Lilies. They are beautiful, fragrant, colourful and really dangerous to the cats you love.
Many people are unaware that beautiful lilies can be deadly to cats. Even the smallest amount of pollen or leaf ingestion can be fatal. What do you need to know to protect your feline friend? Let me tell you.
Table of contents
If you think your cat has licked (ingested) lily pollen.
Get to the Emergency Vet NOW!
Why are Lilies Toxic?
Although the exact toxin that kills cat has not been identified, every lily is considered lethal. In particular, three species of garden lilies are considered dangerous and I list them here.
NOTE: The flowers known as Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) and Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum wallisii) are not members of the Lilium family and are considered safe.
Dangerous Lilies (Top 3)
- Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum),
- ‘Stargazer‘ lilies (Lilium Stargazer hybrid),
- Asiatic lilies (Lilium asiaticum) – are all considered highly dangerous.
Nibbling a leaf, drinking the water from a vase, licking (stamen) pollen from a paw or fur, of any lily, can endanger your cat.
SUSPECT LILY POISONING?
GET TO THE VET!
According to UC Davis “A cat that has consumed the lily toxin can experience kidney failure, which can lead to death, within 36 to 72 hours unless he or she receives appropriate treatment.” Bluntly, your cat will die if it does not get immediate treatment.
‘Immediate’ as in stop reading this post and telephone your veterinarian or emergency vet service NOW!
Early treatment is absolutely critical if you are to have any chance of saving your cat from lily toxicity.
TIP: If you can identify the plant cat has has touched or nibbled, take a photo, or take the whole flower with you (safely wrapped in a plastic bag) to the vet’s office.
Lilies are lethally toxic to cats. In fact, they are so poisonous that a cat can suffer fatal kidney failure just from biting into a lily leaf or petal, licking lily pollen from its paws, or drinking water from a vase containing cut lilies. The lily toxin, which only affects cats, has not been identified.
UC Davis
Symptoms of Lily Poisoning
The clinical signs of lily poisoning you need to look for in cats include the following:
- Vomiting,
- Lethargy,
- Drooling,
- Loss of appetite.
- Increased urination and dehydration may be seen 12 to 24 hours after ingestion and are signs of kidney damage.
How To Prevent Lily Poisoning
Avoid bringing lilies into your home and garden in any way.
If you are given the flowers (or plants) as a gift, thank the person and then put the flowers out of reach until the person has gone, then dump them in the bin. Sorry but do it, we are talking about a cat’s life here. Blame a black thumb for killing the gift and look apologetic!
“Most cat owners don’t know it, but lilies are lethally toxic to cats.. In fact, they’re so poisonous that a cat can suffer fatal kidney failure just from biting into a lily leaf or petal, licking lily pollen from its paws, or drinking water from a vase with cut lilies in it.”
Dr. Larry Cowgill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM.
Cat Safe Flowers
If you are gifting a bouquet to a friend or relative who owns cats, emphasise to the florist that you want only cat safe flowers. If they don’t know what you mean, be prepared and insist on no lilies (no matter how pretty and fragrant they are) and suggest these:
- Sunflowers
- Zinnias
- Roses
- Orchids
- Gerbera Daisies
Conclusion
I cannot emphasise this message enough
For the love of everything you hold dear; family, friends, your Faith, and your cat’s life, if you are in any doubt, telephone your vet or emergency veterinary service immediately. Every minute counts. The clock is ticking and the longer you worry or hop from foot to foot wondering if you budget can take the strain, your cat’s life is literally slipping away.
No. I. Am. Not. Joking.
Your cat’s life is at stake. Please call your vet.
If it turns out to be a false alarm breath a really big sigh of relief. Yes, you have a vet bill. But. You have peace of mind and a living cat, happy and sitting on your lap.
Lily Toxicity References
I am grateful to the information linked to in these articles from UC Davis Veterinary Medicine. They are essential reading to broaden your knowledge on the danger of lilies.
- Veterinarians Warn of Lethal Lily Toxicity – Rob Warren
- Lily Toxicity in Cats – Amy Young
BE ALERT. Please, share this post so more people know exactly how dangerous lilies are.
So very important! Poinsettias are so pretty to look at, but so toxic. With having two cats and five Siberian Huskies, I only had artificial ones in my house. I’m posting this on my “Mews News” board on Pinterest to share with others!
Thank you for this information. I had no clue!
It is so important to remind cat owners the danger of lilies as we all get excited before holidays and sometimes forget so thanks for the reminder and I hope it wakes every cat parent up
Excellent information, Marjorie! You’re exactly right, people don’t realize how dangerous lilies are to kitties. I know whenever I order flowers for friends, I always make sure they are lily-free and pet-friendly, even if they don’t have a cat. I don’t want them to toss them outside (or unsecured trash bin) and a roaming cat to get to them. There are so many beautiful (and safe) flowers it’s easy to avoid lilies. Heck, lilies are even difficult for folks with asthma. My mom could never be near them without getting an asthma attack. Thanks for this PSA! I’m sharing with all my pet parents.
Thanks for calling attention to the dangers of this lovely flower. Keep them out of reach or better yet, don’t take the risk leave them in the flower shop.
This is a very important post. Lillies are such a common flower to bring in the home, and unfortunately cats seem to love chewing on them.
Extremely important post! I’ve known this for many years, but I’m sure others don’t know
That’s a great and super important post, Marjorie. We are hyper about any plants or flowers in the house. You just cannot be too careful!
Yes, those evil flowers are killers. We never have an live flowers of any kind in our house. Thanks for joining Angel Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.
Brian’s Home