Foxgloves, lilies and the like

[Edieunion]

I'm considering letting my indoor cat into the garden this spring/summer for the first time (after catproofing the garden) but one of my concerns is the poisonous plants I have in the garden.

Do cats tend to have an instinct for these type of things and avoid? Or should I really dig them all up and rehome them to be safe

In my experience, mature cats don't gnaw on poisonous plants. The only risk I worry about is if my cats brush past lilies, thereby picking up pollen, they would then clean themselves and swallow the pollen. So I only have giant lilies in my garden - the pollen is way too high for them to brush past. I've had many outdoor cats and they haven't stayed in my garden and none have ever been poisoned by plants.

Thank you. That was my thought, that when they wander you aren't in control anyway!

Yes I would definitely get rid of lilies. They are hugely toxic to cats and it's very easy for them to get the pollen on them and then lick it off. Personally I would even risk tall lilies as they can drop pollen.

I have foxgloves in my garden and my cat doesn't go near them. If you look up the list of plants that are toxic to cats it's huge. You wouldn't have anything left if you avoided everything! Lilies are the one exception imo.

I did think that about the lilies, I tend to get covered in the pollen from them myself as it seems to drop very easily.

Yes the lilies need to go, as they don't need to eat them, they just need to brush past them or walk through dropped pollen. And it causes death, not a stomach upset or sore mouth or whatever as many 'toxic' plants do.

There was a recent, long thread on this subject: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/4474110-Cat-owners-and-lilies-AGAIN

You can leave arum lilies though, they aren't problematic.

[quote thecatneuterer]Yes the lilies need to go, as they don't need to eat them, they just need to brush past them or walk through dropped pollen. And it causes death, not a stomach upset or sore mouth or whatever as many 'toxic' plants do.

There was a recent, long thread on this subject: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/4474110-Cat-owners-and-lilies-AGAIN[/quote]
Thank you so much for reposting this this thread. I hadn't seen it

Oh and I wouldn't even rehome the lilies, I would just throw away. Cats can wander into gardens of houses that don't have cats. The fewer lilies around generally the better in my opinion.

My cat chewed berries that made him vomit two nights running. Dh cut it back.