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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Lily Pollen

25 replies

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 21/02/2017 21:18

Why didn't I know this ?
Lily flowers from Valentine's Day opened and I noticed both cats fur was yellow.
Luckily I cleaned them and had a quick google - they are now both at the emergency vets for a couple of days and should be ok.
I seriously never knew it could be so toxic - why are there no warnings? Am I the only person who didn't know ? DH feels awful for bringing the flowers into our home.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 21/02/2017 21:27

It's really really difficult. Lilies - the bad ones - are showy and long lasting so most florists put them in arrangements. Turning down flowers makes you feel like a heel as well.

reallyanotherone · 21/02/2017 21:30

It's not just the pollen, it's all parts of the plant, it's just the pollen sticks if they brush past and is easily ingested when grooming.

Good job you caught it:). 48 hrs on fluids and they'll be fine.

Original poster

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 21/02/2017 22:05

Thank you - I am trying to avoid reading more horror stories - I think we caught it fast and acted, so fingers crossed - thank god for pet insurance - £250 per night per cat for 3 nights !

OP posts:

Toddlerteaplease · 21/02/2017 22:21

£250 per night at the emergency vets sounds very cheap. One cat was £719 for one night there. And the total bill for her so far is £4,000. Thank god for good insurance! Hope she makes a quick recovery.

RubbishMantra · 22/02/2017 16:34

Yes - loads of plants are poisonous to cats. When planting up my flowerbed, I googled all the plants to see if they're harmful to cats. Pretty much anything anything that grows from a bulb's poisonous. Even some shrubs Box hedge, for example.

Cats Protection League have a decent guide.

reallyanotherone · 22/02/2017 16:44

Thing is rubbish, there's degrees of poisonous.

Many plants on that list will upset a stomach if eaten. That's it. Bit of vomit, maybe, but no vet treatment necessary.

They don't differentiate between that and catastrophic poisoning such as lilies.

There are also several non-toxic plants on that list such as poinsettia. Google rarely gets this stuff correct.

thecatneuterer · 22/02/2017 16:58

Exactly Notanotherone. Lilies shouldn't be lumped together with other toxic plants as their toxicity is extreme and deadly and is also, because of the sticky pollen, very easily ingested.

The message needs to be got across that lilies are a special case and extreme care should be taken with them and no one with cats should ever have them.

Soubriquet · 22/02/2017 17:03

My favourite flowers are lillies

Dh bought me some the other day and I've been snipping off the pollen buds and disposing of them. They should be ok around the cat shouldn't they?

thecatneuterer · 22/02/2017 17:09

Sobriquet. No, they are still dangerous. Less dangerous as there is no pollen to drop, but still deadly if chewed.

Soubriquet · 22/02/2017 17:10

She hasn't touched them chew wise and they have been there since Saturday.. I'll keep a close eye, if she starts showing interest, they will go

thecatneuterer · 22/02/2017 17:12

Thing is, by the time she has shown interest it could be too late. If you can't keep them in a room where she has no access then I wouldn't have them at all.

You wouldn't leave something around the house that might kill your child, even if 'it should be ok'. Why do it with your cat?

Soubriquet · 22/02/2017 17:14

Oh bother...dh is going to be so hurt... he loves buying me lillie

Bloody cat. She should just be good (kidding)

Original poster

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 22/02/2017 17:43

Vets just called - everything seems ok with the blood work, they are still taking fluids and should be home tomorrow. Looks like we had a lucky escape. It has shocked me how much I miss them - I have emailed the pet insurance and suggested they send a leaflet out with new policies.

OP posts:

reallyanotherone · 22/02/2017 18:10

Thing is soubriquet, is if your cat does eat it she'll be absolutely fine.

Until 3 days later when her kidneys have failed and there's nothing to be done.

Lily poisoning is only treatable if fluids are given as soon as possible after ingestion.

Soubriquet · 22/02/2017 18:12

Glad your cats are ok OP

And the lollies have gone

Original poster

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 22/02/2017 18:23

Lillies will never darken this house again - they are indeed the work of the devil, all flowery and nicely scented - just waiting to open and poison my cats. And as if that's not bad enough I went into the supermarket today - and there they are lilies for sale - no health warnings or big signs saying 'killer flowers' or anything - I wanted to do a daily mail sad face story but they did one last year !

OP posts:

RubbishMantra · 22/02/2017 19:06

I'm just a bit anal maybe, and spent hours researching what might be even slightly poisonous to the boys. Little M chooses not to leave the courtyard, (no grass) so more susceptible to chewing on greenery.

I am aware that lillies are top of the list as most poisonous to cats.

Icequeen01 · 22/02/2017 23:09

I had this when my two were kittens. I had a bouquet of flowers on my table which someone had bought for me and stupidly hadn't noticed the lilies as they hadn't opened. They obviously opened overnight and during the morning I spotted one of my boys looking very yellow. The penny suddenly dropped and I phoned my vet who told me to bath him 😳. It took two of us and we were shredded! Luckily we got it off in time. Here's a photo I took at the time. You can still see the yellow on his fur.

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 22/02/2017 23:16

i love cats and lilies...you have to keep them apart, which is almost impossible with Idiotcat and his sister. They are absolute devils for attacking any flowers I have in the house. If i have tulips for the kitchen the heads all get nipped off. Daffodils get pulled out of the vase completely, gerberas are nibbled round the edges

I only have lilies on the mantle or out in the front porch where the cats do not go.

They are both asshats.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/02/2017 07:03

Luckily I don't like lilies as I find the smell overpowering. I've got chrysanthemums indoors at the moment and they are on the list but Harry hasn't shown any interest in them.

RubbishMantra · 23/02/2017 19:12

Tondlaya, they nibble them and don't get sick? I thought all 3 of those flowers were poisonous to cats. Maybe I overthink things a bit...

RubbishMantra · 23/02/2017 19:14

*... Ooh, forgot to say I'm glad to read your cats are OK OP.

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 23/02/2017 19:18

They never get sick....they are all hale and hearty, wee feckers. They never get the chance to rearrange the lilies though. I know they are deadly

TBH I think it's more a critique of my flower arranging skills.

Original poster

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 23/02/2017 21:40

They are both home - curled up asleep. Thanks for your support.

OP posts:

reallyanotherone · 23/02/2017 21:43

If anyone ever is concerned veterinary poisons now have a public access service.

You can phone up for £25, and they will tell you exactly what to do, whether it's not worry, watch and wait, or get to a vet asap.

If your animal does need a vet, the £25 is refunded through the vets membership, i believe.

Ice queen you were very lucky there. Most vets would give the fluids anyway just in case, as if he had ingested any renal failure is not treatable.

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