The safest office plants for pets are ones the ASPCA lists as non-toxic, such as cast iron plant, spider plant, Boston fern, calathea and peperomia. Pick those, keep the risky classics (lilies above all) out of the building, and place anything a pet can reach with some thought. Whether it's a clinic dog, a shop cat or an employee's dog on Fridays, the same rules apply, and the plants are the easy part.
We design, install and maintain plants for offices, restaurants and retail spaces across Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Pet questions come up on almost every walkthrough, so here is how we answer them.
TL;DR
- Choose plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic, such as cast iron plant, spider plant, Boston fern and calathea.
- Lilies are the one plant to ban outright if cats visit your space. Pothos, philodendron, snake plant and peace lily belong out of reach or off the plant list.
- "Non-toxic" does not mean "edible". Chewing can still upset a stomach, so placement and redirection matter as much as species.
- Keep the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center number, (888) 426-4435, posted where staff can find it.
Table of Contents
- What "pet-safe" actually means in an office
- Pet-safe plants that work in Canadian offices
- Plants to keep out of a pet-friendly workplace
- Place plants as if the animals were climbers
- Redirect instead of just restrict
- Humidity and air: what plants can and cannot do
- Our perspective: pet safety is a design decision, not an afterthought
- How Greenspace+ handles pet-friendly plantscaping
- What to do if a pet eats a plant
- A short checklist before you buy
- FAQ
- Sources
What "pet-safe" actually means in an office
A pet-safe plant is one that the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic database lists as non-toxic to dogs and cats. It is a statement about poisoning, not a promise that a plant is good to eat. Pet-safety references note that fibrous foliage can still cause mild stomach upset if an animal eats a lot of it. So the goal is twofold: choose non-toxic species, and discourage chewing in the first place.
Offices also differ from homes in ways that matter:
- Many people, one set of plants. Nobody feels personally responsible for a plant on the shared floor, so a plant that is slightly risky tends to stay in place for years.
- Visiting animals. Clients, couriers and staff bring dogs you have never met. You cannot assume anyone has trained them to leave plants alone.
- Low light. Many offices are interior rooms with only overhead lighting, which narrows the plant list before pets even enter the picture.
- Restaurants and cafés. Food on the floor and curious pets are a different mix again, and floor-level planters need extra thought.
The ASPCA database covers 431 plants that are toxic to dogs and cats, so a quick check of every species before it goes into a space is cheap insurance.
Pet-safe plants that work in Canadian offices
The following plants are widely listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs. We have noted how each behaves in a typical office. Always confirm a specific species and its botanical name on the ASPCA site before you buy, because common names overlap and mislead (more on that below).
| Plant | Light it tolerates | Office notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) | Very low to medium | The toughest option on the list; handles dim corners and the odd missed watering |
| Spider plant | Medium to bright, indirect | Arching foliage looks best in a hanging planter, up and away from curious cats |
| Boston fern | Medium, indirect | Likes humidity; lush, but needs consistent moisture |
| Calathea and prayer plant | Medium, indirect | Striking leaf patterns; dislikes dry air and drafts |
| Peperomia (including baby rubber plant) | Low to medium | Compact, so good for desks, shelves and credenzas |
| Hoya | Medium to bright | Trailing habit suits shelves and high ledges |
| Parlor palm | Low to medium | Gives height and a soft, tropical look without toxicity worries |
| Christmas cactus | Medium to bright | Seasonal blooms, small footprint |
A Canadian houseplant guide built on the ASPCA database names spider plant, Boston fern, calathea, prayer plant, pilea, African violet, Christmas cactus, hoya and orchids among the safe picks, which matches what we see in the field.
The cast iron plant deserves a special mention
If we could only recommend one plant for a pet-friendly office, it would be the cast iron plant. The ASPCA lists Aspidistra elatior as non-toxic to dogs and cats. It also thrives in very little light, roughly 20 to 50 foot-candles, where many other plants need 500 to 1,000 foot-candles for medium light and more for bright light. That makes it the answer for windowless meeting rooms, reception corridors and the back of open-plan floors. If your space is dim, our guide to office plants for low light covers the wider field.
