Easter Lilies Are Deadly To Cats

Use extreme caution if you have cats and an Easter Lily! Just grooming the pollen off its fur can result in the cat being poisoned.

Easter lilies are extremely poisonous to cats, and just 1-2 leaves (or even the pollen) can kill a cat! Even small ingestions can result in severe kidney failure within 24-72 hours of ingestion.

Pet Poison Helpline says many plants of the Lilium and Hemerocallis species are very poisoning. Commonly known as the Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter, or Japanese Show lily, these plants result in severe acute kidney failure.

All parts of the plant – the leaf, pollen, stem, flower are considered poisonous. Common signs of poisoning that develop within 6-12 hours of exposure:

• vomiting
• inappetence
• lethargy
• dehydration

Untreated, signs worsen as acute kidney failure develops, and signs include not urinating or urinating too frequently, not drinking or excessive thirst, and inflammation of the pancreas may be seen with lily poisoning. Rarer signs include walking drunk, disorientation, tremors, and even seizures.

There is no antidote for lily poisoning. The sooner you bring the cat to the Vet, the better the chance for treatment. If untreated, acute kidney failure will be fatal.

Thankfully, lily poisoning doesn’t cause kidney failure in dogs. 

[Pet Poison Helpline]