Woman Almost Accidentally Kills Her Cat After It Plays With Lilies, Warns Others About Its Danger
Warnock Willow was playing with some lilies in her office and initially, she was just worried about the pollen stain on the front of her body.
On May 28th, Warnock watched her cat Willow play with some lilies in her office. After shooing her away, Warnock’s initial concerns were about the pollen stain on the front of her body. But a quick Google search revealed Willow could’ve actually died.
Lilies are extremely harmful to cats and even cleaning the pollen from their fur can send the animals into critical illness.
Fearing for Willow’s life, Warnock threw the cat in the shower to wash off the pollen and then rushed her to the Blue Pearl Emergency & Specialty Hospital in Georgia, U.S.
More info: Facebook
Image credits: lindzarie
According to Vets4Pets, signs of lily toxicity can occur within two hours of ingestion, and start with gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting, loss of appetite, and drooling. Cats that have eaten lily quickly become lethargic and depressed, and may seem very unwell.
In some cases, vomiting may subside after a few hours but the other signs continue, and within 72 hours affected cats develop acute kidney failure.
Cats with lily toxins may urinate more at first, and have abdominal pain, a change in thirst, weakness, and seizures. If the animal experiences very severe acute kidney failure, it may stop urinating altogether.
If you notice your cat has come into contact with a lily or has possibly eaten some, you should take your cat to the vet immediately. If possible, you should bring the plant with you.
Ideally, treatment needs to be started within six hours of the cat coming into contact with the lily.
Sadly, there’s no antidote to lily poisoning but the vet will take other measures, for example, they will induce vomiting and reduce further absorption of the toxins by feeding activated charcoal if only a short time has elapsed since your cat ate the lily.
Aggressive fluid therapy with a drip, anti-nausea medication, kidney function blood tests, and close monitoring of blood pressure and urine output may all be part of your cat’s supportive care plan.
Cats often require several days of hospitalization, care, and monitoring to recover and reduce the long-term impact on kidney function and clear the body of the toxins.
However, even with prompt veterinary attention, there is no guarantee that a cat with lily poisoning will survive. Those seen more than 18 hours after the initial ingestion have a very poor prognosis, but even early, aggressive treatment can still result in death, and surviving cats often have permanent kidney damage.
Image credits: lindzarie
There are more plants that pose serious threats to cats
Image credits: Bambi Edlund
Here’s what people said after reading Lindsey’s story
My sister's cat is named Lily. After reading this, it is kind of like naming your child Arsenic.
There are SO many plants that are toxic to cats and dogs! It’s actually easier to list the ones that are safe to have in the house: African Violet, Spider Plant, Parlor Palm, Friendship Plant, Polka-Dot Plant, Christmas Cactus, Venus Fly Trap, Areca Palm, and Boston Fern, Those are a few that are safe to have in the house. Still, keep them out of reach if your pet is prone to nibbling on them.
Thank you so much for this list! I will look into the Polka-Dot plants as they look adorable (and we have a ton of African Violets).
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Be very careful with poinsettias too! They are extremely poisonous for cats. I can't count the times someone gave one to me for christmas although it could kill my fur baby. Always got rid of them immediately. I adore lilies so much but since I got my first cat, I never bought any ever again. All my plants are edible now. They have to be. Sometimes I think my cat wants to become a vegetarian. Always chewing on his own personal salad bar. ;D
They are not. For years poinsettias were thought to be poisonous, since many of the spruce family are, but they are not.
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You also need to check your essential oils if you use a defuser. Several oils have the same results.
Eucalyptus is also on the toxic list... all the good ones seem to be, really!
Load More Replies...
I got rid of all indoor plants and I didn't even have dangerous ones...between the cat and the ferret I got tired of finding them dug up out of their pots, drug around the house, and destroyed. So I just have lovely trees outside.
There are a TON of houseplants that are poisonous to animals. Do lots of research on the plant before bringing it home. We lost a cat because my grandmother moved in and brought a bunch of her houseplants. Turns out that "Mother of Millions" is highly poisonous and causes seizures and cardiac arrest in short order. For the record: I threw all of the plants out because nearly ALL of the ones she had were poisonous or completely toxic to animals.
