Are lilies toxic to cats?
Yes, and it is an emergency. Every part of a true lily (Lilium) or daylily (Hemerocallis), including the pollen and the water in the vase, can cause kidney failure in cats. Less than one leaf or a little pollen licked off the coat is enough. Go to a vet now, before any signs appear: treatment started before the kidneys are damaged usually works, and treatment started later often does not.
General information, not veterinary advice. If your pet may have eaten this, contact a vet now; do not wait for signs.
What to do right now
- Go to a vet or emergency clinic now, even if your cat seems well
- Take the plant, a photo of it or the florist's label with you
- If pollen is on the fur, wipe it off with a damp cloth so your cat cannot lick more
- Stop your cat grooming on the way if you can, and keep it away from the flowers
- Do not try to make your cat sick at home
Go to an emergency clinic now if
- Your cat chewed any part of a lily or daylily, however small
- Pollen is on its fur, face or paws
- It drank water from a vase that held lilies
- You cannot rule out contact with a lily in the house
- Vomiting, drooling or refusing food after being near lilies
Who to call
Your own vet first. If they are closed, the nearest emergency or out-of-hours clinic.
In the United States
Both answer 24 hours a day and may charge a consultation fee.
Signs to watch for
| Sign | Usually starts |
|---|---|
| Vomiting, drooling | 1-3 hours |
| Not eating, lethargy, hiding | 1-3 hours |
| Drinking and urinating more | 12-30 hours |
| Continued vomiting, dehydration | 12-30 hours |
| Little or no urine (kidney failure) | 1-4 days |
| Weakness, collapse | 3-7 days if untreated |
Why are lilies so dangerous to cats?
Lilies cause sudden kidney failure in cats, and nobody has yet identified the toxin responsible. It is found throughout the plant: petals, leaves, stems, roots, pollen and the water the flowers stand in. Other animals are far less affected; cats are uniquely sensitive.
International Cat Care notes that less than one leaf, or a small amount of pollen licked off the coat, is enough to cause kidney failure. That is why a cat that only brushed past a bouquet still needs a vet.
Which lilies cause kidney failure in cats?
Only two groups of plants cause the kidney failure: true lilies (genus Lilium) and daylilies (genus Hemerocallis). Many plants with "lily" in their name belong to neither group and behave differently.
| Plant | Genus | Main risk to cats |
|---|---|---|
| Easter, Asiatic, Oriental, stargazer, tiger, Madonna lily | Lilium | Kidney failure: emergency |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis | Kidney failure: emergency |
| Lily of the valley | Convallaria | Heart rhythm problems: also an emergency |
| Peace lily | Spathiphyllum | Mouth and stomach irritation, not kidney failure |
| Calla lily | Zantedeschia | Mouth and stomach irritation, not kidney failure |
| Peruvian lily | Alstroemeria | Listed as non-toxic |
If you are not sure which plant it was, treat it as a true lily and go. A photo of the flower, or the florist's label, helps the vet decide.
How quickly does lily poisoning damage the kidneys?
Early signs, usually vomiting, drooling and refusing food, start within one to three hours. Kidney damage follows over the next one to four days; published estimates of when kidney failure sets in range from 6 to 48 hours (VCA) to 2 to 4 days (Merck Veterinary Manual). A cat can look better after the first vomiting while the kidneys are already failing, so a quiet cat is not a safe cat.
What will the vet do?
Treatment aims to protect the kidneys before they fail. If the exposure was recent, the vet may make your cat vomit and give activated charcoal. The core of treatment is a drip of intravenous fluids, typically for 48 to 72 hours, with blood tests of kidney function every day. Cats treated early, before kidney values rise, usually have a good outlook. Once the kidneys have failed, recovery is still possible but less likely, and some cats need dialysis, which only a few referral hospitals offer.
How do I keep my cat safe from lilies?
Do not bring true lilies or daylilies into a home with a cat, even in a room the cat "never goes into". Ask people sending flowers to leave lilies out, and remove them from bouquets before they come inside, since gift flowers are a common way lilies reach a cat. Check the garden for daylilies if your cat goes outside. Pativo treats any mention of a lily for a cat as an emergency, which is explained on the emergency signs page.
Questions owners ask
Is a peace lily or calla lily toxic to cats?
They are not true lilies and do not cause kidney failure. They contain crystals that irritate the mouth, so expect drooling and pawing at the mouth; call your vet if there is any swelling or trouble breathing.
Is lily of the valley safe for cats?
No. Lily of the valley is not a true lily, but it contains heart toxins that can cause a dangerously irregular heartbeat. Treat it as an emergency too.
My cat only sniffed the flowers. Do I still need a vet?
If there is any chance pollen landed on the face or fur, yes: a cat grooms it off and swallows it. Call your vet now and describe exactly what happened.
Are lilies dangerous to dogs?
True lilies usually cause only stomach upset in dogs. The kidney danger is specific to cats.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Plants That Are Toxic to Cats
- Pet Poison Helpline: Lilies, Lilies and More Lilies
- International Cat Care: Cats and Poisons
- UC Davis: Lilies Deadly to Cats, Veterinarians Warn
Checked against the sources listed on this page. How we write and check these pages