PSA to cat owners! Lilies are absolute poison to cats.

[Kris]

This is my annual PSA that if you have cats, do NOT bring cut lilies from your garden into your home. Lilies are extremely toxic to cats. We lost a beloved pet eight years ago when he licked a bit of the pollen. Two days later he was dead.

It’s amazing that this isn’t generally known information. We had to find out the hard way, so I take every opportunity to tell others so that it won’t happen to them.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Essential oils and diffusers also can be harmful to pets.

[RetiredAt63]

Kris, thanks for the heads-up (although I am catless at the moment, I hope to remedy that soon).  A lot of things are toxic to cats that are OK for dogs and humans.  Cat livers process toxins differently.

[Caoineag]

It's best that all pet owners read up on the list of known toxins for pets. We had to watch grapes, raisins and onions as dog owners since we eat those items (and dogs are quick to snatch things that fall). There is a whole list of houseplants that are dangerous for cats as well.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Just to add that every part of the lilly is toxic to cats. And they're just as toxic in the garden.

[John Galt incarnate!]

This is my annual PSA that if you have cats, do NOT bring cut lilies from your garden into your home. Lilies are extremely toxic to cats. We lost a beloved pet eight years ago when he licked a bit of the pollen. Two days later he was dead.

It’s amazing that this isn’t generally known information. We had to find out the hard way, so I take every opportunity to tell others so that it won’t happen to them.

I did not know but now thanks to you I do.

[iris lily]

This is a good reminder. I always forget it So this reminder is useful.

I’ve grown  lilies for 25 years and As a lily judge Have many varieties that start an early season and go through late season. I also have always had cats. Are cats have never been plant eaters so none of them chomp on a lily.

Even when I bring them in the house,  my cats left them alone. But  it’s important that I remember this when I give gifts of lily bouquets  to people that I need to remind them if they have a cat who likes to chomp on flowers, keep the lilies away from the cat.

Lilies  are also poisonous to dogs. We have dogs as well but they don’t chow  down lilies.

I wish they were poisonous for deer. Deer attack lilies with gusto. Lilies are deer candy.

[BussoV6]

Good to know. Thanks Kris

[RetiredAt63]

When I had a house, every time I had a puppy all the toxic annuals got skipped that year.  No Digitalis, no monkshood, and a bunch of others.

[Sibley]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

She won't need to chew on them. A bit of pollen on her fur, licked off later, is enough. Even with vet treatment, cats don't do well after lily poisoning. They don't survive.

[Kris]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

She won't need to chew on them. A bit of pollen on her fur, licked off later, is enough. Even with vet treatment, cats don't do well after lily poisoning. They don't survive.

Exactly. It is almost impossible to overstate how toxic lilies are to cats.

[iris lily]

Hemerocallis ( day lilies) are as poisonous as lillium?

Again, not to deer. Dear snarf daylilies and Lillium down like that’s the best thing they ever ate.

[calimom]

It does seem the pollen is the biggest problem about lilies for cats. Ingesting  or licking just a  little bit can be fatal to them.

I have a plant business and every holiday season get asked about poinsettias and pets. Contrary to  common belief,they are not at all toxic to dogs or cats.  They might get a  little stomach upset but that's it.

[Kris]

Hemerocallis ( day lilies) are as poisonous as lillium?

Again, not to deer. Dear snarf daylilies and Lillium down like that’s the best thing they ever ate.

Day lilies are what killed my cat. A little bit of pollen on the nose from one cut flower, which he then licked off.

Edit: Source from the FDA.

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/lovely-lilies-and-curious-cats-dangerous-combination#:~:text=Lilies%20in%20the%20“true%20lily,the%20water%20in%20a%20vase.&text=However%2C%20if%20treatment%20is%20delayed,generally%20have%20irreversible%20kidney%20failure.

[Indio]

Thanks for the reminder. I looked up a toxic plant list and was surprised to see catmint on it.  My kitties regularly get access to catmint and catnip. I'm going to dial that majorly and only give them grass to help with furballs.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Hemerocallis ( day lilies) are as poisonous as lillium?

Again, not to deer. Dear snarf daylilies and Lillium down like that’s the best thing they ever ate.

Toddlers will spend all day eating foam packing peanuts and dirt, if you let them. Doesn't mean it's good for them!