Here (UK), most pre-packed bouquets (like from the supermarket) have warning labels on them now, so pet owners don't need a botany degree to safely buy some flowers. They tend to be pretty small-print and I'd like to see clearer warnings, but it's better than nothing. Don't know if florists shops are obliged to give warnings?
That's really great to know! I love flowers, but am always wary cos of my cats and dogs. I'll have to look out for this! Thank you :)
Load More Replies...
Never seen cats eat lillies (not even the crazy one who tries to eat power cords!) , but I obviously wouldn't keep such plants indoors in reach of the cat
One of my cats eats all flowers brought into the house. I used to keep several orchids and he ate all the petals, so no more expensive orchids. He tried to eat Lillies, but I stopped him. I had no idea they could be deadly!!! Thank goodness I know that now!
Load More Replies... 
I’m so glad you shared this! My husband buys me flowers sometimes and like me he doesn’t regard what kind of flowers. One of my cats love to eat any sort of plant so I know this would have been an issue at some point and I would have felt so guilty.
I doctored my cat for 6 years after she ingested lilies in the garden. She would have episodes of kidney failure and the vet brought her back many times. She loved the garden but I ripped up the lilies and we built a little porch for her to hang out in. I ended up giving her infusions for months, but she finally succumbed. I told her original vet they should post poisonous plants for pet owners; it had never occurred to her. Her intense treatment was provided by the pet hospital at the U of Minnesota. I still miss Summer.
my cat sprite got pollen on her once. it was from a lily. but luckily she was fine and we just gave her a bath (which she didnt like at all) . the pollen didnt affect her i guess since it was just on her back. i know about lily's already and cats but thank you for sharing this. its good to know!
Our first kitty died from kidney disease brought on by A FEW POLLEN GRAINS from a lily. I didn't know how very lethal lilies can be (I knew enough to put them up out of reach of the cat, but ...). I got a gorgeous bouquet of flowers with lilies in them and put it on my bar so the cat couldn't jump up and get into them. But within a few days he wasn't himself -- listless, wanted to stay in the very back of the closet, peeing outside the litter box, etc. Took him to the vet, and turned out he had suddenly developed end-stage kidney disease, whereas at his checkup a few months before he'd been fine. The only thing the vet could come up with was that he must have ingested JUST A FEW GRAINS of the pollen that probably fell on the floor behind the bar, probably got them on his feet and he licked them off. We had to have him put down within a couple of weeks. It was terribly tragic. We have another kitty, and we don't allow lilies in the house AT ALL now.
We had a similar situation with our cat. Had no idea how dangerous they were. A family member who was visiting bought them as a "thank you". We are four years out from the initial incident and he still requires periodic treatment to help support his kidneys. Our vet is amazing. Without her, we would have lost him for sure.
This is a helpful PSA, though I don't know a single (responsible) cat owner who doesn't know how toxic lilies are (as Tracey pointed out below, it's easier to list the plants/flowers that are okay). Rule of thumb: before bringing any plant/flower into your house, google it to make sure it's safe for cats and dogs.
As soon as I got a cat again (after spending a couple of years since childhood castles because of allergy), I went to google almost anything I could think of about domestic cats including plants they are allergic to and it turns out we have some in and outside the house. I'm so glad my cat doesn't care for them but I still care that at least the indoor plants dangerous to her are put where she can't too easily reach them. Stay informed and take care of your pets
I have a relative with a garden full of various plants including lilies. His cat wanders in it freely for years. Weird.
I didn't know that Lily Flowers are so dangerous! I had really luck! Because my cat had also some Lily Pollens on her fur, but I immediately took her to the bathroom and washed it out! Thank you for saying that! I will share this!
Oh blimey! This has made me do my homework. Two kittens and we knew some plants may not do them any favours but I never suspected it could be this serious. It's promoted me into action!!
