When creating a plant friendly jungle for your cat, it’s important to choose plants that are safe for them to be around.

Scent plays a huge role in cat environment enrichment. If your cat has access to an outdoor enclosure, this is the perfect sight to spruce up your cat garden with some cat-safe garden greens. Cats love exploring their world by finding new and interesting smells around them. This means, just like Ferdinand The Bull, they also love to just stop and smell the flowers, even if the plant is not necessarily on the snack menu. When setting out to explore different plant options for your new cat garden it’s important to ensure the complete safety of your cat.

Try These

Some cat-friendly options include:

• Spider plants: These plants are easy to care for and have long, hanging leaves that cats love to play with.
• Catnip: This plant is well-known for its ability to attract cats and can provide them with a fun, stimulating environment.
• Snake plants: These plants have tall, thick leaves that cats like to rub against and can also help improve the air quality in your home.
• Pothos: These plants have heart-shaped leaves that cats enjoy playing with and are also easy to care for.
• Bamboo: Cats love to play with the tall stems and leaves of bamboo plants, but be aware bamboo can be invasive.
• Other Plants include:

Carex (gold)

        Purple fountain grass

        Lemongrass

        Coneflower (Echinacea)

        Cornflower (Bachelor’s Button)

        Jacobs Ladder (Polemonium  Bressingham Purple, Polemonium Caeruleum Brise D’anjou (barrel), Polemonium Reptans Touch of Class

        Catmint (Nepeta Mussinii ‘Walkers Low’)

        Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) in hanging baskets

        Spider Plants

        Violas

        Torenia

        Petunias

        Impatiens (New Guinea and Sunpatiens)

        Nasturtiums

        Watercress

        Snapdragon

        Zinnias

        Valerian (cats love the root!)

        Rosemary

        Basil

        Parsley

        Thyme

        Lemon Balm

        Coriander

        German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) Beware: English Chamomile (Chamaemelum mobile) is toxic to cats!

        Swedish Ivy

        Polka Dot Plant

        Sunflowers

        Boston Fern

        Japanese forest grass /Hakonechloa macra

        Japanese blood grass / Imperata cylindrica

        Creeping Jenny

        Sedum stonecrop

        Ice plant

Finally

It is important to note that not all plants are safe for cats, so it’s important to research any plants you’re considering before bringing them into your home. Also, make sure to place your plants in a safe location where your cat can’t accidentally ingest them.

Want to know which toxic plants to avoid? Emily, the site owner of Catalogical, has put together a comprehensive list of toxic plants to avoid, 470 to be exact! It’s a very easy-to-understand list, using common household names easy to remember and pronounce when verifying with your garden center expert.

You do not have to go overboard with your first cat garden. Start simple. Choose a few from the list above and experiment with what works for your space and hardiness zone. When you visit your nursery, ask about toxic and non-toxic plants as the staff are often quite knowledgeable on the subject of plants and pets. Whenever introducing new plants to your cat, even if they’re from the safe list, always observe your cat’s behavior when they’re grazing. Watch out for any adverse reactions, but above all, have fun planning your safe garden, kitty will thank you with a thousand love blinks!