BEWARE THE DANGERS OF OUTDOORS

I always let my cat Mr. Bean outside in his Catio, which is basically a giant dog kennel that has a bowl of water, a scratching post, and a chair with a cat bed on it, so he can sit out on the deck and enjoy the birds, the squirrels and the fresh air without running out into traffic.

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But every other day or so, I'll let him wander around the backyard with me, within a fenced in area, so he can chew on grass, and climb a tree. He likes the freedom and he never tries to get outside the gated area, so we're cool. However; I'm very concerned as yesterday, I saw Mr. Bean walk right up to a Lillie and start chewing on the leaves. Since I've heard that cats can die from this; I immediately shewed him away. He seemed fine this morning, but I'm still concerned, so I started doing some research.

Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash
Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash
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WHAT LILIES ARE POISONOUS?

There are some flowers that LOOK like lilies, but are NOT official Lilies. Your cat may not have a problem with these types of Lilies. However; Tiger Lilies, AKA ditch Lilies, Hemerocallis hybrid...These ARE lilies that are dangerous for your cat; and yes...they can die from exposure.

Photo by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash
Photo by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash
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DITCH LILIES ARE DEADLY

These flowers are beautiful and grow like crazy in the wild, so many people like to bring them in the house. If your cat is a plant chewer, you should NOT bring these into your home, and if your cat can get near them, they could die.

According to  Wag!, every part of these plants is toxic to cats. I was wondering why would my cat want to chew on a lily? Apparently they are edible, BUT NOT FOR CATS. They apparently have a peppery flavor.

I've heard that just the pollen from these plants can be deadly to cats.

SYMPTOMS OF LILIE PLANT POISONING

  • Vomiting
  • Lethargy
  • Drooling
  • Weakness
  • Staggering
  • Disorientation
  • Doesn't want to eat
  • Dehydration
  • Excessive thirst
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Infrequent urination

Your pet can start having severe symptoms within two hours of exposure. They can develop kidney failure. If over 18 hours has passed since the cat has had exposure, there may be no way to save your cat.

 

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