Beware this Easter: Cats and lilies don't mix

Spring greetings!

For many of us, celebrating Easter is just around the corner (April 20th). It is a time of family and friends gathering, Easter egg hunts and rich worship traditions being celebrated. Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum) are often central to the festivities, appearing at home and in churches.

Easter lilies, while uniquely beautiful, can also pose a serious hazard to our cats. All parts of the plant are toxic (including pollen and vase water). Less than one or two petals or leaves can cause severe kidney disease and death in cats if they do not receive immediate treatment. Signs of Easter lily ingestion can include drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, changes in urine volume, dehydration and occasionally neurologic signs (irregular walk, head pressing, seizures).

Treatment delays beyond 18 hours often lead to irreversible kidney damage. It is also appropriate to be reminded that other lilies, such as those commonly in cut flower bouquets and in our gardens, are toxic to cats as well. These include Asiatic lilies and their hybrids, Japanese Show lilies, Oriental lilies, Rose lilies, Rubrum lilies, Stargazer lilies, Tiger lilies, Wood lilies and Daylilies.

It is so easy for our agile feline friends to jump onto a table and rub their noses or wrap their tails on these flowers and be "dusted" by the pollen. Because of their fastidiousness, they will groom their coats and ingest the pollen. They will even pick up the pollen on their feet and ingest it while cleaning themselves.

Take care with your cats and flowers, and please keep your cats away from lilies. Great resources are available at the Pet Poison Helpline's campaign "No Lilies for Kitties" at bit.ly/4jm4qxn and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control website. For more information about WSU Extension, head to http://www.extension.wsu.edu/mason.