Cat-safe plant to grow on top of my tank?

[MDonnelly]

I would like to try having a plant that has its roots in the tank and leaves outside the tank. I know Pothos will grow this way, but I have cats, and it is toxic to them. So I can't really have them in the house. Has anyone grown any cat-safe plants this way? I'm not sure what plants can grow hydroponically like this and really flourish. All I ever see is Pothos.

[Odd Duck]

I have 4 cats with pothos coming out of 3 tanks plus the parent plant is in easy reach.  Pothos tastes bad and most cats might chew a bit and then are done without actually ingesting any.  It can cause oral irritation but I’ve rarely even seen that (only once that I suspected) and never yet had to treat a cat for pothos ingestion (just the chewer, he didn’t eat any) in almost 28 years as a vet.  Lily ingestion, yes, too many.  Treated a chocolate ingestion cat last month.  That was a first.  Hundreds of chocolate dogs, the first cat.

There certainly are rare cats that will chew on or eat about anything (elastic hair bands are a favorite kitty foreign body, FYI, took about a dozen out of a cat early Thursday morning), so eating pothos is pretty rare, but not unheard of.  Do your cats eat other house plants?  Chew on lots of things?  That would be more important in my decision making on whether I would risk it.  A young, goofy male (boys just don’t always have common sense 🤷🏻‍♀️) that’s chewing on everything, probably wouldn’t risk it.  Older cats that are a bit wiser and less nosey, less likely to climb on the tank, might try it under supervision.

I’m sure there are other plants, too, I’m just not thinking of any right off.

[Guppysnail]

I have 2 cats and pothos in my tank as well as sitting about my house. They have eaten them to no I’ll affect. My one cat has an affinity for them so I had to move his favorites to save my poor plant.  These two articles help clarify the toxicity of them as well as some ideas for other plants. I hope they help. 

 

[MDonnelly]

Thank you, both of you! My cats have definitely experimented chewing on my house plants, so I do try to be careful. But it sounds like pothos is not as toxic as I believed. I grow cat grass for them now, and since I started doing that, they SEEM to be leaving the other plants alone. Plus, the top of the tank isn't all that accessible. I suppose I can just keep it from trailing all over the place, and then there wouldn't be much risk of them getting to it. I think I'll try the pothos and see how it goes!

[dangerflower]

I haven't tried this so I can't speak to how well it works, but I have heard of people doing this with spider plants, which are cat safe! But they are also very appealing for kitties to chew on because of the grass-like leaves, so if your cats really like going after house plants it might not work out 😅

Edited March 11, 2022 by dangerflower
Typo fix

[MDonnelly]

Yeah, maybe spider plants would work! I know they won't hurt cats. I'm going to try both pothos and spider plants.

 

[Guppysnail]

On 3/11/2022 at 2:21 PM, MDonnelly said:

Yeah, maybe spider plants would work! I know they won't hurt cats. I'm going to try both pothos and spider plants.

 

I think @xXInkedPhoenixX does spider plants. Might be able to give you some tips. 

[MDonnelly]

I just ordered a small clear acrylic breeder box. I figure I can use that to hold the plant stems and roots in place at the top of the tank. I have a glass lid but there is open space at the back (I'm not using the plastic strip that came with the top). At least until they get big enough to sort of support themselves without needing the box. 

[Brandon p]

Spider plants will grow from the tank but I have not had the luck with plants drowning from the tank as many others. Pothos no problem s everything else I need more work. I’ve also heard that philodendrons in Lillys work well. I may have to try the philodendron I have three in the yard so I probably could take cutting.

 

I hate to say what I’m going to but a a certain pin site that people trest has some ideas

Edited March 11, 2022 by Brandon p

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

As @Guppysnail says I'm currently test running Spider plant. I've got a giant parent plant outside that I pull babies from and have always started new plants by rooting them in a glass with water then planting in soil once the roots were established. I have 2 plants started in 2 different applications. One was started months ago and is doing ok but I don't use ferts. I did some research recently and learned that they're not great to grow just in water but they can be (just won't be as prolific and so far I'm seeing this). One site suggested they'd at least need some fertilizer. So in my 2nd application I've been dosing with fertilizer and I'm comparing the two, so far the one in application 2 is growing at a faster rate (it also has a plant light, the other one has ambient and a weak clip on). 

[Torrey]

On 3/11/2022 at 9:42 AM, Odd Duck said:

I have 4 cats with pothos coming out of 3 tanks plus the parent plant is in easy reach.  Pothos tastes bad and most cats might chew a bit and then are done without actually ingesting any.  It can cause oral irritation but I’ve rarely even seen that (only once that I suspected) and never yet had to treat a cat for pothos ingestion (just the chewer, he didn’t eat any) in almost 28 years as a vet.  Lily ingestion, yes, too many.  Treated a chocolate ingestion cat last month.  That was a first.  Hundreds of chocolate dogs, the first cat.

There certainly are rare cats that will chew on or eat about anything (elastic hair bands are a favorite kitty foreign body, FYI, took about a dozen out of a cat early Thursday morning), so eating pothos is pretty rare, but not unheard of.  Do your cats eat other house plants?  Chew on lots of things?  That would be more important in my decision making on whether I would risk it.  A young, goofy male (boys just don’t always have common sense 🤷🏻‍♀️) that’s chewing on everything, probably wouldn’t risk it.  Older cats that are a bit wiser and less nosey, less likely to climb on the tank, might try it under supervision.

