Are Spider Plants Toxic to Cats?

06.06.2023 - 17:49 / gardenerspath.com / Kristina HicksHamblin

As any new cat owner quickly finds out, some felines like to nibble on houseplants.

If your home is full of – pardon the pun – unvetted plants, the situation may land you at the emergency animal hospital with a very sick pet.

Luckily, Chlorophytum comosum, commonly known as “spider plant” or “spider ivy,” is not harmful to your feline friend.

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However, you might still find yourself with a few questions:

Should you give your kitty free rein to chew away at this houseplant? Why are those long thin leaves and dangling spiderettes so fascinating to our feline friends? And how do you keep your spider plant out of kitty’s reach?

These are the topics I’ll be covering in this article:

It only took me one long, frightening vet visit with my kitty, Louie, for me to get the message that houseplants and cats aren’t always a good combination.

Unbeknownst to me, he ate some of my pothos vine, and when I found him he was drooling, lethargic, and behaving very differently from his usual active, inquisitive self.

Luckily, there was no lasting damage, but it took a long, expensive vet visit to determine that, and I spent the next twenty-four hours observing Louie to make sure his symptoms didn’t worsen.

After Louie recovered from his very upset tummy, I immediately researched all my houseplants to check for toxicity, including the one he had sampled, and rehomed those that weren’t safe for my feline companions. (Goodbye, pothos!)

So thank goodness for spider plant, an easy to care for, highly adaptable houseplant that’s safe to keep around both dogs and cats.

Unlike peace lilies and poth