You walk inside H-E-B during your Easter shopping and you see a beautiful display of lilies in front of you.
As much as you’d love to grab a bunch, there’s one problem: you have a cat.
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As a catmom myself, I have to ultimately live without most plants in my household because of how poisonous they are, and my three tiger wannabes will chew on anything.
So, every time I would have guests over for holidays such as Easter, I always have to warn them every year: Please do NOT bring any flowers, especially lilies.
Lilies are poisonous to both dogs and cats, according to the ASPCA. However, the effects are severe for cats.
Let’s break it down:
According to the Food and Drug Administration, lilies, including Tiger, Asiatic, Day, and Japanese Snow lilies are poisonous.
If a cat licks or eats a leaf, petal, or pollen grains from the lily, he or she will experience vomiting, and frequent urination within 12 to 24 hours. Later, kidney failure sets in, and, if left untreated, cats can die within four to seven days after eating, said Melanie McLean, a veterinarian with FDA.
There are other types of lilies, such as Calla and Peace lilies that do not cause fatal kidney failure, but they’ll still upset their tummies.
If you believe your feline has ingested all or part of a lily, you’ll want to call your veterinarian immediately.
To identify what types of lilies are poisonous, click here.
Dogs can suffer from stomach issues if they eat a lily, the FDA said. However, the effects are not life-threatening.
What are my options?
Since lilies are not a good option, here’s a list of popular flowers that are safe for homes with cats, according to the ASPCA:
- African Daisies
- Sunflowers
- Zinnias
- Snapdragons
- Roses
Full list of plants that are SAFE and NOT SAFE for cats here.