image2

image3

Your lily appears to be a common garden variety Oriental lily. Most commercially available lilies are routinely eaten by deer and rodents; and yes, nibbled on by curious cats and puppies. No harm done--except to the lily, of course.

I hope this response is not too late for you or your kitty :-( ALL true lilies (the genus Lilium) are highly toxic to cats for some reason. And this includes all parts of the plant - stems, leaves, petals, even stamens and pollen. Even minor exposure - a slight chewing of the leaf or pollen fallen on the coat and the cat cleaning it off - can have serious, even fatal, effect.

Cats are supremely sensitive to these plants. The exact toxin is unknown but the poisoning will resemble that involved with grape and raisin toxicity and antifreeze (ethylene glycol) toxicity. It causes renal failure and can also affect the gastrointestinal and nervous system.

If you suspect your cat has chewed on or eaten or been exposed to lily pollen in some fashion, do not hesitate to take to an emergency vet ASAP. Cats and lilies DO NOT mix!!

Here is a link that might be useful: lily toxicity to cats

To: AlexJamesHaines. If I have given you some bad advise, I truly apologize! And, I certainly hope your cat is ok. I grow hundreds and hundreds of lilies as a hobby and our cat and neighbor's cats routinely hide in them every morning and evening during the growing season in hopes of catching a rodent or baby bunny. I've been growing lilies for at least 25 years and the cats never had a problem with lily poisoning. My thanks to gardengal48 for posting the article; it certainly is something that I was not aware of.