Cats and lilies, a dangerous combination My cat Bas is well behaved and never really does naughty things. He is just as fond of fresh flowers as his owner. He enjoys the smell, the colors and unfortunately also the taste. When I was about to rinse off my face mask in my bathrobe on a rainy Saturday morning, I saw Basje standing on the table in the corner of my eye. I was shocked when I realized that Basje was sniffing the bouquet I had received earlier that week…
Cats and lilies, a dangerous combination
My cat Bas is well behaved and never really does naughty things. He is just as fond of fresh flowers as his owner. He enjoys the smell, the colors and unfortunately also the taste.
When I was about to rinse off my face mask in my bathrobe on a rainy Saturday morning, I saw Basje standing on the table in the corner of my eye. I was shocked when I realized that Basje was sniffing the bouquet I had received earlier that week. In the middle of the bouquet was a bright orange lily that I had not recognized earlier by its bright color, because the flower was still closed.
Fact
Where many people know that chocolate is very toxic to dogs, it is a lot less known that lilies may be even more toxic to cats. The entire plant is poisonous, even the pollen and the water in which the plant stands.
Back to that particular Saturday
The moment I realized that Basje was standing with his nose on the bouquet and I recognized the lily, all alarm bells went off for me. I rushed to the table and saw that his white muzzle turned orange from the pollen; panic. Without hesitation, I picked it up and hurried to the bathroom where I immediately rinsed it off with water. After consulting Google, I found out that it was indeed a lily and that cats (according to Google) can die within 3 days due to acute kidney failure. So I contacted my vet, a reliable advisor. A little later I was crying with Bas on my lap in an Uber to the vet on duty. Bas was given an IV and was allowed to go home that afternoon.
Well ended
I was there in time and fortunately everything ended well. But if I hadn’t been at home, it would have ended differently for curious Bas. So never bring lilies or relatives into your home if you have cats, and don’t give them as a gift to people with cats.
Tip
In blind panic I started Googling and I also read different advice on different websites. So the Internet is not the best advisor. So in case of doubt or panic, you should speak to an expert, so call your vet.
We have prepared a list of plants and flowers that are toxic to cats and pets. Check out the list here.
You can find more advice on how to take care of your pet in the blog of veterinarian Piet Hellemans.