COLUMBIA, Mo. – A favorite spring flower, the Easter lily, should be kept away from cats. If ingested, it could kill them.

The perennial plant’s white, trumpet-like flowers might not sound the warning that all parts of it are highly toxic to felines.

Tim Evans, University of Missouri Extension veterinary toxicologist, said even small amounts of Easter lilies can be deadly to cats. Eating the leaves or flowers or licking pollen grains can lead to kidney failure within days. Even water from a vase containing lilies can cause serious adverse effects.

Easter lilies are true lilies that grow from bulbs, not tubers. Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) has a single stem with leaves whirling around it. True lilies bloom for a week or more.

“With spring planting, Mother’s Day, prom season and graduation ceremonies right around the corner, it is important to know that other members of the Lilium genus and daylilies or Hemerocallis species also can prove extremely toxic to cats,” said Evans.

Early signs of poisoning include vomiting, lack of appetite and lethargy. Evans suggests pet owners consult a veterinarian if they suspect poisoning. Veterinarians likely will prescribe medications or give intravenous fluids, he said.

Keep cats away from outside areas where lilies grow. “Any evidence of damage to the leaves or flowers of true lilies where cats might be roaming, the presence of lily pollen on the face of a cat with a guilty look on its face or cat vomitus containing lily parts are all potential causes for concern and require a call to your local veterinarian,” Evans said.

Easter lilies became popular in American homes after World War I, said MU Extension state horticulturist David Trinklein. They originated in Japan, where they are symbols of hope and purity.

Despite a sales window of only two weeks, lilies rank fourth in the wholesale potted plant market in the United States, behind poinsettias, mums and azaleas.

Potted Easter lilies can be planted in Missouri as soon as the ground can be worked, said Trinklein. They will bloom the following June.

The Food and Drug Administration lists the following true lilies as dangerous to cats: Asiatic lily, daylily, Easter lily, Japanese show lily, oriental lily, rubrum lily, Stargazer lily, tiger lily and wood lily. Other lilies that are not true lilies, such as lily-of-the-valley and the gloriosa, or flame lily, also may cause health issues.

Contact your local veterinarian if you suspect your cat has ingested lily flowers, says Evans.

For more tips on emergency care for your pets, go to https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/emergency-care-your-pet.

Related article: After the bloom fades, Easter lily can see new life

Flyer: No Lilies for Kitties

Photo

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lilium_longiflorum_(Easter_Lily).JPG
Easter lily. Photo by UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.