9 Plants You Can Grow for Your Pets

For those who have chosen to have pets, it’s great to spoil them with treats, pamper them with care, and include them in the goings on about the house… and garden. That’s why putting a few pet-friendly plants in the garden can be a good idea.

As with people, plants can have many different benefits for pets, everything from cats and dogs to guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits. Even fish appreciate plants, both terrestrial and aquatic. The trick is planting the right stuff for the right animals.

Amazingly, this is a list of plants that are also very useful to humans, some as food, others as tea, and most as medicine. Several of the plants in this list are also useful for deterring pests like mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.

So, elbow out some space in the herb garden, put an extra row or two in the veggie patch, and maybe prep a few plant pots for the house. We’re planting for pets today!

1. Carrots (Daucus carota sativus)

These agreeable root vegetables likely already have a place in the veggie patch because humans love them so much. Lots of animals do, too. They are great for puppies to chew on instead of table legs. And, of course, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and horses all love them. So, grow an extra row for the four-legged amongst us.

2. Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Source: AnimalWised/Youtube

Possibly the most obvious inclusion on this list, catnip is renowned for driving the kitties wild. It does in fact contain an oil, nepetalactone, that gives them a temporary euphoric feeling. Different cats will react differently, but rarely in a negative way. Put this perennial in the herb bed and use it for yourself as well.

3. Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum)

This is a great thing to grow in pots in the house, particularly for cats and dogs that rarely go outside. Both require a little grass in their diet, and wheatgrass is a great, easy-to-grow choice with lots of nutrition. This grows into wheat, but just use the sprouts for wheatgrass in your green juice. This can be cut back and harvested several times.

4. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Lettuce comes in lots of shapes and sizes, but the best to grow for pets and people are the loose-leaf varieties that can be harvested as they grow. These are often more nutritious, and they provide food for potentially months. Fish, rabbits, tortoises, guinea pigs, and other herbivorous animals love to eat lettuce. Plant an extra row or two so that you can save a bit for your salads as well.

5. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

In reality, there are nearly 50 species of lavender plants, but this is the most widely cultivated. It’s not for pets to eat, but rather lavender is great for repelling ticks and fleas, and it’s safe for animals. This is a good one to plant near household entrances and other spots where the pooches will brush against it. The smell will help you relax all the while.

6. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Often recognized for its medicinal qualities, particularly helping to put folks to sleep, valerian is a perennial plant that can smell a little funky but has nice flowers. Tapping into its sedative powers, valerian can be an effective, natural way of calming anxious and unruly animals down a bit. If that doesn’t work, add a little of the root to your tea, and take a nap to calm your nerves.

7. Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)

Rosemary is an evergreen, perennial herb that we know well for its ability to turn roasted potatoes into something indisputably divine. It turns out the plant is full of health benefits, both for us and our pets. It’s good for repelling pests that might get on them, and it’s a good immune system booster.

8. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Source: Wag! Dog Walking/Youtube

Very popular on the human scene, chamomile is the main ingredient in many sleepy-time teas, and it is good for stress relief and stomach upset as well. It has similar effects for pets—dogs and cats—as well. This can also be a great addition to the herb garden or to the flower garden.

9. Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Mint is another very popular plant for its pleasant uses (tea, ice cream) and is highly regarded for its medicinal qualities (stomach relief, headache relief, fresh breath, etc.). Animals can and will tap into these qualities as well. Just be careful planting peppermint in the garden as it is prone to take over. Consider it for a houseplant in a pot or put it somewhere to take off and grow wild.

Isn’t it a great thought that all that gardening goes not only to our own benefit but adds to the lives of our families, pets included? For most of us these plants would be ideal for growing anyway, but now we can say they are for the critters as well.

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• 10 Amazingly Healthy Plants That Grow Like Weeds
• 10 Edible Plants That Grow in the Shade
• How to Make Nutritional Powders from Plants

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