Check the botanical name every time
The common name on a plant tag is not a safety check. "Palm" is a good example: parlor palm is fine, while sago palm is dangerous for pets, and both get sold as "palm". "Lily" is worse. A peace lily and a true lily are unrelated plants with very different risks (see below). Look up the Latin name in the ASPCA list for cats or dogs before anything is installed.
Plants to keep out of a pet-friendly workplace
The ASPCA flags true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis) as potentially lethal to cats. Cats can suffer kidney failure after eating even small amounts. That includes a bouquet left on the front desk, and it's the reason we treat florals separately from foliage in pet-friendly spaces.
Other common office plants that safety references recommend avoiding or placing strictly out of reach include:
- Pothos
- Philodendron
- Snake plant
- Peace lily
These are some of the most popular office plants in the country because they survive almost anything, which is exactly why they turn up in so many spaces. If they are already in your office and you have a pet on site, you have three options: swap them for a non-toxic equivalent, move them somewhere no animal can reach, or accept the risk with a clear emergency plan. For most workplaces, swapping is the simplest answer.
Place plants as if the animals were climbers
Species selection is half the job. The other half is where things sit.
For cats, physical placement is the only fully reliable method. Scent deterrents and sprays are inconsistent, and a motivated cat ignores them. Cats climb, so a plant on a high desk is not necessarily out of reach. Floating shelves, wall-mounted planters and hanging planters work better, and a green wall puts the foliage well above the floor.
For dogs, the problem is usually the soil and the planter. Dogs dig, knock over light pots and lick whatever is at nose height. Professionals suggest covering soil with river stones to discourage digging, and they also recommend clearly labelling species so staff know what is what.
A few placement rules we use on projects:
- Put the heaviest planters at floor level. A wide, weighty planter does not tip when a dog brushes past.
- Keep trailing plants above 1.5 metres where a cat or a curious dog can't pull on them.
- Cover the soil with stones or moss so it is not an invitation to dig.
- Label each plant with common and botanical names, so a new employee can check one in seconds.
- Keep florals away from cats entirely, whatever the species.
Redirect instead of just restrict
A bored animal looks for something to chew. Cat grass (wheat, oat or barley) placed near the decorative plants gives the nibbler an acceptable target and reduces the interest in your main plants. Chew toys and a regular walk help dogs. If an animal is going after one specific plant again and again, move the plant. That is faster than retraining the animal.
Humidity and air: what plants can and cannot do
People often ask us whether plants "clean the air". The honest answer is more modest than the marketing. What the research does show is a humidity effect. In a 2024 experimental study in office buildings, offices with 18 Boston ferns reached a median relative humidity of 49.2%, against 29.1% in control offices without plants. Boston fern is also on the pet-safe list, so it earns its spot twice.
Indoor humidity matters in Canadian winters, when heated air gets very dry. Health Canada and others recommend keeping indoor relative humidity between 30% and 50%, with the lower end in the coldest weather to limit condensation. Plants are not a substitute for a properly maintained ventilation system, which Health Canada's office building guidance identifies as a key factor in indoor air quality. They are a comfortable extra.
There is a people benefit too. Research on biophilic design links greenery in commercial spaces to occupant wellbeing and a better fit between people and their environment. If you want the longer argument for why one plant on a desk is not enough, we wrote about biophilic design benefits at work.
Our perspective: pet safety is a design decision, not an afterthought
When we plan a space, we ask about animals at the very first conversation, long before anyone picks a planter. A dental clinic with a resident cat, a brewery that welcomes dogs, a coworking space where staff bring their pups on Fridays: each one changes what we put where.
Here is what we have learned.
Non-toxic is the starting point, not the finish line. We would rather build a pet-friendly plant list around cast iron plant, spider plant, Boston fern, calathea and peperomia than gamble on a "probably fine" plant. Then we think about height, planter weight and how the space is used.
