Roses are not poisonous to cats neither are they poisonous to dogs or horses. They are non-toxic. I’m referring to the Rosa species in the family: Rosaceae. Although they are not toxic chemically, eating them may result in discomfort because of a stomach upset together with perhaps, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Perhaps a far more important aspect of the potential danger of roses in the garden from the standpoint of a domestic cat is that often people put insecticide sprays on roses. Insecticides in general are toxic. One rose insecticide is Bonide Concentrate. They say that it is not organic and that it is safe for pets and people if used according to the directions on the label. I believe that it has to be fully dry to be safe and therefore cats should be kept out of the way until that state of affairs has arrived.
Another insecticide used on roses is: Ortho 0345020. Once again, it is safe to be used around pets provided it has been allowed to dry and therefore pets should be kept away from any freshly sprayed areas.
The conclusion is that insecticides in general are potentially dangerous but not the rose itself. There is a third possible danger and that is the thorns on roses which can clearly injure a cat if they are playing among them.
The issue as to whether roses are poisonous to cats is applicable at the moment because June is the month when they bloom. Although in Florida they bloom all year round because of the sunshine. Roses need about six hours continuous sunshine throughout the day.
P.S. The Christmas rose which is not a true rose is poisonous to cats on my research. They flower from late winter until spring.
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