Flowers are usually chosen around a person.
Their favourite colour. Their personality. The occasion. The message we want to send.
But there is another question worth asking before a bouquet enters someone’s home:
Who else lives there?
For households with cats or dogs, a beautiful bouquet deserves one more layer of thought.
Not every flower belongs in every home.
Flowers and pets can share a home — thoughtfully.
Having a pet does not mean giving up fresh flowers.
It simply means choosing them with a little more intention.
Roses, gerbera, snapdragons, freesias, lisianthus and certain orchids are among the flowers considered non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.
That still gives a florist plenty to work with.
A pet-conscious arrangement can be romantic, sculptural, colourful, minimal or wonderfully garden-like.
Safety does not have to become the aesthetic. It can simply become part of the design.
What flowers are safer for cats and dogs?
Depending on season and availability, pet-friendlier options may include:
- Roses
- Gerbera
- Snapdragons
- Freesias
- Lisianthus
- Stock
- Waxflower
- Certain orchids, including Phalaenopsis
There is one important distinction:
Non-toxic does not mean edible.
Even flowers considered non-toxic can cause stomach upset when eaten. Bouquets are still best placed somewhere curious paws cannot easily reach.
If there is a cat in the house, talk about lilies.
Lilies deserve a separate conversation.
True lilies — including flowers from the Lilium and Hemerocallis groups — can be extremely dangerous to cats. Even relatively small exposures, including pollen, can have serious consequences.
For that reason, if we know a bouquet is entering a home with a cat, lilies are something we take very seriously.
This is also why telling your florist about the recipient’s pets matters.
Are roses safe for cats and dogs?
According to the ASPCA, roses (Rosa species) are considered non-toxic to both cats and dogs.
That makes them particularly useful when designing for homes with pets — and roses do not have to mean a conventional dozen red stems.
Garden-style roses, spray roses and different colours can move from quiet and natural to romantic and expressive.
Thorns should still be handled appropriately, and even non-toxic flowers are best kept somewhere pets are unlikely to chew on them.
What should I tell my florist?
One sentence is enough:
“They have a cat.”
Or a dog. Or both.
If you are sending flowers and do not know whether the recipient has pets, it can be worth asking before choosing the arrangement.
We already ask about favourite colours.
We ask whether someone prefers something romantic, minimal, bright or soft.
Asking about the animal living beside them feels like a natural extension of the same idea:
Design for the person. Consider the home.
A bouquet becomes part of a home.
We often think of flowers as a moment.
A birthday. An anniversary. A congratulations. A quiet “I was thinking of you.”
But once the bouquet is delivered, it becomes part of someone’s living space.
It sits beside their books.
On their dining table.
Near the window where their cat sleeps in the afternoon.
That is why thoughtful floral design is not only about how something looks when it leaves the florist.
It is also about understanding where it is going.
So before you send flowers, ask what colours they love.
Ask what kind of flowers feel like them.
And sometimes,
ask about the cat.
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Pet safety information in this article is intended as general guidance, not veterinary advice. Plant toxicity can vary by species and variety. If you are unsure about a particular flower or plant, consult the ASPCA Animal Poison Control plant database or your veterinarian. If you believe a pet has ingested a potentially toxic plant, contact a veterinarian or animal poison control service promptly.
Sending flowers to a home with pets?
Let us know there’s a cat or dog when placing your order. We’ll keep their home in mind while designing.