There are two things I love deeply in life: plants and pets. The bad news is that many common plants are not safe for cats and dogs. Even the most well-behaved pets are bound to take a bite of a houseplant at some point. I know this too well before I founded the ginger jungle I helped hundreds of pooches and owners with their problematic pets and I witness firsthand the effect of toxic plants or other substances. Since we strongly support adding plants to your home to help benefit your mood and help clean your air we also have to make sure your furry friends are safe and sound.
Check out our favourite nontoxic plants that are safe for cats and dogs.
Calathea
In nature, Calatheas thrive in the dense, shaded, and vegetated tropical rainforests of South America - they love the Shade! They could be the perfect choice for that shaded spot in your hall, office, or workplace where the light may be a little lower. Calathea's are also pet-safe too, which makes them ideal for any space!
Spider Plant
A favorite among vets and nans, this plant is easy to grow indoors and incredibly resilient. Spider plants are also great air purifiers, so they can help get rid of your home’s toxins.
Did you know! Spider plants contain chemicals that are similar to those found in opium? These substances have a mildly hallucinogenic effect on our feline pals. If you've ever noticed that Fluffy tends to look rather wide-eyed after eating these plants, well, now you know why.
Watermelon Peperomia
The Peperomia family includes lots of varieties, but we’re partial to the Watermelon (a quick look at its leaves makes it clear how it got its name). They prefer to be kept out of direct sunlight and don’t need a ton of water to stay happy.
Staghorn Fern
The staghorn fern will do well in any room with bright or indirect light, but never in a dark room. Depending on the weather and humidity, you can water it every one to three weeks (the more humidity, the less you need to water it). If you place it in a bathroom, you’ll need to water and mist it only every three weeks.
Maranta Prayer Plant
With its eye-catching leaves and elegant coloration, it’s bound to make your pet curious about its beauty.
Hoya
Hoyas are defined as semi-succulents, making them easy to care for and slow to wilt. They come in a ton of shapes and sizes all of which are safe to have around pets.
Puppies and Houseplants
Puppy training tips
A lot of young puppies will go crazy at certain points in the day. For me and my clients, it was normally around 6 pm...I called this a witching hour also known as the zoomies. Your puppy or kitten could quite happily ignore your plants all day but when it came to the witching hour your plants or you can become easy targets as your angelic puppy suddenly turns into a demon!
Witching hour tips
Using a high-value distraction at only these points is vital in keeping your plants and pets happy and safe.
Find some smelly chews which are safe for puppies (the larger the better) and only use these in the "witching hours" for short bursts - If you have a safe den for your pup that's the perfect place to use the high-value reward. Which will also keep your plants and your toes safe!
Freezing chews will make them last longer and also help teething puppies. (Which can be very painful for many puppies) Frozen carrots, apples, and bananas can help soothe your puppies' gums. A KONG toy is a fantastic way to distract your puppy which can be stuffed with smelly food such as tuna (in spring water), pet-safe peanut butter, and liver paste.
Kong toys https://www.kongcompany.com/en-uk/
Training time, but at the right time
Short training sessions can help but you may find that some puppies are just too excited to listen as they start to enter the witching hour. I would suggest to my clients to do a short training session after their puppy has had a good chew and calmed down after about 20 mins.
Treat toys
Treat dispenser toys are also great! Simply place some smelly treats inside the ball and watch them go as they paw and nudge the ball around to get the tasty rewards!
Play time
It's very tempting to play with your puppy in the witching hours/zoomies as most owners feel they need to wear their puppies out. However, this tends to create more excitement which can cause your puppy to become over-excited which can increase bad habits such as biting and pestery behaviour as your pup matures. I would always recommend picking the right state of mind to interact which your puppy It is best to do these types of games when they are calm not during the witching hour.
I hope these tips help if you would like more tips please feel free to message me.
Suzanne xxx