Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family of plants. Also referred to as mint, deadnettle or sage family, members such as rosemary are widely used culinary aromatic herbs; other members include basil, catnip, lavender, marjoram mint oregano sage and thyme among many more. Rosemary can often be seen growing in home herb gardens which may leave you wondering whether it’s safe for cats to ingest.
Rosemary Is Safe for Cats To Eat
According to the ASPCA animal poison control, rosemary is non-toxic for both cats, dogs and horses1. Members of Lamiaceae plant family listed by ASPCA as toxic include catnip, lavender, marjoram mint or oregano which all produce symptoms including vomiting diarrhea decreased appetite gastrointestinal distress2. Non-toxic members include basil candle plant prostrate coleus sage both summer/winter savory Swedish Ivy Thyme2.
How Much Rosemary Can Cats Eat? Although rosemary is generally non-toxic, you shouldn’t allow your cat to munch freely on it. Rosemary contains volatile oils such as monoterpenes, hydrocarbons, camphene, limonene, camphor, borneal cineole linalool and verbinol2, which if consumed in large enough quantities may cause vomiting, diarrhea or other GI signs; most cats won’t consume enough rosemary to cause discomfort – rather, curious nibbles will do just fine.
What to Do if Your Cat Eats Too Much Rosemary
Even though rosemary is technically non-toxic, if your cat consumes too much it should be monitored closely for signs of GI discomfort such as vomiting, diarrhea or inappetence; more subtle symptoms include lethargy or increased laziness and not acting normally – any time any such signs arise seek medical advice immediately! If any such signs occur consult a veterinarian.
Are There Any Health Benefits? In animal studies, rosemary has been demonstrated to aid conventional therapies for cardiac conditions like hypertrophy or decreased function.3 Unfortunately, however, these were limited rat studies; no reputable evidence exists as yet for its potential health benefits in cats.
Rosemary Essential Oil contul Essential oils can be extremely hazardous for cats, and should never be applied topically or aromatically to them. Rosemary essential oil should never be applied directly as cats can easily groom it off their fur and ingest it. Furthermore, this consumption can lead to vomiting and diarrhea and even depression of the central nervous system leading to decreased heart and respiratory rate and even seizures!
Essential oil diffusers work by aerosolizing concentrated oils; should your cat breathe these inhaled aerosolized oils, this could result in respiratory tract irritation as well as vomiting and diarrhea in addition to watery eyes and nose, drooling and difficulty breathing. Signs of respiratory tract irritation in cats could include watery nose/eyes/drooling/drooling.