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will tulips flower properly after a cat's eaten the tops off them???

9 replies

Ponders · 09/02/2013 12:10

I have a basket of 6 miniature tulips about 5" high. When I was out of the room last night 3 of them had their tops mangled (& 2 other adults were in the room at the time, grrr)

anyway will it affect flowering? Light can get in now

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CheeseStrawWars · 09/02/2013 19:25

Dunno about flowering, but the tulip bulb is toxic to cats so maybe put them in a room the cats don't go in?

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CajaDeLaMemoria · 09/02/2013 19:26

Some flower again, some don't, in my experience.

But the cats are unlikely to survive, so I'd move the tulips. The bulbs are highly toxic, and cause very expensive and very painful kidney problems in cats lucky enough to escape death.

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Ponders · 09/02/2013 20:24

oh nooo! I had a sort of feeling they aren't good for cats - eek!

They didn't get near the bulbs, & I don't think they ate any of the green bits - just bit them off, then spat them out. Cats are fine 24 hours later & I have moved the planter to a room they can only come in under my supervision.

Caja, they haven't flowered at all yet - they're just closed spikes - but 2 of them now have the inner part exposed a bit. The third has a mangled top

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ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 09/02/2013 22:17

All depends on whether they have bitten off the flower buds, or just the tips of the foliage. "Inner part exposed" sounds like they may have damaged the buds.

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Ponders · 10/02/2013 11:37

The one that had the top removed most neatly now has the bud emerging - intact - hooray!

The other 2, which were chewed more, are still looking just sad & mangled - but they are shorter than the one which is showing, so maybe not quite as far along, so may be ok?

Fingers crossed!

Thanks for advice, all

Incidentally the cats are 8 months old & I think they are teething atm - one of them drools when she's lying down (she leaves a charming wet patch when she gets up) & they chew plastic spoons & biros & anything else they can find of a similar shape to these tulips, which is possibly why they did it

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funnyperson · 10/02/2013 18:57

The cats will most likely be fine. Was reminded of a story I heard that schoolboys at Radley were kept so hungry they dug up tulip bulbs to survive-twas in a Bill Bryson history book.

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ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 10/02/2013 19:06

And the Dutch ate bulbs during the war, I believe, although what's edible for humans isn't necessarily edible for cats, I guess.

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funnyperson · 10/02/2013 19:15

True that cats may be more sensitive. What with the news and all I am eyeing the veg patch ( currently a fantasy) with renewed interest. The trough may clearly not be enough.

Squirrels also like tulip bulbs in my recent experience.