Some cats, but not all, love to eat houseplants. But Valentina is different. She lives with Rodney and his partner Raymond. When Valentina is in their garden, Rodney smiles and says, “My cat eats flowers.”
This is new to My Kitty Care. Why flowers? According to Dr. Karyn Bischoff, a board-certified veterinary toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center in Ithaca, cats sense of smell is so much superior to humans; they have 14 – 20 times the smell receptors than we have. And since flowers smell wonderful to us, we can imagine how inviting they must be to cats.
These lovely flowers are considered safe for cats to eat
- Lilacs
- Roses (it’s the thorns that make roses problematic)
- Sunflowers
- Petunias
- Camellias
- Snapdragons
- Daisies
For cats who eat houseplants, it’s important to know which ones you MUST NOT have in your home because they are toxic to cats. What about flowers? Some flowers are so toxic, the cat only needs to chew and not even swallow the flower or leaves of the flower.
Although these flowers are pretty — keep cats away from them!
- True lilies and daylilies
- Daffodils
- Crocus
- Hyacinths
- Kalanchoe
- Azalea
- Hydrangeas
- Tulips (are in the lily family)
- Oleander
- Lily of the valley
- Chrysanthemums
The levels of toxicity of the above flowers range from a rash to death Lilies are particularly toxic — your cat only needs to eat a couple of leaves or just lick the pollen grains to ingest the poison.
Want to know how serious the consequences are?
If your cat eats the leaf or pollen grains of a lily: your cat will vomit for 2 to 4 hours. Within 12 – 24 hours your cat will urine frequently. If your cat stops urinating, he/she may have kidney failure. If you do nothing, your cat will die 4 – 7 days from nibbling on a lily.
About flower arrangements
Giving or getting a lovely flower arrangement is always welcomed. But what about we lucky households with cats — my cat (getting an arrangement) or your cat (receiving an arrangement)? The website 1st in flowers focuses on those flowers used in typical floral arrangements which are toxic to cats. The site categorizes flowers based on the symptomatic reaction cats have to them.
If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24 hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.
