As the days get longer and warmer, more cat owners may start letting their feline friends out of the house. Flowers and plants bloom in the spring because of the warmer temperatures.
Before letting your cat relax in the garden, you should learn which plants and flowers could be harmful to it. Keep reading to learn more.
Are Roses Toxic To ats?
Incorrect (Kind of) Information About Roses and Cats
Roses themselves are not toxic to cats, which is good news. You shouldn’t relax your security measures just because of this, though.
The rose bush in your garden may become a snack for your cat. In most cases, this is nothing to worry about. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility of problems with roses.
Your cat may experience stomach distress if it eats any part of the rose plant, including the stem, leaves, and petals.
Although this reaction rarely becomes life threatening, it is still important to watch for. If you think your cat has been eating roses, keep an eye out for symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.
Your local veterinarian is the best person to help you figure out why your cat is acting strangely.
If you don’t want your cat licking and chewing on your roses, there are plenty of lickable cat treats available.
Pesticides Are The Real Threat
Although roses themselves are safe for cats to consume, any pesticides used on them are highly poisonous.
Ingesting the pesticides that are sometimes sprayed on roses to keep them looking their best can be extremely dangerous for your cat.
If you suspect your cat has ingested pesticide-sprayed roses, watch for the following signs:
- Tremors
- Drooling
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Seizures
If you eat roses that haven’t been treated with pesticides, you may experience some of these symptoms.
It’s better to be safe than sorry if you’re worried that the roses your cat ate might have been sprayed with pesticides, so it’s best to take them to the vet just in case.
Thorns Can Pose A Risk Too
The sharp thorns on rose bushes are another obvious danger to cats. Playing in a rose bush can be dangerous, even if your cats don’t eat any of the rose.
In order to prevent your cat from getting hurt while playing in a rose garden, you should keep a close eye on it.
Playing with thorns or biting them can be dangerous for your cat. You should check your cat for injuries after it has been playing in a rose bush.
If your cat has been injured but the wound is minor, you should only need to apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment to help it heal and prevent infection.
Get your cat checked out by a vet if the wounds look serious or there are any signs of infection.
Are Other Plants With Rose In The Name Toxic?
While individual roses might not be harmful to your cat, not every plant with “rose” in the name is harmless.
You should probably keep your cats away from any plant that includes the word “rose” in its name. You should keep your cats away from these plants:
- The poisonous sap of the Desert Rose (Adenium obesum) plant.
- Cats should stay away from succulents like Moss Rose (Portulaca oleracea).
- Toxic to felines, the Christmas Rose is scientifically known as Helleborus niger.
- Cats should not ingest any part of a rosebay (rhododendron) plant.
- The Hibiscus syriacus, or Rose of Sharon, plant is toxic to felines.
- The oil in primrose (Primula vulgaris) seeds is harmful to felines.
You should keep an eye on your cat and, if at all possible, stop it from eating any plants in your yard if you don’t know whether or not they are poisonous to felines.
Always check in with your vet if your cat has been exposed to a plant you’re unsure of.
Dry cat food formulated for cats with sensitive stomachs or a wet food version may be introduced during the healing process.
What Plants Can I Have That Are Safe For Cats?
It’s not easy to be a plant lover and a cat lover, especially if you want to protect your cat without sacrificing the benefits of having plants around.
The good news is that you can pick from a wide variety of non-toxic plants for your home or garden without worrying about the well-being of your cat.
If you have a room in your house that doesn’t get a lot of natural light, a rattlesnake plant might be the perfect addition. They require little maintenance and thrive in well-drained, loose soil.
This plant should thrive with monthly fertilization (except in the fall and winter). Make sure you’re using an animal-friendly fertilizer.
These plants do best in indirect light, making them ideal for people who live in apartments or other locations that don’t get a lot of sun.
They thrive in temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and you should only water them when the top inch of soil is dry.
If the leaves appear dry, you can also give them a light misting of water.
Veterinarians and pet owners alike love spider plants for their many benefits. This plant thrives in artificial light and is very hardy.
They are perfect for people who want to start growing plants but worry that they lack a green thumb.
Toxins in the air can be removed with the help of spider plants because they are also excellent air purifiers.
Spider plants, like rattlesnake plants, prefer indirect light, making them ideal for dark rooms. They do best in a range of 60–80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keeping your house at that temperature will promote their growth.
Cats can also safely coexist with beautiful and exotic orchids. A properly cared-for plant from this collection can grace your home for up to four months of beauty and sophistication.
These plants thrive in indirect light and don’t require full sun like the first two, but they still require some sunlight.
Orchids require weekly watering during the colder months and twice-weekly watering during the warmer months.
Orchids require indirect light, warmth, and humidity to flourish. They usually only flower once a year for about three months before dying off and coming back dormant the following season.
Overwatering or too much direct sunlight can cause the leaves of these plants to turn yellow.
These three plants are just the tip of the iceberg of feline-friendly foliage. Do your homework before bringing a new plant into the house to ensure the safety of your pets and the plant.