floor (dangling leaves). So I'll tolerate Sansevieria Fernwood or Whalefin (outside, under observation), but never Monstera.
★ Use museum putty to stick pots and vases onto surfaces. Not that a cat couldn't break that hold, but if the vase doesn't wobble, the cat is less tempted to pull the prayer plant down Yet Again and eventually decides to chew on (literally) lower hanging fruit.
★ DO NOT get any more opuntia (prickly pear): although cat-safe, edible, fast growing, and easy to care for, opuntia thorns are nearly invisible shit-gobblers that leap into clothing, persist across wash cycles, and infiltrate pain centers at the worst moments from awkward angles while being incredibly hard to find (because nearly invisible tiny, thin, short needles).

#CatSafePlants #Cats #CatLovers #PlantLovers #NeverOpuntia