Is this plant safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Search any plant. Every “safe” comes with the source that says so; when the sources don't settle it, we say “not sure”.
Swiss cheese plant
Monstera deliciosa
- CatsMildly toxic
- DogsMildly toxic
- KidsMildly toxic
Cats: Mildly toxic
Mildly toxic to cats. Toxic principle: insoluble calcium oxalates.
Signs: oral irritation, mouth burning, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Swiss Cheese Plant - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Dogs: Mildly toxic
Mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: insoluble calcium oxalates.
Signs: oral irritation, mouth burning, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Swiss Cheese Plant - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Kids: Mildly toxic
Mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: calcium oxalate crystals.
Signs: oral irritation, burning mouth pain, throat swelling, stomach upset, skin irritation.
- Toxic Plants (by common name) - UC Agriculture and Natural Resources University or extension
- Monstera as a Houseplant - Penn State Extension University or extension
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
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Popular plants safe for dogs
- Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum
- Crimson cattleya Cattleya labiata
- Haworthiopsis attenuata
- Burro's tail Sedum morganianum
- Christmas cactus Schlumbergera truncata
- Wax plant Hoya carnosa
- Prayer plant Maranta leuconeura
- Calathea orbifolia Goeppertia orbifolia
- Goeppertia makoyana
- Baby rubber plant Peperomia obtusifolia
- Watermelon begonia Peperomia argyraea
- Hoya kerrii
Only plants a cited source calls non-toxic for that animal are listed.
How we check
For each plant we look for what the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, poison control centers, university extension services and veterinary references say about that exact species, and we note the USDA PLANTS toxicity rating. A second reviewer checks every answer against those sources and sends it back when a claim isn't supported. A plant is only called safe when a source says it is non-toxic for that animal; when the sources are thin or disagree, the answer is “not sure”. We link to our sources rather than copying them, and this page is not veterinary or medical advice.