There are many plants and flowers that are toxic to cats, but sadly many cat owners are still unaware of the dangers. A recent news story has highlighted a very common plant that is often given as gifts or bought for the home, lilies.
Cat owner Natalie Briscoe’s two kittens were almost killed after being exposed to a bouquet of flowers containing lilies. Ms Briscoe became concerned after noticing yellow staining on her kittens’ fur. She tried to clean it off their white fur and then noticed it around their mouths. Thankfully, the owner headed straight online to learn how to remove pollen from fur and she stumbled on an article about a kitten that had died after ingesting lily pollen. After comparing photos of lilies online with her own bouquet of flowers she quickly rushed her kittens to the vets in a state of panic.
Luckily this story has a happy ending. The vet was able to flush the toxins from kittens and they were in time to stop any irreversible kidney damage. Sadly, many kittens and cats aren’t so lucky.
Lilies are extremely poisonous to cats. Exposure to any part of the plant can be fatal, even in small doses. Cats need to be kept away from the stems, stamens, the pollen and the petals.
We would just like to remind our readers and customers of the dangers of plants and flowers. We have a list of the common plants to be aware of and remind you all to check your gardens and any plants in your neighbourhood but also to check any flowers you buy or are given. Place any toxic plants in areas of the home that cats have no access to, or remove them entirely.
Further Reading
Cat Owners Warns About the Danger of Lilies