Is Calathea Toxic to Cats and Dogs? No, per the ASPCA

The ASPCA's Calathea entry lists calathea as non-toxic to dogs and cats, with no toxic principle or clinical signs named. The entry is genus-level ("Calathea spp."), and Kew's Plants of the World Online now places many former calatheas in the genus Goeppertia. The ASPCA's plant list still warns that any plant material may cause vomiting and stomach upset. If your pet ate some and seems unwell, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Pet safety note

Classified non-toxic — cats and dogs

Calathea (Calathea spp.) is classified as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database. Non-toxic means the plant has not been associated with serious systemic toxicity. It does not mean it is safe to ingest: any plant material can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or choking, and some animals have individual sensitivities or allergies.

If you suspect your pet has ingested this plant: contact your veterinarian, an emergency animal hospital, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 immediately. A consultation fee may apply. For a suspected ingestion by a human, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if symptoms are severe.

Source: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database. This notice is general information, not veterinary advice. See our full disclaimer for details.

For growing one, see Calathea orbifolia care, or calathea vs. maranta if you are not sure which plant you have.

What happens if a cat or dog eats a calathea

The ASPCA's Calathea entry reads "Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses." It names no toxic principles and no clinical signs.

Non-toxic is not the same as harmless to eat. The ASPCA's plant list warns that "the consumption of any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset for dogs and cats."

What to do if your pet ate some

Call your veterinarian, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, which the ASPCA says is available "24 hours a day, 365 days a year." The ASPCA notes, "A consultation fee may apply."

Have the plant's name ready. The tag may say Calathea or Goeppertia; give whichever botanical name you have. Then follow the instructions you are given.

Which calatheas do the ASPCA entries cover?

The ASPCA list has several entries for calatheas. Each lists the plant as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses:

Calathea: scientific name "Calathea spp." It covers the genus and names no species.
Calathea Lancifolia 3 and Caeroba: scientific name Calathea insignis. The Caeroba entry lists Rattle Snake Plant, Peacock Plant and Zebra Plant as additional common names.
Calathea Lancifolia 2: scientific name Maranta insignis.
Prayer Plant: also Calathea insignis, not Maranta leuconeura, the species in the prayer plant care guide. See are prayer plants toxic to cats?

Kew's Plants of the World Online lists Calathea insignis, Calathea lancifolia and Maranta insignis among the former names of Goeppertia insignis, the rattlesnake plant. POWO also records an older, unrelated Calathea insignis, now Calathea crotalifera; the ASPCA entries give no author, but two of them are headed "Calathea Lancifolia." NC State's Goeppertia insignis page tags the rattlesnake plant "non-toxic for cats" and "non-toxic for dogs."

Two names on the list are easy to misread:

Peacock Plant. The ASPCA's Peacock Plant entry is Kaempferia, in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), not a calathea. It is listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats. NC State gives Peacock Plant as a common name of Goeppertia makoyana and of Goeppertia zebrina, and tags both "non-toxic for cats" and "non-toxic for dogs."
Zebra Plant. No ASPCA entry is headed Zebra Plant; the name appears only as an additional common name on the Calathea insignis entries. NC State's Goeppertia zebrina page lists Zebra Plant as a common name and tags it "non-toxic for cats" and "non-toxic for dogs."

Calathea or Goeppertia: why the name matters when you search

Kew's POWO now places many former calatheas in Goeppertia. It accepts Goeppertia orbifolia (formerly Calathea orbifolia), Goeppertia makoyana (formerly Calathea makoyana), Goeppertia zebrina (formerly Calathea zebrina) and Goeppertia insignis (formerly Calathea lancifolia).

That matters in three ways when you look a plant up on the ASPCA list:

Search for Calathea, not Goeppertia. A search of the ASPCA list's G entries found no Goeppertia entry. The ASPCA files these plants under the older name.
The genus entry doesn't name species. "Calathea spp." was written under the old genus name and doesn't say which species it covers. For individual species, NC State's Plant Toolbox pages for Goeppertia orbifolia, Goeppertia makoyana, Goeppertia zebrina and Goeppertia insignis each carry "non-toxic for cats" and "non-toxic for dogs" tags.
Check the scientific name on any entry. Common names repeat across unrelated plants, as the Peacock Plant entry shows.

Keeping a calathea in a home with pets

Place it out of reach. A shelf or plant stand your pet cannot climb works better than a floor spot. A cat that climbs can reach places a dog cannot.
Pick up trimmings and dropped leaves. They are still plant material a pet can eat.
Don't count on deterrents. No placement or spray guarantees a pet will leave a plant alone. If your pet keeps chewing it and vomits, talk to your veterinarian.

Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic

With the same caveat about stomach upset, these houseplants have ASPCA entries listing them as non-toxic to dogs and cats, under the scientific name shown:

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum): ASPCA entry. Care: spider plant care. More: are spider plants toxic to cats?
Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans): ASPCA entry. Care: parlor palm care.
Boston fern (Nephrolepis exalta bostoniensis, as the ASPCA lists it): ASPCA entry. Care: Boston fern care.
Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis sp.): ASPCA entry. More: are orchids toxic to cats?
African violet (Saintpaulia spp.): ASPCA entry.

For longer lists, see plants safe for cats, plants safe for dogs and the toxic plant directory.

Frequently asked

Is calathea toxic to dogs?

The ASPCA's Calathea entry, which is genus-level (Calathea spp.), lists calathea as non-toxic to dogs and cats and names no toxic principle. The ASPCA also notes that eating any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats.

Is it safe to have a calathea with cats?

The ASPCA lists calathea as non-toxic to cats, which is a classification, not a guarantee. Because any plant material may cause vomiting and stomach upset, per the ASPCA, keep it out of reach of a cat that chews plants.

Is calathea orbifolia toxic to cats?

The ASPCA's Calathea entry is genus-level and does not name orbifolia. Kew's Plants of the World Online gives the accepted name as Goeppertia orbifolia, and NC State's Plant Toolbox page for Goeppertia orbifolia tags it non-toxic for cats and non-toxic for dogs.

Is a rattlesnake plant toxic to cats?

The ASPCA's Calathea insignis entries, including Caeroba, which lists Rattle Snake Plant as a common name, are listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats. Kew's POWO treats Calathea insignis and Calathea lancifolia as former names of Goeppertia insignis, and NC State tags that species non-toxic for cats and dogs.

Is a peacock plant toxic to cats?

Check the scientific name. The ASPCA's Peacock Plant entry is Kaempferia, a ginger, listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats. NC State lists Peacock Plant as a common name of Goeppertia makoyana and Goeppertia zebrina, and tags both non-toxic for cats and dogs.

My dog ate part of my calathea. What should I do?

The ASPCA notes that eating any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435; the ASPCA notes that a consultation fee may apply. Give the botanical name if you know it.

Sources: ASPCA: Calathea, ASPCA: Calathea Lancifolia 2, ASPCA: Calathea Lancifolia 3, ASPCA: Caeroba, ASPCA: Prayer Plant, ASPCA: Peacock Plant, ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, ASPCA: Spider Plant, ASPCA: Parlor Palm, ASPCA: Boston Fern, ASPCA: Phalaenopsis Orchid, ASPCA: African Violet, Kew POWO: Goeppertia insignis, Kew POWO: Calathea insignis Petersen, Kew POWO: Goeppertia orbifolia, Kew POWO: Goeppertia makoyana, Kew POWO: Goeppertia zebrina, NC State Extension: Goeppertia insignis, NC State Extension: Goeppertia orbifolia, NC State Extension: Goeppertia makoyana, NC State Extension: Goeppertia zebrina