Mixed plantings are where problems start. The usual story is an office that began with safe plants and added a gift pothos, a florist's bouquet or a peace lily from a retirement party. That is why we like a single, managed plant program: one team knows what is in the space and what is allowed. Our technicians check the plants on every visit, and a new plant never arrives without a species check.
Pet-safe does not mean boring. A green wall, a hanging display of hoyas and spider plants, or a grouping of calatheas at floor level can look as polished as any pothos-and-snake-plant installation. Our office plant design portfolio shows what is possible.
Be honest about your pets. A calm senior dog is not a puppy. A cat who ignores plants today may chew them next month. We design for the most curious animal that might visit, not the average one.
— Nicole
How Greenspace+ handles pet-friendly plantscaping
If you want a pet-safe plant program without managing it yourself, Greenspace+ is our all-inclusive service. For a fixed monthly fee, from $299 per month, you get plant design, installation, regular maintenance and plant replacements, with no upfront costs and no long-term commitment. We guarantee healthy plants, which means a plant that struggles gets replaced. Tell us about your animals at the start and we will build the plant list around them.
If you already own plants and just need them looked after, see plant care maintenance. To see how we handle the day-to-day, read what to expect during a maintenance visit. For more picks, see our article on nontoxic office plants and ASPCA picks for workplaces with pets.
What to do if a pet eats a plant
Act quickly and do not guess.
- Remove the animal from the plant and take away any plant material left in its mouth.
- Identify the plant. If you have a tag or label, keep it. This is where labelling pays off.
- Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or your local veterinary clinic or emergency vet. The number is listed with the ASPCA toxic plant data; a consultation fee may apply, so ask when you call.
- If a cat has had any contact with a lily, including pollen on its fur, treat it as an emergency and go to a vet immediately.
Post the number and the nearest 24-hour emergency vet clinic in the staff kitchen. It takes five minutes and could matter a great deal.
A short checklist before you buy
- Does every plant have a botanical name that you have checked against the ASPCA list?
- Have you replaced or removed lilies, pothos, philodendron, snake plants and peace lilies where animals are present?
- Is every plant above or behind the reach of the most athletic animal that visits?
- Are the soil surfaces covered?
- Does someone own the plant list, so gifts and bouquets get checked?
- Is the poison control number posted?
FAQ
What office plants are not poisonous to pets?
Cast iron plant, spider plant, Boston fern, calathea, prayer plant, peperomia, hoya, parlor palm and Christmas cactus are all commonly listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Check the botanical name against the ASPCA database before buying, since common names overlap. Non-toxic plants can still cause mild stomach upset if an animal eats a lot of them.
What plants can survive in an office with little light?
The cast iron plant is the best performer, tolerating roughly 20 to 50 foot-candles of light. Peperomia and parlor palm also cope with low to medium light. Our low-light office plant guide goes through more options.
Are cast iron plants toxic to dogs?
No. The ASPCA lists the cast iron plant as non-toxic to dogs and cats. It is still best to discourage chewing, as any leafy plant can cause a mild upset stomach.
How do I keep pets out of indoor plants?
For cats, put plants out of reach on shelves, wall mounts or hanging planters, because sprays and scents are unreliable. For dogs, use heavy planters and cover the soil with river stones. Offering cat grass or chew toys gives animals a better target.
Sources
- ASPCA: Cast Iron Plant
- ASPCA: Toxic and non-toxic plant list for cats
- ASPCA: Which flowers and plants are toxic to pets
- Pet-Proof Plants
- Toxic plants for pets (The Pollinator Patch Garden)
- Pet-Safe Houseplants Canada (Growers Guide)
- How to Keep Cats Away From Plants (Fern & Feline)
- Effects of indoor plants on CO2, temperature and relative humidity in office buildings (PMC)
- What is the best humidity for your home in Alberta? (ATCO)
- Health Canada: Improving indoor air quality in office buildings
- Frontiers in Psychology: biophilic design and wellbeing