Be feline-friendly flower aware

It’s lovely to see all the Spring colour in gardens, and bouquet displays in shops are steadily becoming more diverse. Please do be aware, however, that certain plants and flowers can be toxic to our feline friends, so it’s important to know what to avoid when visiting the garden centre and when bringing cut flowers indoors.

Lilies, a popular staple in shop-bought bunches of flowers, are very dangerous to cats. All parts of the flowers are extremely toxic. Even brushing up against the pollen and then ingesting the pollen through grooming, or drinking water from a vase containing lilies, can be very serious. Early signs of lily poisoning can include drooling, vomiting, lethargy and loss of appetite. If you think your cat has ingested any part of a lily or come into contact with lily pollen, don’t wait – seek immediate veterinary advice. To find out more about the dangers of lilies, check out International Cat Care’s Lily Poisoning in Cats.

Cats Protection have lots of useful information on their website about plants poisonous to cats as well as plants that cat households can safely introduce into the garden. They even have a section on how to make a cat friendly bouquet! Click here to find out more.