Is A Cat Palm Safe For Cats?

When you’re looking to add pet-safe greenery to your abode, a cat palm (or two) might be the plant baby for you, says Tina Wismer, DVM, MS, DABVT, DABT, a veterinarian and senior director at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Cat palms (Chamaedorea cataractarum) aren’t toxic to cats.

Is a cat palm a good indoor plant?

They prefer high to moderate humidity, but are adaptable. Cat Palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum): This palm grows in stemless clumps, and will thrive in bright light. The soil needs to be kept evenly moist, but not soggy. It is one of the easiest parlor palms to grow indoors.

Are cat Palms toxic to cats and dogs?

Like most palms, Cat palms are great air purifiers. Non-toxic to pets. Cat palms are native to a humid environment, so they do best when their soil is evenly moist (not wet!) and need to be watered frequently.

Can cats have palm?

Palms can be iffy for pets, but the parlor palm is considered non-toxic. Tall and elegant, this pet-safe plant thrives in indirect light and tolerates shadier spots too.

Where do you put a cat palm?

The Right Amount of Light for Cat Palm
The best place to grow your cat palms is in bright indirect light and no direct sunlight. If you have your cascade palm close to a window, we recommend you rotate them to provide even light distribution.

Do Cat palms clean the air?

A Cat Palm is an easy care, attractive plant that is safe to have around pets and children. An added plus, most palm plants have been shown to clean the air of harmful pollutants.

How often should a cat palm be watered?

every 5 to 7 days
Water Cat Palm every 5 to 7 days depending on light and temperature. Keep soil evenly moist, but not soggy.

What happens if a cat eats a palm plant?

Sago palm poisoning occurs when cats ingest or chew on a toxic plant in the Sago palm family. Some of the plants in this family include zamias, coontie palms, cycads, and cardboard palms. Poisoning from eating plants can lead to liver malfunction and death.

What happens if a cat eats a palm leaf?

Diarrhea. Lack of appetite. Possible liver damage, within 2-3 days. Possible central nervous damage, within 2-3 days.

What kind of palms are toxic to cats?

Also known as the coontie palm, or the cardboard palm, the sago palm is an extremely poisonous plant to cats. When ingested, it can cause bloody vomiting and diarrhea, bleeding disorders, liver failure, and death.

Why is it called cat palm?

It’s possible the name is derived from the specific epithet, cataractarum. Alternatively, it may have gotten the moniker because most Chamaedorea plants are toxic to cats and dogs. However, this plant is not toxic and will place your cat in no danger.

What plants are OK for cats to eat?

12 Plants That Are Safe for Cats

• Cat Grass. While not as common as it is in dogs, many cats enjoy chewing on grass.
• Catnip. Yes, this is the same funny-smelling stuff found in many cat toys.
• African Violets.
• Bamboo Palm (also known as Parlor Palm)
• Areca Palm.
• Air Plants.
• Boston Fern.
• Phalaenopsis Orchids.

What is cat palm called?

Chamaedorea cataractarum
Chamaedorea cataractarum, the cat palm, cascade palm, or cataract palm, is a small palm tree. It is native to Southern Mexico and Central America.

Are cat Palms hard to keep alive?

Are cat palms easy to care for? Yes, cat palms are easy to care for. Give them partial shade or bright indoor light, consistent water, and high humidity, and they’ll grow without much attention.

Should you mist cat palm?

Like many tropical houseplants, cat palms like high air humidity. This can be achieved by misting your plant once or twice a day using a spray-bottle of water.

How big does a cat palm get?

6 to 8 feet tall
The cat palm tree isn’t a tree at all…it’s a clustering palm with no trunk whatsoever, just a dense clump of stems covered with feathery fronds. This palm only grows 6 to 8 feet tall in a rounded form. It’s a slow grower that will tolerate sun or shade, though shadier locations are best.

Is cat palm toxic to animals?

Cat palms (Chamaedorea cataractarum) aren’t toxic to cats. But like everything your cat finds delicious, eating too much cat palm could cause gastrointestinal upset like vomiting or diarrhea. In rare cases of overindulgence, indigestible materials like greenery could cause an obstruction in your cat’s GI tract.

How do you keep a cat palm alive indoors?

Humidity may be the most important thing to this plant. This is one of the main reasons why these plants do not do well indoors. Ideally, the room should have around 55 percent humidity, but since that is not always possible you have to get creative. You can use a humidifier or place this plant on a wet gravel tray.

Do Cat palms need filtered water?

Since Cat palms are native to tropical and subtropical environments, they love high humidity and frequent watering. However, do not make the liquid stagnate. Keep the growing medium slightly moist. These leafy beauties are susceptible to chemicals, so make sure to use filtered or distilled water.

Can I cut the brown tips off my cat palm?

Cut off all the brown fronds and place the plant in bright indirect light. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade.

Do cat palms need a lot of light?

Cat Palm grows best in bright, indirect light.
It can tolerate some direct sun early in the morning, but if you expose it to too much sunlight, this will scorch the leaves. Place it about 2 feet (60 cm) away from the window, to avoid direct sunlight exposure. This palm can grow at least 3 feet (90 cm) wide.