TempoLife › Features › House plants: care and pet toxicity › calathea
Calathea and prayer plant: pet-safe, and how to grow it
Calathea and prayer plant (Goeppertia spp. (formerly Calathea), Maranta leuconeura) is not flagged on the veterinary toxic lists. What that means in practice, plus light, water and temperature, and what it gets confused with.
Cats: Not flaggedDogs: Not flaggedChildren: Not flaggedNot on the toxic lists
Also sold as: Prayer plant, peacock plant, rattlesnake plant, zebra plant.
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not veterinary or medical advice. It cannot tell you how much of a plant matters for a particular child or a particular animal — that depends on body weight, on the part eaten and on how long ago. If a person or an animal has eaten part of a plant, phone the poison information centre or a clinician; do not wait for symptoms, and do not make anyone vomit unless you are told to.
What is in it
On the non-toxic side of the veterinary lists — no oxalate raphides, no saponins, no glycosides. This makes the Marantaceae the best-looking genuinely pet-safe group available: patterned foliage on the scale of an aroid, without the aroid chemistry.
What to expect if it gets chewed
None expected from chewing — no oral burning, no drooling, no vomiting from the plant itself. The plant comes off worse than the animal does: a calathea does not repair a torn leaf, so a shredded one stays shredded until it is cut out at the base.
What to do
Nothing required. Chewed leaves are a plant problem, not a health problem, and a chewed calathea will not put out a new leaf where the old one was damaged.
How to grow it
| Condition | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Light | Medium indirect light — direct sun bleaches the pattern |
| Water | Evenly moist, never soggy, and never bone dry |
| Temperature | 18-27 °C with humidity above 50% |
The trade-off for the safety and the patterns is fussiness, and almost all of it is about water. Hard tap water burns the leaf edges brown, so use rainwater, filtered or at least stood water. Dry heated winter air does the same thing; group plants together or stand the pot on a wet pebble tray. The leaves fold up at night — that movement is normal and is where "prayer plant" comes from.
What it gets confused with
Most Calathea species were formally moved to the genus Goeppertia in 2012, so shops and books use both names for the same plants. Maranta is a genuinely different genus in the same family, with the same safety profile and slightly easier temperament — it is the one to start with.
What this one can replace
These fill a similar role in a room or a season and are on the toxic side of the lists. If you are swapping something out of a home with a cat, a dog or a toddler in it, this is the trade you are making.
Dumb cane
Toxic. Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides plus proteolytic enzymes
Monstera
Toxic. Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Alocasia
Toxic. Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxic and non-toxic plants · checked 2026-09-06
Care guidance is standard horticultural practice for a cool-temperate northern climate. Poison-centre numbers are listed on the hub page and are worth confirming against your own country's health service.
Frequently asked questions
Is calathea safe for cats and dogs?
On the non-toxic side of the veterinary lists — no oxalate raphides, no saponins, no glycosides. This makes the Marantaceae the best-looking genuinely pet-safe group available: patterned foliage on the scale of an aroid, without the aroid chemistry.
What happens if my cat chews calathea?
None expected from chewing — no oral burning, no drooling, no vomiting from the plant itself. The plant comes off worse than the animal does: a calathea does not repair a torn leaf, so a shredded one stays shredded until it is cut out at the base. Nothing required. Chewed leaves are a plant problem, not a health problem, and a chewed calathea will not put out a new leaf where the old one was damaged. On the veterinary lists "non-toxic" means the plant is not flagged as a poison, not that it is food: an animal that eats a large amount of any plant can vomit from the bulk alone, and potting bark or moss can obstruct a dog.
How do you care for calathea?
Light: Medium indirect light — direct sun bleaches the pattern. Water: Evenly moist, never soggy, and never bone dry. Temperature: 18-27 °C with humidity above 50%. The trade-off for the safety and the patterns is fussiness, and almost all of it is about water.
What is calathea confused with?
Most Calathea species were formally moved to the genus Goeppertia in 2012, so shops and books use both names for the same plants. Maranta is a genuinely different genus in the same family, with the same safety profile and slightly easier temperament — it is the one to start with.
One less thing to worry about
TempoLife is a free habit tracker for sleep, food and movement — the ordinary daily record, in one place, on your phone.