Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re planning on buying flowers, make sure to avoid lilies if they might come into contact with a cat.
There are two days in the year when stallholders selling flowers can be safe in the knowledge that their stock will be sold out long before they’re trying to shift them by the bucketful at the end of the day. One is Valentine’s day and the other is Mother’s Day.
Flowers are a traditional gift on Mother’s Day and lilies, being one of the most popular scented flowers, are a common choice in bouquets, but bringing lilies into a home where a cat is present can have disastrous consequences.
Lilies contain a toxin that’s extremely dangerous for cats. The smallest section of any part of the plant is highly poisonous, and even drinking the water from a vase that lilies have been in or licking pollen from their coat can make them seriously ill. The toxin causes severe damage to the kidneys, which can cause kidney failure and can even result in death.
Signs of poisoning include:
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Refusing food
- Lethargy
- Depression
- On examination a vet may find enlarged and painful kidneys
If you suspect that your cat has been exposed to lilies, seek veterinary advice immediately.
For more information about lily poisoning and to download the charity’s ‘lethal lilies’ warning poster visit: http://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe/lilies
