American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals National
Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA NAPCC) has an objective
to educate cat owners about the dangers of certain types
of lily.
The
center is the first and only 24-hour poison control hotline
for animals in North America. Our veterinary health professionals
are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
year. Veterinarians and pet owners seeking advice reach
a staff of 20 veterinarians (including five board-certified
toxicologists) and seven certified veterinary technicians.
As spring
approaches, lilies will become more common in households
as potted plants or in bouquets. According to Michigan State
University Extension's Grower Guide, Easter lilies are the
third most important flowering pot-plant grown in the United
States, with 10 to 11 million plants produced annually.
Unfortunately, several types of lilies can be deadly to
cats. Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum, Japanese show lily,
some species of day lily, and certain other members of the
Liliaceae family can cause kidney failure in cats.
Within
only a few hours of ingestion of the plant material, the
cat may vomit, become lethargic, or develop a lack of appetite.
These signs continue and worsen as kidney damage progresses.
Without prompt and proper treatment by a veterinarian, the
cat will develop kidney failure in approximately 36-72 hours.
All
parts of these lilies are considered toxic to cats and consuming
even small amounts can cause severe poisoning. If there
is a lily in your home, there is always the chance that
your cat could be accidentally exposed. For this reason,
cat owners should avoid exposing their cats to plants of
the Liliaceae and Hermerocallis family.
Lilies
that have been shown to cause kidney failure in cats include
(please note that this list is not all inclusive):
Easter
lily (Lilium longiflorum)
Tiger lily (Lilium tigrinum)
Rubrum (Lilium speciosum)
Japanese show lily (Lilium lancifolium)
Day lily (Hermerocallis species)
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