Cats & Cat Health

Did you know that lilies and their pollen are toxic for cats? Even licking the pollen from their fur can kill a cat quite fast and very painfully.

Symptoms of Lillie Poisoning
The first symptoms likely to occur after ingesting lilies are depression, lack of appetite and sometimes vomiting. If left untreated the symptoms will worsen and include dehydration, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and bad breath - it is likely that the cat will eventually suffer from acute renal failure. If medical treatment isn’t sought within hours the cat will probably die.

If you think your cat has eaten any part of a lily you should get it to a vet as quickly as possible. The cat may have to go on dialysis to improve its kidney function.

Beware also of diffenbachia (dumb cane or leopard lily), hemerocallis (day lily), cyclamen, poinsettia and amaryllis.

Why isn’t there any warning on these plants and flowers when we buy them? I have often had lilies in the house and never realized that they could hurt my cat. I often put them in a vase on the hearth in summertime, where Alfie could easily get the pollen on his fur and ingest it when he groomed himself. Apparently this is enough to cause a painful death within a few hours.

What a narrow escape! But thankfully now I know I will take the stamens off lilies so that the pollen is not able to be transferred. Lillie pollen is a devil to get off your your clothes too. Some florists take the stamens off for you, but if they don’t you should do it yourself.

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