[iris lily]

Thanks for the reminder. I looked up a toxic plant list and was surprised to see catmint on it.  My kitties regularly get access to catmint and catnip. I'm going to dial that majorly and only give them grass to help with furballs.

I’m not gonna stop giving catnip to my cats, that is, when I have cats again. At the moment we are catless.

[iris lily]

Hemerocallis ( day lilies) are as poisonous as lillium?

Again, not to deer. Dear snarf daylilies and Lillium down like that’s the best thing they ever ate.

Toddlers will spend all day eating foam packing peanuts and dirt, if you let them. Doesn't mean it's good for them!

Hahaha! I wonder if it makes them sick? I hope it does.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Hemerocallis ( day lilies) are as poisonous as lillium?

Again, not to deer. Dear snarf daylilies and Lillium down like that’s the best thing they ever ate.

Toddlers will spend all day eating foam packing peanuts and dirt, if you let them. Doesn't mean it's good for them!

Hahaha! I wonder if it makes them sick? I hope it does.

Nope. Toddlers have cast iron stomachs. They'd have interesting poop, though. Take any toddler to the beach and the next day's poop will be solid sand.....

[Sibley]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

She won't need to chew on them. A bit of pollen on her fur, licked off later, is enough. Even with vet treatment, cats don't do well after lily poisoning. They don't survive.

Exactly. It is almost impossible to overstate how toxic lilies are to cats.

Oh I understand. But life is not risk free, and Arwen needs to go outside to be happy. She's made it to 12 without poisoning herself.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

She won't need to chew on them. A bit of pollen on her fur, licked off later, is enough. Even with vet treatment, cats don't do well after lily poisoning. They don't survive.

Exactly. It is almost impossible to overstate how toxic lilies are to cats.

Oh I understand. But life is not risk free, and Arwen needs to go outside to be happy. She's made it to 12 without poisoning herself.

Um.... why would you even consider inconveniencing the cat when you can just pull up the lillies??? There are a billion flowers out there. Pick one that won't expose your family to organ shutdown?! I love lillies. I have them tattooed ffs. No more lillies in my garden or my house, because I love my cat more. Lillies don't wake me up in the night when they've dislodged their blankie and need a tuck up. Lillies don't dribble on my leg when cuddled up on the couch in the evening.

[Sibley]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

She won't need to chew on them. A bit of pollen on her fur, licked off later, is enough. Even with vet treatment, cats don't do well after lily poisoning. They don't survive.

Exactly. It is almost impossible to overstate how toxic lilies are to cats.

Oh I understand. But life is not risk free, and Arwen needs to go outside to be happy. She's made it to 12 without poisoning herself.

Um.... why would you even consider inconveniencing the cat when you can just pull up the lillies??? There are a billion flowers out there. Pick one that won't expose your family to organ shutdown?! I love lillies. I have them tattooed ffs. No more lillies in my garden or my house, because I love my cat more. Lillies don't wake me up in the night when they've dislodged their blankie and need a tuck up. Lillies don't dribble on my leg when cuddled up on the couch in the evening.

Because it would be thousands of dollars to replace them. Plants aren't cheap.

Because I actually couldn't fully eliminate the lilies from the yard, they grow extremely well in this area and when I have tried to remove them from areas it hasn't been fully successful. They're also in my neighbor's yards all around mine, so they grow under the fence in some spots.

Because the cat is 12 years old, has been around lilies for 5 of those years and there hasn't been a problem.

Because the cat doesn't chew on lilies in the yard, nor is she playing in such a way that she's likely to get pollen on her. In fact, while Arwen does like to hide in them, she also appears to have some aversion to them, and when they're flowering she's instead hiding in the hostas (which don't do well where the lilies are planted, otherwise I could switch over).

And because life isn't risk free. Quite frankly, I'm far more concerned that my neighbor will poison the cat than that the lilies will poison the cat.

Please don't mistake deliberate weighing of the risks for lack of concern

[Fireball]

Permethrin is also extremely toxic to cats(and fish too). It's often the active ingredient in flea & tick shampoo for dogs and insecticide sprays that might be used in ones yard for mosquitoes and such.

Good info about the lilies. I had no idea.

