Cat owners warned over killer flowers

[BikeWriter]

A national alert has been issued to pet owners after pollen from a bunch of supermarket flowers killed a cat.

When John Hartnett bought his wife oriental stargazer lilies, he was unaware that he was passing a death sentence on the family's 13-year-old Siamese, Catalina.

The cat brushed against the flowers then licked the pollen from its fur. Within minutes she started being sick and, within hours, had died after going blind, suffering renal failure and becoming virtually paralysed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/06/nlilly06.xml

[ccjlld]

1. Oh my gosh!

I brought home a pot of lillies after my Grandmother's funeral a few years back. I remember Tucker getting the pollen on his fur, and I took a wash cloth to him because he looked so funny. He had bright yellowish orange splotches all over him. He looked like a white and orange polka-dotted cat. Thankfully he doesn't mind the washcloth. If it had made him sick, I never would have known what caused it. I'm so glad I washed it off!

[BikeWriter]

2. I had never heard about this. I figured it was worth warning folks over.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Thank you very much for this info...

[Zuni]

4. never seen those flowers before

but I am still glad you posted the warning. I would hate to see someone bring home flowers and watch their cat keel over.

[MrsMatt]

5. Good to know, thanks.

We have three cats currently, and I was planning on putting in a small lily bed this fall in our back yard for a cutting garden. Guess I may have to rethink that.

My old cat Bettina used to love rubbing her face in any sort of scented flower whenenver we'd bring in bouquets of cut flowers (including lillies - she'd get the orange pollen all over her face) but she never got sick (lived to the ripe old age of 19).

[BlackVelvetElvis]

6. FYI: Here's a list of plants and flowers poisonous to cats

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

[yellowdogintexas]

10. I may as well plow up my whole flower bed.

[Beaverhausen]

7. I lost a cat 4 years ago this way

He ate a bunch of lilies that my new boyfriend had brought me.

He was the kind of cat who would eat things that were bad for him...some seem to know when something isn't good.

I didn't realize how sick he was until the next day and by then it was too late. His kidneys failed. It was horrible.

:cry:


I miss you Carmine!

[legally blonde]

8. thanks for the info, BikeWriter

:hi:

[Eurobabe]

9. Thanks for info, my daughters sent a gorgeous bouquet

of tulips for mother's day, and I noticed my Daemonic spawn had taken to eating the leaves. They were on the list, but I guess he just nibbled the greenery, I am keeping an eye on him. He is very bad with chomping on plants.