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Keeping Cats Safe: Lethal lilies poster

22nd May 2020

  •   Keeping Cats Safe
Keeping Cats Safe: Lethal lilies poster

Update July 2022: It has come to our attention that pollen-free lilies are being marketed as a ‘safe’ option for cat owners. All parts of the lily are toxic, not just the pollen. A pollen-free lily will not be safe for cats and the advice for cat owners to avoid lilies remains the same.

 

A large proportion of lily poisoning cases in cats happen because people are unaware of the danger that they pose and bring them into their house, or plant them in their garden. Every part of the plant is toxic to cats, and even licking pollen from their coats, or drinking water from the vase that lilies have been sitting in, can cause fatal kidney damage. Put simply, lilies should be kept out of your home and garden if you own a cat.

At iCatCare we want to eliminate this avoidable danger and publicise just how toxic lilies are to cats as widely as possible. To this end we’ve created a poster that can be displayed in florists, garden centres, or any other retailer that sells lilies, to act as a physical reminder that they shouldn’t be brought into a household with a cat.

You can download the poster here.

We encourage cat owners and cat professionals to recommend the use of this poster wherever possible.

We understand that it’s much more difficult to ensure that free-roaming cats won’t come into contact with lilies, and although they may not actively interact with the plant, even brushing past the flower and then grooming themselves can cause severe kidney damage and even death. Immediate treatment is essential if your cat has consumed any part of a lily, so an understanding of the symptoms of lily poisoning is important.

Symptoms include:

  • Drooling
  • Vomiting
  • Refusing food
  • Lethargy
  • Depression
  • On examination a vet may find enlarged and painful kidneys

You can find more information on lilies here.

 

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