No lilies for homes with kitties

Lilies are an Easter tradition for many of us. We give them as gifts and use them to decorate our homes to welcome Spring.

But did you know, they are highly toxic to cats?

According to petpoisonhelpline.com, several popular varieties of lilies are dangerous and even potentially fatal to our feline friends.

Some examples include the tiger, day, Asiatic hybrid, Easter, Japanese Show, rubrum, stargazer, red, Western, and wood lilies. Even eating a small amount of petals or leaves, licking the pollen or even drinking some of the vase water can lead to kidney failure in cats.

Another lily dangerous to both cats and dogs is the Lily of the Valley. This kind of flower doesn't cause kidney failure, but can lead to life-threatening heart problems.

If your cat ingests any part of a lily, time is of the essence. The sooner your cat sees your veterinarian, the better. You improve your cat's odds of a healthy recovery by getting medical care within 18 hours.

Some signs your cat has ingested something poisonous include:

-lethargy

-loss of appetite

-hiding

-vomiting

-diarrhea

-seizures

This is important information for those of you with cats. But also, keep this in mind when giving flowers to your friends and family members with cats in their house.