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Leave out lilies this Valentine’s Day if your loved one has a cat.

10th February 2020

  •   News
Leave out lilies this Valentine’s Day if your loved one has a cat.

For the love of cats, leave out lilies this Valentine’s day. What could be meant as a harmless, endearing gesture could turn out to be quite the opposite, with disastrous consequences…

Whether you’ve been with your partner for decades or you’ve only just started dating, finding the perfect Valentine’s gift can be difficult, and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching you may be tempted to go for the ‘safe’ option of flowers. Present your loved one with a beautiful bouquet and they’re sure to be impressed, right? Not if they own a cat and you’ve chosen lilies.

This Valentine’s Day we are urging people to leave out lilies if their loved one has a cat.

Lilies are frequently used in flower arrangements for their attractive appearance and fragrant flowers, however many people are still unaware of the danger they pose to cats.

Lilies contain a toxin that makes eating even the smallest amount of any part of the plant – flowers, leaves, stem or pollen – extremely dangerous to cats. Even licking the pollen off their coat or drinking the water from a vase containing lilies can cause grave illness. Once ingested, the toxin causes severe damage to the kidneys, which can cause the kidneys to fail and even result in death. Signs of poisoning include drooling, vomiting, refusing food, lethargy and depression; on examination a vet may find enlarged and painful kidneys.

The message of our campaign is that if you, or your loved one, own a cat, you should never have lilies in the house, nor should you gift cat carers lilies. And, should you suspect that your cat has been exposed to lilies, seek immediate veterinary advice.

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

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