Lilies are fatal to cats

[Ed Strong]

Just in case there are some cat owners out there who are unaware that lilies, when eaten or brushed against (pollen) by cats can cause an extremely nasty death. Please see link.

http://www.cats-inverurie.co.uk/News/May05/lil y.htm

I will also post this in the Pets heading.

[divegirl]

Hi Ed, thanks for that information.....my lilies are now in the bin! I never knew that, no reason why I should I suppose and always have lilies in the house [favourite flower], but my kitten is always nosing around them :oO ......so out they go.....

Lisa x

[puddycat]

Given the time of year it may also be worthwhile noting that poinsettia leaves are also supposed to be poisonous to cats.

Pud.

[RATTER15]

I'm surprised as lilies smell of cats pee anyway!

[Athley]

Thanks I didn't know this. I have just put my lillies in the bin!

[gelda]

My friend's cat died as a result of lilies. She always sat by the radiator and the lilies were on the shelf above so the pollen kept falling on her and of course she ingested it when grooming herself' the vet guessed what it was but it was too late to save her, he said it was quite a common occurance, very sad!

[luckyeight]

I have heard this but didn't know whether it was fact or urban myth. For the record, I used to have lots of lilles in my house and the cat is very much still alive and kicking, so don't be scared if you're a cat owner and have had lillies around the place.

[dummkopf]

I didn't know about this either, I've had lilies in the house too and my cats are ok. BUT it 's 'better to be safe than sorry' as the saying goes. The lilies in a tub outside are heading for the bin !
Thank you for the alert Ed Strong.

[PatriciaH]

I would never knowingly hurt any animal but doesnt the cat know its poisonous to him/her? Is this a deterrent for "cats in the garden" ? btw i havent got any in my garden even though they are one of my favourite flowers

[Mill&Pop]

Hi

We came home today and our 2 yr old cat's face was covered in lily pollen, I washed this off immediately (only because it stains so much - she looked like she had eaten a curry!) having no idea that these flowers are poisonous to cats (and I'm a qualified florist - none of this was covered in any of my training, nor was it on the flower wrapper) it wasn't until my friends called round later and told me how serious this is. I took her straight to the vets who contacted someone regarding poisons to animals (they did tell me who but can't remember) and they advised that she needs to be kept in for 2 days and put on an aggresive drip to try and flush out her kidneys. The next few days are critical for her as there is no idea how much she has ingested and what damage it has done.

We were lucky that we got her in quickly, as she now has more of a chance - if it wasn't for my friends I would never have took her and we've been told that she could have died overnight!!!

To all you cat lovers out there, if this happens to your cat, make sure you get him/her to the vet immediately as the sooner you get them there, the better chance they have.

Fingers crossed our little cat will get through this - I certainly won't be buying any more lillies!

If anyone out there has any extra info/experience of this, please post.

Thanks

[Ed Strong]

Mill&Pop I'm just sorry that you didn't see this link earlier. I really hope that you managed to get him treated in time and that everything is now OK. Please let us know. My cat is now old so doesn't jump up onto things like he used to but if I do have any lilies I make sure that there is no platform (ie a chair) for him to launch himself onto the sideboard where the flowers are. I also try to pinch out the pollen stamens as the flowers open as apart from being poisonous they make a mess. Once again, hope everything turns out alright.

[Mill&Pop]

Just wanted to let you all know that our little cat is now back home and doing fine. She was on a drip for 3 days and she has to have another blood test in a months time just to check her kidney's, but fingers crossed they will be ok like the first ones done. Our vet has said that as we acted quickly we helped to save her. Turned out to be a very expensive bunch of lillies!!!

[Ed Strong]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. I'm so pleased for you and will keep all my appendages crossed for a negative result from the blood test. You say you are a qualified florist, do you have/work in a shop? If so, perhaps you could make a start by putting (suggesting to your boss) warning labels on bouquets etc that contain lilies. Best wishes for a happy outcome.

[jackben]

i just found this out so my lillies in garden and house are otu now are there any other garden plants i need to look out for

[AnnaGP]

I caught my siamese cat eating an Easter Lilly this morning. I got her to the vets within the hour but she has had her stomach pumped twice already today and will have it done a third time this evening. She is also on a drip and is expected to be in the vets for a few days. I just hope she comes out of this ok. Never will I have lilies in the house again. Surely a warning should be put on these kinds of plants/flowers that are so toxic to domestic pets.

[Ed Strong]

AnnaGP. Shame you didn't see this link before as it might have saved you all that worry, let alone the expense. My old boy died of natural causes six weeks after I posted this link (2 and a half years ago! Where does the time go?) and I haven't plucked up the courage to get a replacement as I can't stand the heartache when they die. I was in bits for weeks afterwards and my husband was inconsolable. I just hope that your cat recovers fully. I'll be thinking of you.

[Emma081983]

I've just found out about the dangers of lilies and I have a garden full of them! Well not for long now as I have a cat and the last thing I want is for my cat to get seriously ill or worse. I have never seen any warning information on these plant's packaging.

[Ed Strong]

Emma, at least you are now aware of the danger. Unfortunately, although you get rid of them from your garden your neighbours may also be growing them and cats are notorious for wandering into other peoples gardens. At least you now know what to look for.

[Emma081983]

Ed Strong - I know my next door neighbour has lilies but she keeps them in a big/high pot so they shouldn't pose a real danger for cats but yeah there's gardens everywhere and lilies are such a popular plant. At least I'm now limiting the risk of him getting seriously ill from lilies. My garden was literally covered in lilies and he always plays and runs around in the garden. I'm just grateful I found out before something bad happened. I actually signed up to a petition on facebook to get supermarkets etc to put labelling on lilies to warn buyers of the dangers the plant could cause to cats.