Several common flowers and plants are toxic to cats and can cause symptoms ranging from mild irritation to severe, potentially fatal conditions. Here is a list of notable toxic flowers for cats:
- Lilies (including Asiatic, Day, Easter, Japanese Show, and Tiger lilies): Extremely toxic, causing acute kidney failure even from small amounts or pollen ingestion
- Autumn Crocus : Contains colchicine, causing vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and organ damage
- Azaleas and Rhododendrons : Contain grayanotoxins that affect muscles and heart, causing vomiting, tremors, seizures, and potentially death
- Chrysanthemums : Contain sesquiterpenes and pyrethrins causing vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and skin inflammation
- Cyclamen : Toxic saponins mainly in tubers cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and heart issues in large amounts
- Daffodils (Narcissus) : Contain lycorine causing vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias, and convulsions
- Tulips : Bulbs contain allergenic lactones causing vomiting, diarrhea, and depression
- Hyacinths : Bulbs are toxic and can cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Amaryllis : Contain phenanthridine alkaloids causing vomiting, tremors, and seizures
- Gladioli and Iris : Bulbs cause irritation and gastrointestinal upset
- Kalanchoe (Widow’s thrill) : Causes vomiting, diarrhea, and abnormal heart rhythms
If a cat ingests any part of these plants, immediate veterinary attention is crucial due to the risk of severe poisoning
. In summary, lilies are the most dangerous, but many popular flowers like tulips, daffodils, chrysanthemums, and cyclamen also pose significant risks to cats and should be kept out of their reach.
