Summary
Terra Flowers & Flavours is Ottawa's flower shop, café, and plant boutique in Barrhaven, and we carry a solid lineup of houseplants that are genuinely safe for cats. This guide covers what we currently stock, cross-checked against ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant lists specifically for cats (not just "pets" in general), plus the one flower you should never bring home if you share your space with a cat.
Key Highlights
- Terra carries several cat-safe houseplants in Barrhaven right now, including Peperomia, Calathea, Hoya, Spider Plant, Haworthia, Echeveria, and more
- Cats and dogs don't always react to plants the same way, so this list is checked against ASPCA's cat-specific toxicity data, not a generic "pet-safe" list
- Lilies are the single biggest houseplant-and-flower danger for cats specifically, even a little pollen or vase water can cause fatal kidney failure
- One popular "cat-safe" succulent circulating online (Portulacaria afra, elephant bush) is frequently mislabeled and left off this list on purpose
- Want something specific? We can source it. Just reach out
- Every plant on this list can be picked up in Barrhaven or delivered across Ottawa
Cat people and plant people overlap a lot, and we get versions of the same question constantly at our Barrhaven shop: "if my cat takes a bite out of this, is that a vet visit?" It's a smart question to ask before you buy, not after. Some genuinely popular houseplants right now, Snake Plant and Aloe Vera among them, are mildly toxic to cats even though they get lumped in with easy-care, pet-friendly plants online.
This isn't a copy-paste "top plants for cats" list. Everything in the first section is something you can actually walk into Terra and buy today, or have delivered to your door across Ottawa, Barrhaven, Kanata, Nepean, Manotick, or Orleans. We checked our live inventory before writing this, not after.
One important note specific to cats: "non-toxic" doesn't mean "safe to eat a whole leaf of." Cats are more sensitive to certain compounds than dogs, and even a plant on the safe list can cause mild stomach upset in large amounts. Keep reading for the one plant category (lilies) where the difference between cats and dogs really matters.
What Houseplants at Terra Are Safe for Cats?
Based on ASPCA's cat-specific non-toxic plant list, these are currently in stock in our Barrhaven collection:
- Peperomia (we carry several varieties: Hope, Napoli Nights, Watermelon, Piccolo Banda, Robella, Burbella, and String of Turtles)
- Spider Plant
- Calathea Rattlesnake
- Hoya Carnosa and Hoya Macrophylla
- Neantha Bella Palm (a compact parlor palm, great for smaller spaces)
- Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura, various sizes)
- Haworthia Echeveria Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)
- Polka Dot Plant (available in red, pink, mixed, and green)
- Air Plants (Tillandsia, no soil for a cat to dig into) and the
- Tillandsia Luna Orb Terrarium
- Phalaenopsis Orchid
A few names sound safe but aren't automatically. Haworthia looks a lot like Aloe Vera, and people mix them up constantly, but true Aloe Vera is mildly toxic to cats while Haworthia is not. If you're not sure which succulent you're looking at in the shop, just ask our team before you buy.
Why Isn't Portulacaria Afra (Elephant Bush) on This List?
You'll see Portulacaria afra recommended as "cat-safe" all over plant blogs and social media, and it's genuinely one of the more confusing cases out there. We looked into this closely before writing this post and decided to leave it off, since the "cat-safe" label for this plant gets repeated online more often than it gets verified. If you already own one, it hasn't shown a pattern of serious poisoning cases, but we'd rather under-promise here than pass along a claim we can't fully stand behind. If your cat is a known chewer, keep this one out of reach just in case.
What Other Cat-Safe Plants Should I Know About?
A few more ASPCA-approved, cat-safe houseplants that aren't in our current Barrhaven stock, in case you're building out a full cat-friendly collection:
- Boston Fern
- Areca Palm
- African Violet
- Bamboo Palm
- Cast Iron Plant
These are popular, easy to care for, and worth knowing about even if you don't find them on our shelves this week.
What Common Houseplants Are Actually Toxic to Cats?
