Pet Safety Tips

For the Indoor Gardener

Pet safety tips for the Indoor Gardener make up a short but essential list. If you follow the advice below the Google ads, you'll insure the safety of both your plants and your pets.

According to Dr. Tina Wismer, Veterinarian for the ASPCA, pets have no inborn sense of which plants are poisonous for them. That leaves the responsibility fully in your hands.

• Grow only non-toxic plants. Different pets react to different kinds of toxins in plants, so check the list appropriate for the kind of pet you own. If you raise an exotic pet or don't see a particular plant on either the Toxic or the Non-Toxic lists, check with your vet or a University Botany Department such as the one at Cornell. New plants are always being developed and regularly enter the marketplace. Be educated about what you buy and bring into your home.
• Keep plants out of reach for your pet. Hang as many houseplants as you can, and place others on high shelves or above cabinets where your pets can't jump.
• Keep hydrogen peroxide on hand in case you need to induce vomiting after your pet ingests a toxic plant - but only after consulting with your vet.
• Know your poison control center number. Test it for accuracy at least twice a year and keep it where you can find it in seconds.
• Take symptoms seriously and respond quickly.


• Use organic plant care products and keep them where your pets can't get at them. Organic won't guarantee safety for your pet, but if ingested are less likely to cause serious problems. These include soil, soil additives such as bone meal or lime, sand, fertilizer, plant food, and insecticides.

Read more pet safety tips and get in-depth information on the following pages of Indoor-Gardener.com:


TOXIC HOUSEPLANTS FOR THE INDOOR GARDENER - an exclusive interview with Dr. Wismer, Veterinarian for the ASPCA, with pet safety tips for the Indoor Gardener...



CAT SAFE HOUSEPLANTS - The Indoor Gardener who shares his/her home with a cat needs to know which plants are safe for your favorite feline...



LIST OF CAT SAFE HOUSEPLANTS - Here's a partial list of plants safe to grow in a home with a cat...



PLANTS POISONOUS TO CATS - Just as you chose your cat carefully - by breed or by love-at-first-purr - choose your houseplants carefully. Read this informative page with pet safety tips about avoiding plants toxic to your cat...


CHIA CAT GRASS - Share your indoor gardening with your pet by planting Chia cat grass. Felines, dogs, and even pet rabbits will be happy - and be more likely to leave your other houseplants alone!...


PLANTS POISONOUS TO DOGS - There are a surprising number of plants toxic to dogs that are grown as houseplants. Read about the symptoms and what to do if your see them in your four-legged friend...



LIST OF PLANTS POISONOUS TO DOGS - Here's a list of common indoor plants that are toxic to dogs. If you're raising Fido and houseplants, check before you buy...



POISON CONTROL CENTERS - Search these links for poison control centers near you. Every responsible Indoor Gardener with a child or pet should have this number handy...

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