Beware: Lily Pollen Kills Cats
We know that a lot of plants can harm cats but I hadn’t realised that the pollen of lilies can blind, paralyze and kill cats. This is shocking because pollen can become dislodged from the plant and float around a room whereas in most cases of a plant hurting a cat it will be due to the cat eating the plant. We know cats do eat a bit of vegetation, usually grass.
With lily pollen floating around a room it can come to rest on a cat and the cat can lick it off her fur and ingest it, or simply inhale it direct from the air.
This frightening information has come forward from a UK story in which a woman, Sonia Barnett, who kept four cats was given a Valentine’s Day bouquet of lilies.
Within a matter of days three of her cats were dead. The fourth managed to survive with kidney damage; an awful experience for all concerned including the boyfriend who gave her a lovely bouquet of lilies.
Beware of lilies if you keep a cat. They are more dangerous than I first thought.
Note: It may be the case that certain cats are more susceptible to lily pollen poisoning than other cats. It may not be the case that lily pollen harms or kills all cats. Nonetheless this is a plant that is totally out of bounds for a cat household.