Is Calathea toxic to cats?
Calathea is non-toxic to cats (S0 Safe): the ASPCA lists the whole genus (Calathea spp.) as safe for cats, dogs, and horses — pattern varieties like rattlesnake and peacock plants included.
- TOXINnone — no toxic principles on record
- WHAT TO EXPECTno symptoms on record
- CALL THE VETSee a vet only if unusual or persistent symptoms follow ingestion.
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FAQ
Does the S0 verdict cover every calathea — rattlesnake, peacock, zebra?
Yes, at the level our sources grade: the ASPCA's Calathea entry is genus-wide (Calathea spp., Marantaceae), listed as "Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses" — and its separate Caeroba entry (Calathea insignis, sold as Rattle Snake Plant, Peacock Plant, or Zebra Plant) is non-toxic too. So the popular pattern varieties all fall under the safe verdict. One naming note: several unrelated plants are also sold as 'zebra plant' — see our zebra plant page for how to tell them apart; the flowering one, Aphelandra squarrosa, is graded S0 there as well.
Is a prayer plant (Maranta) covered by this verdict?
Yes, as far as the ASPCA classifies it — and we show our working because the botany and the source do not line up perfectly. The ASPCA has three entries under the names people use for this plant, "Prayer Plant," "Maranta," and "Red Veined Prayer," and all three give the scientific name Calathea insignis with the same verdict: "Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses," toxic principles "Non-toxic." The plant most shops sell as a prayer plant is Maranta leuconeura, which has no separate ASPCA entry under that name; the ASPCA files it here, and so do we, with that caveat stated rather than hidden. Same family (Marantaceae), same record, S0 on this page. If a prayer plant gets chewed, the only thing on record to expect is the stomach upset any large plant meal can cause.
Is a zebra plant safe for dogs?
It depends which plant the tag means, and this dog verdict covers only one of them. The ASPCA's Caeroba entry — Calathea insignis, also called Rattle Snake Plant, Peacock Plant and Zebra Plant — reads "Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses," so a calathea sold as a zebra plant falls under this S0 verdict. Unrelated plants share the name too. The flowering Aphelandra squarrosa has its own dog verdict, also S0 Safe (zebra plant for dogs). The striped succulents sold as zebra haworthia are haworthias, graded S0 Safe for dogs as well (haworthia for dogs). The ASPCA's Pheasant Plant entry (Cryptanthus zonatus) also carries the name and reads "Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses," but we have not graded that plant for dogs. Check the scientific name on the tag: if it says Calathea, this page applies; if it says Aphelandra or Haworthia, see those pages; otherwise ask your vet rather than assume.