Are Lilies Toxic to Cats? What Happens and What to Do Immediately

Yes. True lilies and daylilies can cause kidney failure in cats from one bitten leaf, licked pollen or vase water. Go to an emergency vet now.

Quick answer: Yes. True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are toxic to cats, and there is no known safe amount: one bitten leaf or petal, pollen licked off fur, or a sip of vase water can cause acute kidney failure. If your cat may have chewed, licked or swallowed any part, go to an emergency vet now and call them or a pet poison-control line on the way. Do not wait for signs or induce vomiting at home. Treatment works best within the first few hours and outcomes worsen after about 18 hours, but go even if more time has passed or you do not know when it happened.

If your cat may have touched a lily: go to the nearest emergency vet now and call ahead on the way so they can prepare. You can also call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 (fees may apply), but a call must not delay leaving. If you see pollen on your cat's face, paws or fur, take no more than a minute to wipe it off with a damp cloth, put a cone (e-collar) on if you have one so your cat cannot lick off more, and put your cat in a carrier. Bring the plant (or a piece of it in a sealed bag), the florist card, or a photo.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. It does not replace an in-person veterinary exam or emergency care.

Which Lilies Are Dangerous to Cats?

Only true lilies (genus Lilium) and daylilies (genus Hemerocallis) cause the kidney injury that makes lilies so dangerous for cats. Common examples include the Easter lily, tiger lily, Asiatic lilies, Stargazer, Casa Blanca and other Oriental hybrids, the Japanese show lily, wood lily and daylily. Roselilies are sold as "pollen-free," but they are still true lilies and still toxic.

Many other plants have "lily" in their name. Some are dangerous in different ways, and bouquets often mix them together. If you are not completely sure what the plant was, treat it as a true lily and go in.

Plant	Main danger to cats	What to do
True lilies: Easter, tiger, Asiatic, Stargazer, Casa Blanca, Oriental hybrids, roselily	Acute kidney failure	Emergency vet now
Daylily	Acute kidney failure	Emergency vet now
Lily of the valley	Life-threatening heart rhythm problems (also dangerous to dogs)	Emergency vet now
Gloriosa or flame lily	Multi-organ failure (also dangerous to dogs)	Emergency vet now
Peace lily	Mouth and throat irritation, drooling, vomiting	Call your vet or a poison line; emergency vet now if breathing or swallowing is affected
Calla lily	Mouth and throat irritation, drooling, vomiting	Call your vet or a poison line; emergency vet now if breathing or swallowing is affected
Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria)	Possible stomach upset	Call your vet or a poison line

Why Every Part of the Plant Is Dangerous

Every part of a true lily or daylily is toxic to cats: the leaves, stems, petals, flowers, roots and pollen, plus the water from a vase that held them. Cases have been documented in which pollen alone caused kidney injury, so a cat that licks pollen off its fur or face has been exposed.

The toxin itself has never been identified, so no toxic dose has been established. There is no known safe amount. Cats have become ill after chewing a single leaf. The toxin damages the cells lining the kidney tubules, and without treatment the result is acute kidney failure.

Symptoms and Timeline

A cat can look normal for hours while its kidneys are being damaged, so do not wait for any sign before getting care. This is the typical course without treatment:

Time after exposure	What can happen
Within about 1 to 6 hours	Drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy or hiding
About 6 to 12 hours	Vomiting may stop, which can look like improvement
About 12 to 30 hours	More urination and dehydration; changes may already show up in urine and blood tests
About 24 to 72 hours	Vomiting returns as the kidneys fail; weakness and little or no urine
Within 3 to 7 days	Untreated cats can become unable to stand and may die

Signs of kidney injury include drinking and urinating more at first, then dehydration, weakness or being unable to stand, and finally little or no urine. Some cats also show head pressing, disorientation, wobbliness, swelling of the face and paws, trouble breathing or seizures.

What to Do Immediately

1. Leave now. Go to the nearest emergency animal hospital, or to your regular clinic only if it is open and can see and hospitalize your cat right now, and call ahead on the way. Do not spend time working out exactly which plant it was.
2. Remove the pollen quickly. If you can see pollen on your cat, take no more than a minute to wipe it off with a damp cloth. Put a cone (e-collar) on if you have one so your cat cannot lick off more, then put your cat in a carrier.
3. Bring the plant or a photo. A piece of the plant in a sealed bag, the bouquet label or florist card, or a photo helps the vet. If you are not sure what it was, assume it is a true lily.
4. Bring every cat that may have had access. In a multi-cat home, take every cat that could have reached the plant, not only the one you saw near it. Shut the other pets away from the plant, fallen petals and vase water, and clean up when you get back.

What Not to Do

• Do not wait for signs or "watch and see." Do not assume your cat is safe because the vomiting stopped.
• Do not stay home because more than 18 hours have passed or you do not know when it happened.
• Do not try to make your cat vomit. There is no safe way to do it at home. Hydrogen peroxide is never safe for cats and can cause bleeding stomach ulcers, and salt can cause seizures.
• Do not give milk, oil, butter or food as home remedies, and do not force water or try to "flush" the toxin out at home.
• Do not give human medicines, leftover pet medicines or activated charcoal at home.
• Do not book or wait for a video visit for a suspected lily exposure. Your cat needs to be seen in person.

