Pet-safe green spaces

Choose non-toxic plants and use natural fertilisers so that your pet can play in a safe green zone

- Nameeta Nadkarni

My cat, Catbury, started throwing up intermittently last month. She was otherwise healthy and showed no other signs of disease, although she vomited more frequently than would be considered normal. I eventually realised that she had developed a habit of munching on the money-plant leaves in our apartment which would cause her to vomit.

Pet parents need to be careful of the plants they choose to bring into their homes and gardens. Lilies are especially toxic to cats. All elements of the plant, including the water left behind in a vase and the pollen from the blooms, have the potential to induce serious kidney illness.

Azaleas, tulips, rhododendrons, philodendrons and daffodils are some other poisonous garden plants. Choose pet-friendly substitutes like ferns, marigolds, sunflowers and petunias instead. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' list of plants hazardous for pets can be used as a reference.