Pet-Friendly Mother’s Day Flowers for New Jersey Pet Lovers

With Mother's Day around the corner, searches for  ‘What flowers are safe for cats’  were up by 450% in the past seven days. Pet-friendly gifts are an important concern. As a fellow pet lover, I understand the concern we have for making sure nothing toxic is anywhere around for our furry friends to get into. I know many like me, think of themselves as parents to their pets. So whether you are gifting plants and flowers to your Mom, or receiving these because you are a pet mom, it’s important to know about the types of which blooms we bring into our homes.

It seems more people are becoming aware of the potential dangers that come with common floral arrangements. As someone who shares their home with energetic German Short-Haired Pointer dogs, chickens, ducks, and a growing pigeon family, I know how important it is to keep our pets safe from harm.

I was shocked to read that some flowers that with give our moms on Mother's Day can actually be toxic to our beloved pets. According to experts like Dr. Kathryn Dench and Dr. Kristi Crow, lilies are not only harmful to cats but can also pose risks to dogs if ingested. I never knew that flowers like tulips, daffodils, and foxgloves contain compounds that can cause a range of health issues for our furry companions.

According to House Digest, there are plenty of pet-safe alternatives to consider when selecting floral gifts for Mother’s Day. Luckily roses made the list of safe flowers. Dr. Crow recommends orchids, sunflowers, and marigolds as a few options. Also, indoor plants like African violets, spider plants, and bamboo palms can add beauty to our homes without putting our pets at risk.

As pet parents in New Jersey, we need to be safe by selecting a gift based on the well-being of our animals, even when celebrating special occasions like Mother’s Day. By choosing pet-safe flowers and plants, we can show our love for both our pets and the mothers in our lives without compromising anyone’s health. Happy Mother's Day to all!

We all know those people who have accounts for their babies or pets. Did you know even Hollywood A-listers take part in that, too? It doesn't matter if you're famous or not -- if someone feels as though they've got some cuteness overload to share, there will be a page dedicated to that. We must admit, it is kind of charming for grown adults to run pages of cute content from the perspective of their furry friends. Some celebrities' pets have enough followers that their accounts have been verified on Instagram, while others are still steadily climbing in popularity to gain enough followers to get that blue checkmark.

For example, Paris Hilton has an entire Instagram dedicated to all of her “fur kids,” called Hilton Pets (@hiltonpets). The heiress has more than just dogs, which most people don't know. On her official website, the Simple Life alum has a page dedicated to all the pets she currently has and once had. This includes miniature pigs, ponies, ferrets, monkeys, cats, and bunnies -- oh my! Paris even has a verified TikTok account with the funniest and cutest videos featuring her adorable pets.

Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets is linked to several health benefits, according to the CDC. Pets can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship. When cats purr, they emit a range of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses and lower stress. Most households in the United States have at least one pet.

Keep scrolling to see which celebrities have verified Instagram accounts for their adorable pets.

Paris said goodbye to her furry companion, Harajuku Bitch after 23 years in May 2023. In 2015, the heiress said goodbye to her chihuahua Tinkerbell at 14 years old. She was widely recognized accompanying her on the Simple Life. In July of 2023, the socialite added a teacup chihuahua named Prince Tokyo Gizmo Hilton.

The "Mutt Ball 2019 Champion" was featured in two of Katy's music videos for "Swish Swish" and "Small Talk," becoming her "mascot." Katy added the micro teacup poodle to her furry family in 2016, naming her Nugget, or on Instagram, Miss Nugget Perry. The "TGIF" singer already has a dog named Butters, whom she added to her pet family in 2014. The artist previously owned two cats, one named Kitty Purry, who made a cameo in the "I Kissed a Girl." She passed away in 2020 after 15 years. Perry also owned a cat named Monkey in 2010.

The Vampire Diaries alum adopted a rescue Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix named Mrs.Maverick in 2017. According to her Instagram bio, Nina adds that her name is "Maverick Do(g)brev." With 419,000 followers, Nina hilariously captions the posts as if her dog is writing them. In this July 17 post, Maverick writes: "has she heard of personal space? @nina"

The Star Wars actor has a page dedicated to his 10-year-old rescue, Millie. According to the dog's Instagram bio, she loves food, her humans, naps, and treats. With over 27,000 followers, Mark's other rescues Mabel and Trixie often make cameos on Millie's page. Like the other "pet-run" Instagrams, Millie's captions are from her point of view.

Leave it to the celebrity chef to name his pet after a food. However, Bobby's orange Maine Coon, Nacho Flay, is a perfect name for the fluffy cat. With over 270,000 Instagram followers, Nacho even has chef-crafted cat food called Made by Nacho. Bobby has another Maine Coon named Stella. According to Flay, he became a cat person because he was an only child. He considered his family's cats his "siblings" and said on TikTok that he couldn't imagine life without his cats.

Though the Star Wars alum passed away in 2016, the Instagram page of her famous and beloved French bulldog, Gary Fisher, lives on. Most posts are dedicated to his dog mom, Carrie, with heartfelt messages from the 11-year-old dog. Carrie adopted the dog from her daughter, Billie Lourd, to help manage her bipolar disorder. Since Carrie's passing, her former assistant Corby McCoin took him in.

The television talk show host adopted this adorable beagle-foxhound mix from a kill shelter in West Virginia. However, in May 2020, Cohen announced that he would be sending his rescue dog of nearly seven years to another home due to "random signs of aggression" that he had tried to address. Wacha was re-homed permanently with his "second family" that would watch him when Cohen was out of town.

Justin and his wife Hailey adopted a Maltese Yorkie named Oscar in 2018, a few months after they got married. On Instagram, they gave him a too-adorable Instagram nickname: "Oskie the Poskie." In November 2022, the couple announced they adopted a dog named Piggy Lou as Oscar's baby sister. The "Baby" singer owned several exotic pets, too. He had two Savannah cats named Sushi and Tuna and a capuchin monkey named OG Mally.

Wahlberg has four dogs: a Pomsky (Pomeranian-Husky mix) named Jojo, a "stinky" Boston Terrier named Lola, newest-addition Pomsky puppy named Penny, and a Pomeranian named Champ. Champ is the only verified pooch, with over 85,000 Instagram followers. Wahlberg surprised his wife and kids with Champ in 2019, recalling that his wife was mad he didn't consult her with choosing the dog. She even said "I hate those little furry dogs," when she found out his breed, but quickly had a change of heart once she met Champ.