How Veterinarians Treat Lily Poisoning

If the exposure was recent and it is safe for your cat, the vet may give medication to make your cat vomit. Vets use drugs that are safe for cats, never hydrogen peroxide. They may then give activated charcoal.

The core treatment is IV fluids in the hospital, usually for 48 to 72 hours, with kidney blood values checked about every 24 hours. If urine output falls, the vet may add medications, and dialysis may be considered for a cat that stops producing urine, although it is expensive and not widely available.

Treatment works best when it starts within the first few hours. Veterinary sources report that outcomes get much worse when treatment is delayed past about 18 hours. That figure is not a reason to wait or to give up: if more time has passed, or you do not know when it happened, still go now.

Hospital care matters. In a 2024 University of Pennsylvania study of 112 lily-exposed cats, every cat hospitalized on IV fluids survived, compared with 87.5% of cats sent home on outpatient care. If cost is a worry, tell the emergency team. Vets may discuss options after examining your cat, but skipping the visit is not one of them.

Can Cats Recover From Lily Poisoning?

Yes, especially with early treatment. The outlook is excellent when treatment starts soon after exposure and only mild effects develop. In an earlier (2013) University of Pennsylvania study of 25 cats treated after eating lilies, all survived to discharge, and only about one in four developed kidney injury. You may see mortality figures of 50% or higher; those describe untreated or late-treated cases. Once a cat stops producing urine, the outlook is guarded to poor.

Some survivors are left with chronic kidney disease, so follow your vet's plan for recheck exams and blood work.

Holiday Bouquets and Prevention

For indoor cats, cut-flower bouquets and potted gift plants are the main source of exposure. Stargazer and Casa Blanca lilies are common in florist arrangements, and Thanksgiving centerpieces, holiday bouquets, Valentine's flowers, Easter lilies and Mother's Day arrangements can all bring lilies into homes with cats.

• Keep true lilies and daylilies out of your home and garden entirely. "Out of reach" is not enough, because cats climb and petals and pollen fall.
• Check every bouquet that comes into the house, and ask florists to leave lilies out.
• Remember that "pollen-free" roselilies are still toxic.
• Tell friends and family who might send flowers.

Are Lilies Toxic to Dogs?

The kidney injury from true lilies and daylilies is specific to cats. In dogs, these lilies usually cause only mild stomach upset. Lily of the valley and gloriosa lily are exceptions: if your dog ate either one, go to an emergency vet now and call ahead on the way. If your dog ate a lily bulb or a plant you cannot identify, call your vet or a pet poison line right away, and go in if they advise it or if your dog shows any signs.

After Treatment: Follow-Up Care and Cat-Safe Plants

A video visit cannot treat lily poisoning, because decontamination, kidney blood tests and IV fluids require in-person care. Once your cat has been treated and is home, a follow-up conversation can help with general questions or with choosing cat-safe plants and flowers. It does not replace the recheck exams and blood work your treating vet schedules, and any vomiting, weakness or change in urination during recovery needs in-person care right away. RexVet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with licensed veterinarians for pet parents in Florida, New York and Virginia. A live video visit is $64.99, and the Family Plan is a one-time $120 for four visits over 12 months, with no subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much lily does it take to poison a cat?

There is no known safe amount. A single bitten leaf or petal, pollen licked off fur, or a sip of vase water can cause kidney failure. Treat any possible exposure to a true lily or daylily as an emergency.

My cat licked lily pollen off its fur. Is that an emergency?

Yes. Pollen alone has caused kidney injury in cats. Take no more than a minute to wipe off any visible pollen, put a cone on if you have one, put your cat in a carrier, and go to an emergency vet now.

My cat seems fine after touching a lily. Do I still need to go?

Yes. Cats can look normal for hours while the kidneys are being damaged, and vomiting can stop and then come back as the kidneys fail. Go now, because treatment works best when it starts early, before kidney damage sets in.

What if more than 18 hours have passed?

Still go to the emergency vet now. Outcomes get worse after about 18 hours, but that is not a cutoff after which treatment stops helping, and cats treated more than a day after exposure have survived.

Are peace lilies toxic to cats?

Peace lilies are not true lilies and do not cause kidney failure. They contain crystals that irritate the mouth and throat, causing drooling and vomiting, and occasionally swelling that affects breathing. Call your vet or a poison line, and go to an emergency vet if your cat has any trouble breathing or swallowing. If you are not sure the plant was a peace lily, treat it as a true lily.

Is lily of the valley a true lily?

No, but it is dangerous in a different way. It contains compounds that can cause life-threatening heart rhythm problems in cats, dogs and people, and its vase water is toxic too. Any exposure needs an emergency vet.

Can an online vet in Florida, New York or Virginia treat lily poisoning?

No. Lily poisoning needs in-person decontamination, kidney blood tests and IV fluids. Go to an emergency vet now. A RexVet video visit can help with general follow-up questions after your cat has been treated.