Are lilies poisonous to cats?
Yes, and more completely than most people expect. The FDA states that the entire lily plant is toxic: the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase. The dangerous groups are Lilium — Asiatic, Easter, Oriental, rubrum, stargazer, tiger and wood lilies — and Hemerocallis, the daylilies. A cat does not need to eat a flower; brushing past pollen and then grooming is enough to matter.
Updated on 2026-10-07.
If your animal has eaten part of a plant, do not wait for symptoms and do not try to treat it at home: consult a veterinarian straight away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661.
Lilium longiflorum: the FDA describes the whole plant, including pollen, as toxic to cats.
The facts in one table
| Dangerous genera | Lilium (Asiatic, Easter, Oriental, rubrum, stargazer, tiger, wood) and Hemerocallis (daylilies) |
| Parts that are toxic | The entire plant: stem, leaves, flowers, pollen — and the vase water |
| 0–12 hours | Decreased activity level, drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite |
| 12–24 hours | Kidney damage begins; increased urination and dehydration |
| 24–72 hours | Kidney failure develops |
| Less harmful "lilies" | Calla lily and peace lily (localised irritation); Peruvian lily (mild stomach upset) |
| Other dangerous "lilies" | Lily of the valley; gloriosa or flame lily |
All rows from the FDA animal health literacy page on lilies and cats, with the Pet Poison Helpline as a second source.
Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Pet Poison Helpline
Which lilies, exactly
Two genera carry the kidney risk: Lilium and Hemerocallis. In practice that covers almost every cut flower sold as a "lily" in a bouquet — Easter, Oriental, Asiatic, stargazer, tiger — plus the daylilies that fill summer borders. The FDA lists them together because the clinical picture is the same, even though daylilies are not botanically lilies at all.
The FDA also separates out the plants whose names cause confusion. Calla lilies and peace lilies cause localised irritation only; the Peruvian lily causes mild stomach upset. Lily of the valley and the gloriosa or flame lily are dangerous, but through different mechanisms. Getting the identification right is the first thing a veterinarian will want.
The 72 hours that matter
The FDA sets out a timeline that explains why "wait and see" fails. In the first twelve hours the signs are vague — reduced activity, drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite — and easy to attribute to something else. Between twelve and twenty-four hours kidney damage begins, showing as increased urination and dehydration. Between twenty-four and seventy-two hours kidney failure develops.
The window in which intervention is most useful is therefore the same window in which the cat looks only slightly off. That inversion is the single most important thing on this page: the moment to act is the moment when acting feels like an overreaction.
If your animal has eaten part of a plant, do not wait for symptoms and do not try to treat it at home: consult a veterinarian straight away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661.
Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Pet Poison Helpline
What to do, and the one prevention that works
The FDA's instruction is explicit: if you suspect your cat has eaten any part of a lily or its pollen, or has drunk water from a vase containing lilies, immediately call your veterinarian or a pet poison control centre. Take the plant or a photograph. Do not attempt anything at home, and do not wait to see whether the cat becomes unwell.
Prevention is simpler than management. Because pollen and vase water are enough, height and distance do not reliably protect a cat — keeping true lilies and daylilies out of the house altogether is the only approach that does, and that includes telling people not to send them.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435
- Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661
If your animal has eaten part of a plant, do not wait for symptoms and do not try to treat it at home: consult a veterinarian straight away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661.
Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Pet Poison Helpline
What most people get wrong
- "Only if the cat eats the flower." Pollen on the fur, groomed off, and water from the vase are both routes the FDA names.
- "Peace lilies are the dangerous ones." The FDA groups calla and peace lilies among those causing localised irritation only.
- "If the cat seems fine after a few hours, it is fine." Kidney damage begins between twelve and twenty-four hours.
- "Putting the vase up high is enough." Pollen travels, and a dropped petal or a spilled drop of vase water is sufficient.
Frequently asked questions
- Which lilies are poisonous to cats?
- Lilium species — Asiatic, Easter, Oriental, rubrum, stargazer, tiger and wood lilies — and Hemerocallis, the daylilies.
- Is lily pollen dangerous to cats?
- Yes. The FDA states that the entire lily plant is toxic including the pollen, and that drinking the water from a vase containing lilies is also a route of exposure.
- How quickly do symptoms appear?
- Within 0–12 hours: decreased activity, drooling, vomiting and loss of appetite. Kidney damage begins at 12–24 hours and kidney failure develops at 24–72 hours.
- Are peace lilies safe for cats?
- They are not in the deadly group: the FDA describes calla lilies and peace lilies as causing localised irritation only. That is still a reason to call for advice if a cat chews one.
How to read the numbers
The numbers on “Are lilies poisonous to cats?” come from the facts table at the top, with the official source alongside.
Where the data comes from
Each section of “Are lilies poisonous to cats?” names its source (agency, university or breed club) with a verification date.
What this page doesn’t replace
Educational information, not a substitute for a vet, agronomist or specialist assessing your specific case.
Go deeper at the official source
To go deeper than “Are lilies poisonous to cats?”, the source named below publishes the original document.
Words on this page
Toxicity
A plant’s or substance’s capacity to harm an organism, which varies with the species exposed, the amount ingested and the animal’s size. A plant "toxic to dogs" is not necessarily toxic to humans at the same dose, and the reverse holds too.
Standard definition by ASPCA — Animal Poison Control Center · Toxicity
Hypoallergenic
A term used for breeds that shed less allergen into the environment, usually because they shed less fur. No dog or cat breed is fully allergen-free: a cat’s main allergen comes from saliva and skin, not only fur, and a very sensitive person can react to any breed.
Standard definition by American Kennel Club · Hypoallergenic
Life cycle
The sequence of stages an organism passes through from birth to death — for an animal, young, adult and senior; for a plant, germination, growth, flowering and, in annuals, death after setting seed.
Dormancy
The period when a plant slows its metabolism and stops visible growth, usually in autumn and winter, to survive cold or drought. Pruning, transplanting or fertilising during dormancy is usually less stressful for the plant than doing it in full growth.
Hemisphere
Half of the globe split by the equator. The seasons flip between the two: when it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is summer in the southern one, which shifts the pruning, bloom and harvest calendar described on this page.
Formative pruning vs. maintenance pruning
Formative pruning happens in a plant’s first years and sets the permanent shape of the main branches; maintenance pruning is yearly, removes dead, diseased or crossing branches, and does not change the plant’s architecture. Mixing the two up is the most common reason a fruit tree fails to bear fruit.
Sources
- Lovely Lilies and Curious Cats: A Dangerous Combination — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Checked on 2026-10-07.
- Lilies are toxic to cats — Pet Poison Helpline. Checked on 2026-10-07.