It’s that time of year when lilies start showing up inside – but it’s vital to know that many types of common lilies are highly toxic to cats. Even ingesting a small amount can lead to rapid onset kidney failure. There is no antidote for lily poisoning.
Use extreme caution when bringing bouquets into your house and make sure that any flowers or plants are cat-safe.
Here’s an easy hack. If you’re like me and don’t easily resist the temptation to bring fresh flowers from the farmer’s market home? Make a list on the notes function of your phone of cat safe flowers – the ASPCA has a complete list – so when you’re perusing the flower aisle you can check to see what’s safe to bring inside.
A short list of common flowers and plants that are not toxic to our cat friends includes:
- Roses (but beware of thorns)
- Sunflowers (my fave)
- Orchids (my other fave)
- Gerber daisies
- Statice
- Freesia
Bear in mind that mild GI upset can still happen if your carnivore chomps on nontoxic plants and flowers.