Another thing: if you have pets that run around outside, watch out for foxtails. They are these little grasses, and the heads containing the seeds look kind of like wheat/other similar grasses. My dog stepped on one and got it stuck in her paw and the way that they are shaped means that they shift around with movement. When we noticed she was limping badly it was a Friday and after the vet had closed. We covered up her foot so she couldn't lick it, but by the time we got her to the vet on Monday the thing had traveled up in her foot. The vet had to put in a local anesthetic and dig the little fricker out with these long scissors/tongs. Painful for my doggy+expensive vet bill. We spent a couple hours pulling all of those out of the yard and get war flashbacks every time another one pops up haha. Most likely not deadly but still something that you want to avoid.
Good thing the majority of my plants are artificial (as I tend to kill off anything with a leaf on it) the rest are cacti... and one succulent. Apparently Aloe Vera is one of the few succulents that are toxic to pets!
I honestly didn't know about the lilies thing until after I became a cat owner. I'm generally a very responsible person, well educated and I did do lots of research before getting them. It wasn't until I saw a similar story (many years ago) that I became aware of the risk. I immediately told all the cat owners I knew and none of them had heard of this. Many had been cat owners for decades and none of them would willingly endanger their pets. Perhaps there should be better advice given /resources available to pet owners, but don't brand potentially millions of people as "neglectful" because they didn't get a phd in felines before getting a cat.
Load More Replies... My sister's cat is named Lily. After reading this, it is kind of like naming your child Arsenic.
There are SO many plants that are toxic to cats and dogs! It’s actually easier to list the ones that are safe to have in the house: African Violet, Spider Plant, Parlor Palm, Friendship Plant, Polka-Dot Plant, Christmas Cactus, Venus Fly Trap, Areca Palm, and Boston Fern, Those are a few that are safe to have in the house. Still, keep them out of reach if your pet is prone to nibbling on them.
Thank you so much for this list! I will look into the Polka-Dot plants as they look adorable (and we have a ton of African Violets).
Load More Replies... Be very careful with poinsettias too! They are extremely poisonous for cats. I can't count the times someone gave one to me for christmas although it could kill my fur baby. Always got rid of them immediately. I adore lilies so much but since I got my first cat, I never bought any ever again. All my plants are edible now. They have to be. Sometimes I think my cat wants to become a vegetarian. Always chewing on his own personal salad bar. ;D
They are not. For years poinsettias were thought to be poisonous, since many of the spruce family are, but they are not.
Load More Replies... You also need to check your essential oils if you use a defuser. Several oils have the same results.
Eucalyptus is also on the toxic list... all the good ones seem to be, really!
Load More Replies... I got rid of all indoor plants and I didn't even have dangerous ones...between the cat and the ferret I got tired of finding them dug up out of their pots, drug around the house, and destroyed. So I just have lovely trees outside.
There are a TON of houseplants that are poisonous to animals. Do lots of research on the plant before bringing it home. We lost a cat because my grandmother moved in and brought a bunch of her houseplants. Turns out that "Mother of Millions" is highly poisonous and causes seizures and cardiac arrest in short order. For the record: I threw all of the plants out because nearly ALL of the ones she had were poisonous or completely toxic to animals.
Here (UK), most pre-packed bouquets (like from the supermarket) have warning labels on them now, so pet owners don't need a botany degree to safely buy some flowers. They tend to be pretty small-print and I'd like to see clearer warnings, but it's better than nothing. Don't know if florists shops are obliged to give warnings?
That's really great to know! I love flowers, but am always wary cos of my cats and dogs. I'll have to look out for this! Thank you :)
Load More Replies... Never seen cats eat lillies (not even the crazy one who tries to eat power cords!) , but I obviously wouldn't keep such plants indoors in reach of the cat
One of my cats eats all flowers brought into the house. I used to keep several orchids and he ate all the petals, so no more expensive orchids. He tried to eat Lillies, but I stopped him. I had no idea they could be deadly!!! Thank goodness I know that now!
Load More Replies... I’m so glad you shared this! My husband buys me flowers sometimes and like me he doesn’t regard what kind of flowers. One of my cats love to eat any sort of plant so I know this would have been an issue at some point and I would have felt so guilty.
