Food safety

Can Cats Eat Lilies?

Toxic — call your vet now — Lilies for cats.

Toxic — call your vet now

Why: True lilies — Easter, tiger, Asiatic, daylilies and related types — are among the most dangerous plants for cats. Eating any part, licking pollen off fur, or drinking vase water can cause sudden kidney failure, and it can be fatal within days. All lilies should be kept out of a home with cats.

If your cat ate lilies: This is an emergency: call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately, even if your cat only licked pollen or drank vase water. Early treatment within hours makes a real difference. Vomiting, lethargy or not eating are warning signs.

Related: Carnations, Cactus, Slugs

Why this verdict

True lilies — Easter, tiger, Asiatic, daylilies and related types — are among the most dangerous plants for cats. Eating any part, licking pollen off fur, or drinking vase water can cause sudden kidney failure, and it can be fatal within days. All lilies should be kept out of a home with cats.

If your cat ate lilies

This is an emergency: call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately, even if your cat only licked pollen or drank vase water. Early treatment within hours makes a real difference. Vomiting, lethargy or not eating are warning signs.

Related foods

Carnations, Cactus, Slugs

Check another food

Back to the Food-Safety Checker to check all 90 foods, or see the beginner feeding guide and the feeding estimator.

Before you use the result

Use the result as a starting point for observation and planning. Cats vary by age, body condition, temperament, medical history, and household setup.

Sources: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, and the Cornell Feline Health Center — Feeding Your Cat. Chocolate toxicity figures are approximate values from the Merck Veterinary Manual. If your cat ate something on the toxic list, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.