Lilies are Dangerous and Will Harm Cats

Do lilies kill cats? Yes they do, here’s how and what you can do to stop this happening.

Let us tell you how it happens, because if you know you can help stop a beautiful but dangerous flower entering a cat home. This post is brief but, we hope, it will help save feline lives.

We give instructions at the bottom of this post if you need to take urgent action for suspected lily poisoning. Scroll straight down if you need the information urgently. Acting in time is absolutely essential when you suspect a cat of having ingested even the smallest dose. One grain of pollen can kill.

If you do suspect lily poisoning

ACT NOW Not in a few minutes ACT NOW

A Twitter friend shared an appeal by a friend who had lost their cat due to lily poisoning last year. It was heartbreaking to read, and made us determined to help by posting about the dangers. Our Twitter friend was appealing for florists to have a lily warning clause in their shops and online. We believe that this appeal should be broadcast worldwide, and on a regular basis.

Yes, we know plenty of other things kill cats, but lilies are under the spotlight with us for National Animal Poison Prevention Week which takes place in March each year. This is an American event of over 50 years standing, but one we at Dash Kitten are promoting with total commitment.

• NOTE One small brush against a lily flower flowers, one cleansing lick to remove the pollen, one leaf nibble and you are faced with a serious and often fatal feline emergency.  

Lilies Kill Cats 

Lilies Kill Cats and Here’s How

Lily flowers are a popular garden plant.  Here is a selection of lily pictures from GardenPhotos.com to give you an idea of the different types you might come across.

You might get a bouquet for a birthday, an anniversary or a celebration of some kind. Of course, you are thrilled, but it always has lilies in it. Lilies are an easy way to add a blast of fragrance and dazzling colour by every skilled florist, but they also kill most cats who encounter them. How? By destroying their kidneys.

Lily Poison – TAKE ACTION QUICKLY!!

Lily toxicity symptoms include depression, diarrhea, drooling, and dehydration – four deadly D’s and, if action is not taken, a cat can be dead in as little as four days. Does this sound frightening?

It’s meant to.

Treatment is expensive and not always successful but, sometimes, early action and specialist treatment can save a cat’s life. Even our local New Zealand newspaper has covered the issue of lethal lilies and I guess you have got the message now – right?

DO THIS IF YOU ARE EVEN REMOTELY CONCERNED 

1. Get your cat to a vet FAST.
2. If there is a vet hospital or specialist open nearby, head there. Specialist care is often needed for lily toxicity cases.
3. Try to keep calm enough to take a sample of the flower or leaf with you. This will help the vet take the right kind of action a lot sooner.

• “Taking along a sample of the plant will make your veterinarian’s ability to diagnose the reaction that much easier, and treatment can be prescribed swiftly, minimizing the probability of long-term organ damage…”  PetMD.com

So, how to you remove the risk from deadly lillies from your cats?

You remove lilies from your home, and your life. As this deadly issue affects indoor and outdoor cats, remove lillies from your house and your garden, and if you can encourage your neighbours to remove them as well, this reduces the risk even further.

• entirely

• totally and

• completely.

REQUEST as a pet owner that lilies be removed from any bouquet you order as a gift!

Marjorie Dawson

 

 

 

 

 

References:-
PetMD Lily poisoning
PetMD – Poisonous Plants
Pawsome Cats