I’m sure there are other plants, too, I’m just not thinking of any right off.

Only times we have seen severe poisoning in our cats was one old female who decided after 10 years she should go to the neighbors and lick the lily flowers , and a litter of kittens who were severely malnourished when we were called to come and retrieve them from a tobacco field... they had been eating the tobacco worms and one tried eating a plant... I can't say that all cats are responsible enough not to eat something poisonous as we did have one rescue with brain injury due to a severe case of earmites. I'm just saying cats are typically most interested in self-preservation at almost all costs.

Yeah, I've never heard of a cat ingesting chocolate... I have tons of dog stories though 🙄 Just most aren't fit for the forum....

[laritheloud]

I have three cats. One of them, when he was still a very young adult, even ate a chocolate brownie (homemade) and ended up at the vet ER for careful observation. He doesn't jump on my tanks and he's now 10 years old and a happy kitty, doesn't chew my other houseplants. I've decided to just go for the pothos. Got a marble queen and I'm going to decorate my 55 gallon with some cuttings.. 🙂

@Odd Duck my Percy would be That Cat that ingested chocolate, lmao. Sweet and cuddly as can be but not smart about what he puts in his mouth. He actually ate a piece of flooring in the bathroom (old house, loose flooring, only because we put his food bowl in the bathroom and he dropped food on the floor) and had to get emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction. We no longer feed him in a separate room and just make sure he doesn't go for our old man kitty's food when he inhales his dinner.

[KentFishFanUK]

Maybe African Violet? It can apparently be grown out of water and is cat safe? (Not that I've tried it or anything)

[Odd Duck]

On 3/11/2022 at 4:51 PM, laritheloud said:

I have three cats. One of them, when he was still a very young adult, even ate a chocolate brownie (homemade) and ended up at the vet ER for careful observation. He doesn't jump on my tanks and he's now 10 years old and a happy kitty, doesn't chew my other houseplants. I've decided to just go for the pothos. Got a marble queen and I'm going to decorate my 55 gallon with some cuttings.. 🙂

@Odd Duck my Percy would be That Cat that ingested chocolate, lmao. Sweet and cuddly as can be but not smart about what he puts in his mouth. He actually ate a piece of flooring in the bathroom (old house, loose flooring, only because we put his food bowl in the bathroom and he dropped food on the floor) and had to get emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction. We no longer feed him in a separate room and just make sure he doesn't go for our old man kitty's food when he inhales his dinner.

There’s always that one.  😝  They’re like the crazy friend that always makes the weird face in the pictures.  You never quite know what they’re going to do.  😃 

On 3/11/2022 at 4:43 PM, Torrey said:

Only times we have seen severe poisoning in our cats was one old female who decided after 10 years she should go to the neighbors and lick the lily flowers , and a litter of kittens who were severely malnourished when we were called to come and retrieve them from a tobacco field... they had been eating the tobacco worms and one tried eating a plant... I can't say that all cats are responsible enough not to eat something poisonous as we did have one rescue with brain injury due to a severe case of earmites. I'm just saying cats are typically most interested in self-preservation at almost all costs.

Yeah, I've never heard of a cat ingesting chocolate... I have tons of dog stories though 🙄 Just most aren't fit for the forum....

Starving animals will eat nearly anything when they’re desperate enough.  Cats are usually picky unless they’re starving.  Dogs are far less picky and will eat darn near anything, I swear.

[laritheloud]

On 3/11/2022 at 9:34 PM, Odd Duck said:

Starving animals will eat nearly anything when they’re desperate enough.  Cats are usually picky unless they’re starving.  Dogs are far less picky and will eat darn near anything, I swear.

"Cats are usually picky" except Percy. No thoughts, head empty on this one (except for want of food). I swear he's a dog in a cat's fluffy body. He even drools like one when he cuddles me.

My other two cats act like proper felines and are much fussier about what they eat.

 

[Odd Duck]

On 3/11/2022 at 8:44 PM, laritheloud said:

"Cats are usually picky" except Percy. No thoughts, head empty on this one (except for want of food). I swear he's a dog in a cat's fluffy body. He even drools like one when he cuddles me.

My other two cats act like proper felines and are much fussier about what they eat.

 

He’s adorable!

[Torrey]

On 3/11/2022 at 3:51 PM, laritheloud said:

I have three cats. One of them, when he was still a very young adult, even ate a chocolate brownie (homemade) and ended up at the vet ER for careful observation. He doesn't jump on my tanks and he's now 10 years old and a happy kitty, doesn't chew my other houseplants. I've decided to just go for the pothos. Got a marble queen and I'm going to decorate my 55 gallon with some cuttings.. 🙂

@Odd Duck my Percy would be That Cat that ingested chocolate, lmao. Sweet and cuddly as can be but not smart about what he puts in his mouth. He actually ate a piece of flooring in the bathroom (old house, loose flooring, only because we put his food bowl in the bathroom and he dropped food on the floor) and had to get emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction. We no longer feed him in a separate room and just make sure he doesn't go for our old man kitty's food when he inhales his dinner.

@laritheloudit's okay to laugh at most of my animal stories. They are reminders that we are all fallible, we all share the planet, and cats figured out how to colonize an entire globe without ever having to lift a sword. Apparently, we humans are actually their servants. ::chuckle::  

I wish I had good pictures of our menagerie over the years, most of them fulfilled my mom's expectation that the world be a better place for our having been in it. ❤️