I doctored my cat for 6 years after she ingested lilies in the garden. She would have episodes of kidney failure and the vet brought her back many times. She loved the garden but I ripped up the lilies and we built a little porch for her to hang out in. I ended up giving her infusions for months, but she finally succumbed. I told her original vet they should post poisonous plants for pet owners; it had never occurred to her. Her intense treatment was provided by the pet hospital at the U of Minnesota. I still miss Summer.
my cat sprite got pollen on her once. it was from a lily. but luckily she was fine and we just gave her a bath (which she didnt like at all) . the pollen didnt affect her i guess since it was just on her back. i know about lily's already and cats but thank you for sharing this. its good to know!
Our first kitty died from kidney disease brought on by A FEW POLLEN GRAINS from a lily. I didn't know how very lethal lilies can be (I knew enough to put them up out of reach of the cat, but ...). I got a gorgeous bouquet of flowers with lilies in them and put it on my bar so the cat couldn't jump up and get into them. But within a few days he wasn't himself -- listless, wanted to stay in the very back of the closet, peeing outside the litter box, etc. Took him to the vet, and turned out he had suddenly developed end-stage kidney disease, whereas at his checkup a few months before he'd been fine. The only thing the vet could come up with was that he must have ingested JUST A FEW GRAINS of the pollen that probably fell on the floor behind the bar, probably got them on his feet and he licked them off. We had to have him put down within a couple of weeks. It was terribly tragic. We have another kitty, and we don't allow lilies in the house AT ALL now.
We had a similar situation with our cat. Had no idea how dangerous they were. A family member who was visiting bought them as a "thank you". We are four years out from the initial incident and he still requires periodic treatment to help support his kidneys. Our vet is amazing. Without her, we would have lost him for sure.
This is a helpful PSA, though I don't know a single (responsible) cat owner who doesn't know how toxic lilies are (as Tracey pointed out below, it's easier to list the plants/flowers that are okay). Rule of thumb: before bringing any plant/flower into your house, google it to make sure it's safe for cats and dogs.
As soon as I got a cat again (after spending a couple of years since childhood castles because of allergy), I went to google almost anything I could think of about domestic cats including plants they are allergic to and it turns out we have some in and outside the house. I'm so glad my cat doesn't care for them but I still care that at least the indoor plants dangerous to her are put where she can't too easily reach them. Stay informed and take care of your pets
I have a relative with a garden full of various plants including lilies. His cat wanders in it freely for years. Weird.
I didn't know that Lily Flowers are so dangerous! I had really luck! Because my cat had also some Lily Pollens on her fur, but I immediately took her to the bathroom and washed it out! Thank you for saying that! I will share this!
Oh blimey! This has made me do my homework. Two kittens and we knew some plants may not do them any favours but I never suspected it could be this serious. It's promoted me into action!!
Another thing: if you have pets that run around outside, watch out for foxtails. They are these little grasses, and the heads containing the seeds look kind of like wheat/other similar grasses. My dog stepped on one and got it stuck in her paw and the way that they are shaped means that they shift around with movement. When we noticed she was limping badly it was a Friday and after the vet had closed. We covered up her foot so she couldn't lick it, but by the time we got her to the vet on Monday the thing had traveled up in her foot. The vet had to put in a local anesthetic and dig the little fricker out with these long scissors/tongs. Painful for my doggy+expensive vet bill. We spent a couple hours pulling all of those out of the yard and get war flashbacks every time another one pops up haha. Most likely not deadly but still something that you want to avoid.
Good thing the majority of my plants are artificial (as I tend to kill off anything with a leaf on it) the rest are cacti... and one succulent. Apparently Aloe Vera is one of the few succulents that are toxic to pets!
I honestly didn't know about the lilies thing until after I became a cat owner. I'm generally a very responsible person, well educated and I did do lots of research before getting them. It wasn't until I saw a similar story (many years ago) that I became aware of the risk. I immediately told all the cat owners I knew and none of them had heard of this. Many had been cat owners for decades and none of them would willingly endanger their pets. Perhaps there should be better advice given /resources available to pet owners, but don't brand potentially millions of people as "neglectful" because they didn't get a phd in felines before getting a cat.
Load More Replies...
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