Why Pet Safety Matters When Choosing Houseplants
Many popular houseplants contain compounds that are genuinely harmful to cats and dogs. Calcium oxalate crystals, for example, are found in common genera like Dieffenbachia and Philodendron, and can cause drooling, swelling, and digestive distress if a curious pet takes a bite. Knowing which plants are safe before you bring them home saves a stressful trip to the emergency animal hospital. Our pet-safe collection is curated specifically with this in mind, so every plant in that section has been reviewed for pet safety.
Calathea: Bold Foliage, Worry-Free
Calathea is one of the most visually striking pet-safe genera you can grow indoors. We currently carry six varieties, including Calathea Orbifolia with its wide, silver-striped leaves, the graphic Calathea Ornata, the richly patterned Calathea Makoyana, and the richly toned Calathea Roseopicta. All are non-toxic to cats and dogs, and all thrive in medium to bright indirect light, making them well suited to the lower-light corners of a Canadian home in winter.
If you want to go deeper on keeping these plants happy, our Calathea care guide covers watering, humidity, and the most common problems growers run into.
Maranta: The Prayer Plant That Moves
Maranta is closely related to Calathea and shares the same pet-safe status. We currently stock Maranta Lemon Lime, a cheerful variety with warm-toned leaf markings. Like all prayer plants, it folds its leaves upward in the evening and opens them again in the morning, a movement called nyctinasty that never gets old to watch. Maranta does well in medium light and appreciates consistent moisture without sitting in standing water.
Tips for a Pet-Safe Plant Collection
Building a pet-friendly indoor garden is straightforward once you know what to look for. A few practical points:
- Shop from a curated pet-safe section rather than checking each plant individually. Our pet-safe shop page does that filtering for you.
- Place even non-toxic plants out of easy reach if your pet is a dedicated chewer. Repeated nibbling on any plant can cause mild stomach upset simply from the volume of plant material ingested.
- If you are ever unsure whether a plant in your home is safe, contact your veterinarian or nearest emergency animal hospital rather than waiting to see if symptoms appear.
- When gifting a plant to a household with pets, include a note about the plant's safety status so the recipient knows what they have.
Shopping In Store or Shipping Across Canada
Our shop is located in Hanover, Ontario. If you are in Bruce County, Grey County, or nearby towns like Kincardine, Owen Sound, Port Elgin, or Walkerton, we are a 30-60 minute drive away, or we ship Mondays across Canada. Live plants go out on Mondays only so they never sit in a courier depot over a weekend. During colder months, orders include heat packs to protect plants in transit. For details on what shipping costs, see our shipping rates.
Expanding Your Pet-Safe Collection Over Time
Calathea and Maranta are excellent starting points, but the world of pet-safe houseplants is broader than many growers realize. As our inventory grows, we add new varieties to the pet-safe section regularly. Checking new arrivals is a good habit if you are building out a collection and want to catch interesting additions before they sell out.