A handful of very popular, easy-care houseplants are toxic to cats and worth watching for, whether you already own one or you're plant shopping elsewhere:
- Pothos and Philodendron (calcium oxalate crystals irritate the mouth and throat)
- Snake Plant / Sansevieria (mildly toxic, despite being marketed as nearly indestructible and "easy")
- ZZ Plant / Zamioculcas zamifolia (calcium oxalate crystals cause mouth and stomach irritation if chewed)
- Aloe Vera (mildly toxic, often mistakenly grouped with pet-safe succulents)
- Dieffenbachia
- Sago Palm (severely toxic to cats and dogs, and not one we carry)
If you already have a ZZ Plant or Snake Plant at home and also have a cat, that's not cause for panic, just a reason to keep it somewhere your cat can't chew on it. Both are genuinely popular, low-maintenance plants we carry and recommend often, just not to households with a known plant-chewer.
Why Are Lilies So Dangerous for Cats Specifically?
This is the one place where cats and dogs are genuinely different, and it matters enough that we're giving it its own section. True lilies (Lilium species) and daylilies (Hemerocallis species) are extremely toxic to cats, to the point of causing acute kidney failure. Every part of the plant is dangerous: petals, leaves, stems, and even the pollen. A cat that brushes against a lily and grooms the pollen off its fur, or drinks water from a vase that held lilies, can develop kidney failure within days.
Dogs can get an upset stomach from lilies, but the reaction in cats is far more severe. If you have a cat at home, this is the one flower category to avoid entirely, in bouquets, arrangements, and the garden. If your cat has had any contact with a lily, plant material, pollen, or vase water, this is a same-day emergency vet visit, not a wait-and-see situation.
Can I Order a Specific Cat-Safe Plant From Terra?
Yes. Our plant selection changes with what's available from our growers, so if you're after a specific cat-safe variety, reach out and we'll do our best to source it for you. Call us at 613-440-0033 or stop by our Barrhaven location. We deliver across Ottawa, Barrhaven, Kanata, Nepean, Manotick, and Orleans, so your new plant can come straight to your door either way.
How Can I Keep My Plants Safe From a Curious Cat?
Cats are climbers, so "out of reach" means something different for a cat than it does for a dog. A few things that help:
- A tall plant stand or high shelf works better than a low table, since cats can jump
- Cat grass gives your cat something safe to chew on, which can redirect attention away from your houseplants. Terra doesn't currently stock cat grass kits, so here's one option: shop cat grass growing kits
- A pet-safe bitter deterrent spray applied to leaves can discourage chewing without harming your cat
- A hanging planter keeps trailing plants like String of Turtles or Hoya up and away from batting paws
- A soil moisture meter from Terra helps you avoid overwatering, which means less soggy, diggable soil
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cat-Safe Houseplants
Is Peperomia really safe for cats?
Yes. Peperomia is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. We carry several varieties at our Barrhaven location, so it's an easy, low-risk plant to start with.
My cat ate a leaf from a plant on this list. Should I still call the vet?
Non-toxic doesn't mean risk-free in every situation. Large amounts of any plant material can cause vomiting or stomach upset, and every cat reacts differently. If your cat seems unwell, call your vet. If the plant was a lily, treat it as an emergency regardless of amount.
Are succulents like Echeveria and Haworthia safe for cats?
Yes, both are listed as non-toxic to cats by the ASPCA. Just be aware that Aloe Vera, a similar-looking succulent, is not safe, and Portulacaria afra is one we've chosen not to vouch for.
Is Snake Plant safe for cats?
No, not fully. Snake Plant (Sansevieria) is mildly toxic to cats, which surprises a lot of people since it's marketed as one of the most indestructible, beginner-friendly houseplants around. It's not on our safe list for that reason.
Are ZZ plants toxic to cats?
Yes, mildly. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamifolia) contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate a cat's mouth and stomach if chewed. It's an excellent low-light, low-water plant for a home without cats, but we wouldn't recommend it if your cat likes to chew on leaves.
Are air plants safe for cats?
Yes, Tillandsia is non-toxic to cats. They also have no soil, which removes the digging temptation entirely.
Can I bring my cat carrier into the Terra shop in Barrhaven?
We'd love to see your cat. Give us a call at 613-440-0033 before you visit so we can let you know what to expect that day.
Do you deliver plants outside of Barrhaven?
Yes, we deliver across Ottawa, Barrhaven, Kanata, Nepean, Manotick, and Orleans.
Visit Terra Flowers & Flavours Hours: Mon-Sun 9:30am - 7pm Phone: 613-440-0033 Delivery area: Ottawa, Barrhaven, Kanata, Nepean, Manotick, Orleans