Easter lilies are deadly toxic to cats, but are there cat-safe alternatives?
Last updated on April 1st, 2022 at 01:44 pm
I was at work when I received a call from my sister, sobbing at the other end. Her cat, Misty, had died overnight.
“Do you have lilies in the house?” I asked.
“Yes I do, why?”
It started with a thoughtful gesture of love. Her husband likes to surprise her with her favorite bouquet of lilies. Unbeknownst to him, lilies are highly toxic to our beloved felines.
They’re so beautiful with their trumpet-like petals and filaments beckoning you to behold them and take a closer look. And your cat, being the curious beast that he is, is sure to take more than just a closer look. All parts of the lily are toxic, even the pollen and the water in the vase. Your cat does not have to ingest anything, just brushing against any part of the flower can collect pollen on his fur which your cat may ingest while grooming. Even the tiniest amount of ingested matter will cause acute kidney failure and eventually death, if not aggressively treated within the first few hours of ingestion. National Poison Prevention Month has passed, but awareness is key to prevent the dreaded visit to the emergency vet with your cat’s life hanging on the line. There are thousands of newbie cat owners out there and many do not know of the risks, so we hope you share this post for all to see.
Within minutes to hours of ingestion, your cat may display any of these common symptoms:
According to the Pet Poison Helpline, the most deadly of lilies is the ‘true lily’ belonging to the genus Lilium. If veterinary care is not sought within 36 to 48 hours, kidney failure may develop and chances of your cat’s survival are greatly reduced.
Some examples of these deadly beauties include:
Asiatic lily
Rubrum
Oriental
Easter
Tiger
Japanese Show
Western
Stargazer
Redwood
Day lilies (Hemerocallis species, although not belonging to the true lily family, is included to err on the side of caution)
So, what are the non-toxic alternatives to lilies?
Lilies are a much-loved Spring choice of bouquet in many households. But if you share your life with a cat, keep these beauties out! There are some beautiful and equally showy plants and flowers that would get your cat’s stamp of safety approval.
6 Non-toxic alternatives to lilies
1. The Blushing Bromeliad
The Bromeliad is a tropical flowering plant that can bring color and a taste of the exotic into your kitchen or living room. Completely non-toxic to cats, the bromeliad is easy to care for and can be found in the greenhouse section of your local garden center. The most popular variety I come across is the blushing bromeliad featured above.
Interesting fun fact: The pineapple is a bromeliad and is the only bromeliad to produce an edible fruit. How cool is that?
2. Easter Cactus
The Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertnerii) is not as showy as the bromeliad, but these little modest lovelies can be a nice filler for a Spring bouquet. They are widely available at garden centers and come ready-made in decorative pots. Jimmy Fancy Feet finds them interesting, and good to know that if this known muncher decides to take a chomp, he’ll be okay. The worst would be a regurgitated green clump on the kitchen floor!
3. The Orchid
Yes! You, your cats and your lovely orchid bouquets can co-exist in safety. Orchids, (Phalaenopsis) or ‘Moth Orchids’ are easy to grow indoors and you will be rewarded with blooms for many months to come. Grazing kitties will not be harmed by this plant but because the petals are so delicate I would keep them on an elevated plant stand. When the flowers fall don’t discard, just cut down the stem, care for it as usual and wait for possible reblooms.
4. Gerbera Daisy
There is a simple elegance to the attention-grabbing daisy with its cheery face and brightly colored blooms and foliage. The Gerbera daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii) immediately brightens a room and nothing says ‘happy’ and ‘fresh’ better than these ‘hello sunshine’ extroverts. This plant presents a little bit of a challenge growing indoors. It is usually given as a gift bouquet around Spring and will last for one blooming season. You can rest assured that your cats will be safe if they decide to go say “hello” to little Miss Daisy.
5. Echeveria
These succulents are popping up more often in wedding bouquets and table centerpieces. They have a unique rustic and organic feel to them and the bonus is that they are perfectly safe for cats. I have to say in my experience cats rarely bother snacking on plants that have thicker foliage such as succulents. Some cats are just persistent and overzealous nibblers, but most prefer grass-like foliage, anyway.
6. Roses
Isn’t it wonderful to know that the much-loved rose is non-toxic to cats? Roses are not just for Valentine’s Day! You can safely welcome these all-time favorites into your home for any special occasion. To make it ultra safe for kitty paws and kiddy fingers, you can remove the thorny bits before arranging in a vase.
In a previous post on how to grow a cat salad bar, I provide some tips on how to keep your cats from eating your houseplants.
Misty never made it. She was a young cat, a much-beloved member of the family. My brother-in-law’s sweet gestures of surprise bouquets for my sister is still a thing. He just stays far away from lilies!
So many people do not know the dangers of lilies and are not presented with safer plant choices, so I hope you share this with a friend. We couldn’t save Misty, but it might just save another cat’s life.
For more on cat-friendly plants, check out my other post on how to grow a cat-safe catio garden for your cats
For more inspiring ways to your cat’s heart pounce on board with us to receive unique and fun DIY cat hacks, environment enrichment tips and lifestyle, reviews and giveaways.
Thanks for this post…….sometimes the most beautiful things in nature can be the most deadly and sadly lilies and many other “pretty” things are.
