Did you know that 66% of Americans have at least one houseplant in their homes? Guess what, the percentage of pet owners in the US is exactly the same; 66%!
As such, it’s safe to assume that plant-pet showdowns are quite common. Unfortunately, there’s no clear winner here. Poisonous plants will harm the pets that ingest them, and non-poisonous plants will be ruined by the pets that eat them.
If you’re a plant owner and reading this, you have at least one spider plant at home, as they’re among the most common houseplants.
You probably have many questions as well: Are they safe for your pets? Should you keep them away? How to protect pets from spider plants?
Fortunately, you don’t need to “protect” your pets from spider plants, as they’re non-poisonous. Still, there’s a catch, as they can still harm your pet. Let’s talk details.
Are Spider Plants Harmful to Pets?
According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), spider plants are non-toxic to dogs and cats, which is good news for these common house pets.
However, ingesting large amounts of them (or any other safe leafy plant) can cause stomach upset. Additionally, other pets beyond cats and dogs are often domesticated.
Rabbits and birds are also common, curious pets that may jump on your spider plant for a bite. Fortunately, the plant is safe for them as well as long as they don’t eat too much of it.
Here are the symptoms your pet may experience if they eat too much of the plant:
- Upset stomach
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
As such, even though it’s not poisonous, it’s still good practice to keep your spider plant away from your pet, especially if they have a criminal history of eating greens. We’re looking at you, cats.
How to Keep Your Spider Plant Away From Your Pets
Here’s how to ensure the “do no harm, cause no harm” policy between your pets and spider plants:
1- Out of Sight, Out of Reach
You can’t harm something if you can’t see it. Luckily for us, it’s fairly easier to hide something from a pet than it is from a human. So, go ahead and place your plant somewhere where your pet won’t see it.
Available options include rooms inaccessible to your pets, balconies, and home gardens if you have any.
Regardless of the pet you have, this solution often works because your pets simply won’t see the plant anymore.
2 – Hanging High
If your pet is of the detective type, or if your house doesn’t have too much space, the previous solution won’t work. But if you can’t hide your plant, at least make it inaccessible by hanging it high.
Hanging planters are great solutions to keep your plants away from your pets. Just make sure that the plant is hung away from furniture or objects that your pet can climb over, and you’re good to go.
This way is effective for average-sized dogs and cats. You should also do the same if you have a rabbit because, surprise, some rabbits can climb too!
This method may not help if your pets are on the larger spectrum. Great Dane and Main Coone owners may find this solution ineffective.
Lastly, if you have curious birds, hanging planters basically serve them food on a silver plate.
3 – Create a Dedicated Plant Room
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a green thumb with a special room reserved for your plants to benefit from this tip.
Instead of a dedicated room, you may opt for gathering your tasty plants in any room with extra space, and make this room inaccessible to your pets by keeping the doors closed at all times.
This method works with all pets, but it’s game over if you leave the door open by mistake. So, you might want to install pet barriers or gates to further restrict their access.
4 – Training and Supervision
This tip is mostly effective with dogs because they’re easier to train than most other pets. Training your dog with commands like “leave it” or “off” acts as a remote to stop your dog without leaving your chair.
You can train cats to do the same, but cats tend to ignore our commands since we live in their house rent-free.
As for birds, despite being trainable to some extent, teaching them to leave your spider plant alone is a long shot. The same can be said for rabbits.
5 – Use Pet Deterrents
While not foolproof, making your plant unappetizing can be an easy solution if you want to avoid all the hassle of hiding and hanging.
You can add a safe deterrent to your spider plants to remove the “tastiness” it has to your addicted pets. One of the safe options available at your home is the citrus scent.
Try placing orange or lemon peels (be sure to remove any seeds that could be choking hazards) around the base of the plant. Replace them every few days as the scent fades.
You may also dilute your orange or lemon juice with water and spray on the plants’ leaves directly.
Bitter-tasting repellents are also commercially available. They’re usually pet-safe, but it’s always better to ask your vet about them before your purchase to be extra sure.
Whether you’re using a home remedy or a commercial spray, test it on a small part of the plant first and leave it for a few hours to ensure its safety on the plant too.
6 – Keep Your Pet Busy
A constantly engaged pet is often less destructive, as their extra energy gets used up during playtime. This isn’t just to protect your pets from spider plants, it’s also better for their mental health.
Spare some time every day to engage and play with your pets, and their destructive behavior will likely be reduced.
7 – Use Secure Containers
Your pet was trained by the Batman. You’ve tried all solutions known to man, but your pet still manages to snake their way to your spider plant. When it gets this far, locking the final prize in a metal chest can be your last resort.
This can be the end-game solution to keep your pets away from spider plants regardless of the type of pet you have.
One excellent example is an old birdcage that you can clean and repurpose as a birdcage planter. It’s an easy and fun DIY project that you can do with the family.
Pairing this solution with hanging the plant high makes it even more potent, as some pets, like rabbits can, with consistent chewing, go through those delicate metal frameworks.
The only setback to this solution is pairing the beautiful green of your spider plant with the metallic color of the container, which can be aesthetically unpleasant for some plant owners.
Still, if you don’t mind the guests’ kids asking why your spider plant is in prison, this solution is for you.
Final Thoughts
Spider plants won’t directly harm your pet, but they can cause several digestive issues, plus your plant’s appearance will be ruined.
These seven tips to keep your pets and spider plants safe are all easy to do, and they don’t require special tools.
You may combine a couple of them if you can, further boosting your chances of keeping your pets away from the plant.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.