Written by Lori Gardner
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Reviewed by Laria Herod, DVM
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2.16.24
Ask The Vet Cat Health
Est. read time: 5 min.
Each year around the Easter holidays, lilies find their way into numerous American households. Unbeknownst to many pet parents, most species of the lily pose an extreme threat to a certain four-legged friend in the home. Are lilies poisonous to cats? Absolutely.
Why are lilies poisonous to cats?
As pointed out in our post about the top 10 poisons that land cats at the emergency vet, cats are at a higher risk of poisoning because they have an altered liver metabolism.
Ingesting as little as two petals or leaves can result in severe, potentially irreversible acute kidney failure in your cat.
According to Dr. Laria Herod, the toxin responsible for the nephrotoxicity, or rapid deterioration in the kidney function, of lilies has not been identified. Recent studies have shown that the toxic principle may be composed of a complex combination of steroid glycoalkaloids: these are naturally occurring compounds found in the family of plants, that includes potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. While the toxic principle is not definitively known, we do know that the toxin can cause liver changes and kidney failure. This can start as quickly as 2 hours post ingestion with symptoms following in 12 to 36 hours. Without aggressive treatment, death can occur within a few days.
Which lilies are poisonous to cats?
When a cat ingests part of a lily, the severity of poisoning varies greatly from genus (sub-family) to genus. Lily plants that are the most toxic to cats belong to the Lilium genus (which includes Easter lilies, tiger lilies, and Asiatic lilies) and the Hemerocallis genus (which includes daylilies). Part of what makes these plants such a problem is that they’re commonly found in florist bouquets—as they tend to be fragrant, inexpensive, and long-lasting.
There are other species of lily that are poisonous to cats, as well. In general, avoid bringing the following plants into the house:
- Easter lily (also called trumpet lily)
- Tiger lily
- White lily (also called Madonna lily)
- Daylily
- Asiatic lily
- Stargazer lily (also called Oriental lilies)
- Calla lily (also called pig or arum lily)
- Lily of the Valley
- Wood lily (also called red lily)
- Japanese Show lily (also called rubrum lily)
- Bush lily (also called Clivia lily)
- Plantain lily (also called Hosta lily)
Which lilies are NOT poisonous to cats?
“Lilies” that are not considered toxic to cats (because they are not true lilies) include the following: Peruvian lily, sand lily, corn lily, ginger lily, sego/mariposa lily, canna lily, Saint Bernard’s lily, red palm lily, resurrection lily, and Scarborough lily. Despite not being toxic, it is possible for ingestion of these lilies to cause symptoms, but they typically resolve on their own. The safest option is: when in doubt, skip the lilies.
Symptoms of feline poisoning
As mentioned above, symptoms may not manifest in a cat for 12 to 36 hours—at which point it may be too late to successfully treat. If you have a lily plant in the house and notice any of the following symptoms in your cat, seek treatment immediately:
- Drooling
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Difficulty swallowing
- Lethargy and general malaise
- Dehydration
- Increased urination, followed by lack of urination after 1 to 2 days
- Tremors or seizures
- Coma
In monitoring these symptoms, a self-cleaning litter box like Litter-Robot 4—which allows you to track your cat’s bathroom habits through the Whisker app—can be extremely helpful in noticing changes quickly.
What to do if your cat has been poisoned
Even with aggressive medical treatment, it is important to recognize that cats may succumb to this toxicity and die within 2 to 3 days of lily ingestion. If you think your cat was poisoned, call your veterinarian, emergency animal clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately for life-saving advice.
Don’t forget: You can’t induce vomiting in cats at home safely, so an emergency vet visit is a must!
The emergency vet will take blood and urine tests to evaluate kidney function. If the cat only recently ingested the plant, the vet may induce vomiting through activated charcoal given orally. In order to prevent dehydration and the kidneys shutting down, the cat will be given fluids intravenously for 1 to 2 days. The vet will monitor kidney function and urine output. If no urine is produced, it may be a sign that treatment was unsuccessful. This is not a situation where waiting and watching is recommended. The more plant that was ingested, the more imperative it is that treatment is sought out immediately.
Are lilies poisonous to other animals?
Certain lilies are also poisonous to dogs and horses. Dogs should not ingest calla lilies, Lilies of the Valley, bush/Clivia lilies, or plantain/Hosta lilies. Horses should not ingest Lilies of the Valley or plantain/Hosta lilies.
Other household plants to beware of
Lilies may be the most common culprit behind feline poisonings, but other household plants can also pose a threat to cats. These include:
- Foxglove
- Philodendron
- Azalea and Rhododendron
- Cyclamen
- Oleander
- Sago Palm
- Castor Bean
- Yew
- Marijuana (rarely results in death)
Visit ASPCA’s list of plants that are toxic and non-toxic to cats to learn more.
Sources:
- Lily Toxicity in Cats
- Lily, Easter lily, Asiatic lily, tiger lily
- ASPCA.org
- Lovely Lilies and Curious Cats: A Dangerous Combination