Hugs, Pam
So true Teddy. Have a wonderful day!
We only have silk flowers so we feel plenty safe!
That’s the safest way to go!
That is such a horrific story. I have a neighbor who lost her cat very suddenly years ago and she doesn’t believe me, but I know it was the lilies in her garden. I wonder how many cats they kill and no one ever knows?
It’s so sad, because lilies are everywhere and they seem so innocuous. My sister found Misty in a really bad way lying under their bush in the backyard. 😿
A great reminder of what plants not to have around our kitties. Easter is just around the corner and lilies are everywhere.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
🙁 guyz….we R sorree bout yur cuzin Misty ~~~~~~~♥♥♥
pleez tell mom thanx for sharin thiz post !
Great and impawtant reminder ! We have fake silk lilies at home. Purrs
How tragic. I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. It’s such a shame that such beauty can take our beloved pets. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for giving us some alternatives to lilies. It’s very sad about Misty, though.
I am sooo sad to hear about Misty. You already know I post about Precious every year……this was a great post because you offered alternatives. BTW I am over the moon that you are a finalist for Best Cat Blog!!! I have my paws (and Cody’s) crossed for you! You are BEYOND worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I told you that last year or the year before, can’t remember!)
Oh gosh, that’s heartbreaking for your sister and Misty. Thank you for posting about alternatives! So often, we just see — don’t have lillies –but nothing offered up instead. And that is interesting about pineapples.
I’m allergic to lilies – so I’m just fine with leaving them out of the mix! I love that you offered alternatives! Congratulations on being a multi-finalist!
Oh if only Misty’s humans had known about the dangers of the lily… So sad that a pretty flower to the life of a lil’ kitty. And thank you for this post to inform humans. Mom didn’t realize that orchids are safe, she always thought they were poisonous too. Right now the only plant that is in my house is a small rose that Dad bought last week. I would luv for Mom to add more indoor plants. She has been hesitant, ’cause I like to nibble. Purrs.
And, CONCATS, too, on being a BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose finalist in 2 categories again this year!!
They’re super beautiful flowers, BUT… But they’re way too dangerous to us cats to have in the house. Posts like this are super helpful ’cause they get the word out. Once peeps with cats know lilies are poison, they’ll keep ’em away from us but first and foremost, PEEPS MUST BE TOLD. Thank you for sharin’ this info. purrs
Fantastic post. Shared everywhere ABSOLUTELY.
People need to know this.
One of our cats, Delilah, LOVES to snack on plants and flowers, so we have to be extra careful about which ones we bring into the house. Thank you for this important reminder! Sharing for sure!
Our boy Jimmy can shake paws with Delilah! The first night we adopted him he went for the spider plants, which are non-toxic.
I’m so sorry for your sister! What a terrible way to lose her cat.
We hardly have any flowers in our home anymore due to the fact are cats are so curious about them. I’d rather have cats than flowers.
Your article is very informative. Many flowers are dangerous to eat, but I wasn’t aware that lilies are even dangerous for cats to touch. I appreciate too the attractive alternatives.
I’ll be sharing this article on social media. There are also a few friends I’ll send it to.
OH, thanks for sharing! Glad you thought it was informative!
Orchids win in this household every time!! I adore them. 🙂
This is a great reminder this time of year, that’s for sure. Our mom loves Lilies, but she loves us more. And she thinks Orchids are pretty.
I’m so sorry about Misty. Many years ago, I heard that Easter lilies were toxic to cats, but I had no idea how dangerous they are. Thanks for sharing some beautiful feline friendly alternatives!
My alternative to potential poisonous plants is to only bring silk plants indoors. I had no idea about lilies toxicity until a few years ago. I’ve always known about poinsettias, so when people give them to me, I leave them outside on my front porch for a decoration or I give them to someone else.
Yes lilies are deadly and toxic. However, this is a great post to offer alternatives for pet parents that still want plants in the home without putting their pets at risk.
I love these alternatives to toxic lilies. They are all so bright and beautiful! I had no idea there is an Easter cactus. I tried to pick my favorite out of the list….I’ll have to go with the orchid and Gerbera daisy. So pretty!!
Yes! those are really pretty, love their cheery faces!
My sweet husband got us a lily the other day (we only have dogs) and he says, I know these are poisonous to cats and I’m not sure about dogs, so I put them up high! The alternatives you list are just as beautiful! Great options!
Isn’t it so strange it has such an extreme effect on one species and not the other? Lilies are so pretty but now they give me shivers when I look at them!
How tragic that Misty passed away after a romantic gesture. I had no idea so many flowers, plants and foods are toxic to dogs and cats until fairly recently. I love lilies and had some in the garden and in pots not realizing the risk to pets. So good that you shared some beautiful alternatives.
Hi, I like your article, Such a nice and full informative article. keep it up and don’t stop posting. I am also writing on Lillies and gardening.
I’m so sorry to hear about Misty. It’s heartbreaking to lose a pet, especially to something as preventable as lily toxicity. Thank you for raising awareness about the dangers of lilies and providing alternatives that are safe for cats. This information is crucial for all pet owners to ensure the safety and well-being of their beloved furry friends.