[iris lily]

Well, let's hope that Arwen doesn't decide to chew on the day lilies. Which she likes to sleep/hide/stalk outdoor toys in. She prefers to chew on grass I think.

And Rosie isn't allowed outside yet, so we'll see. Hopefully she'll behave herself too.

She won't need to chew on them. A bit of pollen on her fur, licked off later, is enough. Even with vet treatment, cats don't do well after lily poisoning. They don't survive.

Exactly. It is almost impossible to overstate how toxic lilies are to cats.

Oh I understand. But life is not risk free, and Arwen needs to go outside to be happy. She's made it to 12 without poisoning herself.

Um.... why would you even consider inconveniencing the cat when you can just pull up the lillies??? There are a billion flowers out there. Pick one that won't expose your family to organ shutdown?! I love lillies. I have them tattooed ffs. No more lillies in my garden or my house, because I love my cat more. Lillies don't wake me up in the night when they've dislodged their blankie and need a tuck up. Lillies don't dribble on my leg when cuddled up on the couch in the evening.

For some of us, getting rid of  lillies is anathema.  I am a lily judge, a grower of many types of lilies that bloom from late May through August 1 here, tho here I mean lillium, not hemoracallis. . I travel all over North America attending lily conferences and shows. Lilies are important in my life!  ( but hemoracallis are only of marginal interest to me—I have about 20 named varieties, Whereas with lilliumI have 200+.

At the moment I am without  cats because our last cat died in May at age18. Our cats and lilies have existed together just fine for decades. I’m actually more worried about Our dogs chomping on lilies since two recent rescue dogs we had did in fat Chew on  daylily and lily plants.

[MilesTeg]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

[Kris]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

[MilesTeg]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

It's just a joke. Relax a little.

[Kris]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

It's just a joke. Relax a little.

Yeah. Lol. That was hilarious.

[Dicey]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

It's just a joke. Relax a little.

100% not funny to joke about someone inadvertently killing their beloved pet. Weird sense of "humor".

@ iris lily @Kris , even though it's been eight years, I am sorry for your loss.

@iris lily, I have a friend who was an avid lily grower and judge. He, too traveled to shows far and wide. In his heyday, his entire front, back and side yards were planted with lovely, neatly labeled lilies. He's retired from most of it now, but still has a few prize specimens to admire in his yard. Maybe you've crossed paths...small world!

[Kris]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

It's just a joke. Relax a little.

!00% not funny to joke about someone inadvertently killing their beloved pet. Weird sense of "humor".

@iris lily, even though it's been eight years, I am sorry for your loss.

It was actually me who inadvertently killed my cat, not Iris Lily.

And yeah, I’ve had a lot of reactions to that over the years, but never before a “joke” about killing cats.

[Dicey]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

It's just a joke. Relax a little.

100% not funny to joke about someone inadvertently killing their beloved pet. Weird sense of "humor".

@ iris lily @Kris, even though it's been eight years, I am sorry for your loss.

It was actually me who inadvertently killed my cat, not Iris Lily.

And yeah, I’ve had a lot of reactions to that over the years, but never before a “joke” about killing cats.

Fixed it. When I read in bed without my glasses ('cuz I'm lazy+insomnia), I have to blow the text up so much that I can't see the left side of the page. Alas, it's not the first time I've made such a mistake recently. I could buy something bigger, but otherwise it works fine, so why spend the money? Sorry for the mix-up. Still sucks that someone thought it was fair game for a joke. What a cheap shot.

[iris lily]

Note to self: plant lots of lilies.

Why would one go out of one’s way to say they are in favor of cats dying a painful death, I wonder...?

It's just a joke. Relax a little.

100% not funny to joke about someone inadvertently killing their beloved pet. Weird sense of "humor".

@ iris lily @Kris , even though it's been eight years, I am sorry for your loss.

@iris lily, I have a friend who was an avid lily grower and judge. He, too traveled to shows far and wide. In his heyday, his entire front, back and side yards were planted with lovely, neatly labeled lilies. He's retired from most of it now, but still has a few prize specimens to admire in his yard. Maybe you've crossed paths...small world!

There are not many lily judges in North America, so I’m sure I know him if he Is still kicking and alive. Now we are talking about Lilium right, not daylilies? Even if he is out of the lily hobby but if it was fairly recent, I still might know his name.
Send me pm for his name!