Are Peace Lily Plants Poisonous to Cats? How To Keep It Away

Are peace lily plants poisonous to cats, is a topic that would be an ongoing notion in your mind. They are mild, unlike the other true lilies, for example, Easter lilies, these pose less severe symptoms to cats who ingest them.

However, the symptoms are uncomfortable for the kitties, so you must protect them from the plant. This article explains why lilies are toxic to cats, the symptoms, treatment, and how to protect your fur friend.

Are Peace Lilies Poisonous to Cat Health?

Yes, peace lilies are poisonous to cat health with their sap being toxic to them when they ingest it. In addition, when you see your pet moving very close to it, it would also cause a reaction with their skin as well.

This would happen because cats are curious pets, and they are attracted to these plants; if you see them walking close to it and ask yourself, “why does my cat munch my peace lily?” They mostly want a taste of the leaves, stems, or roots, which release the lilies toxic sap in their mouth. These pets will also attempt to brush their fur against the flower, making the pollen fall on their skin and causing irritation.

So, what part of peace lily is poisonous to cats? All the parts of the plant are toxic. That includes the leaves, stems, roots, seeds, and flowers. Although these beautiful plants are less poisonous than other lilies, you should protect your cat from nibbling on them.

– Biting The Sap

The crystals in the lily toxic sap are sharp and penetrate the cat’s oral cavity, including the tongue, causing painful injuries. If swallowed, the crystals also injure the gut. Some common symptoms that your feline friend ingested lilies are swelling around the mouth and drooling.

All the parts of this lily variety are toxic to cats. They contain a poisonous sap with sharp crystals that injure the pet’s mouth, tongue, and airways. Ensure you stop your feline friend from feeding on lily leaves, stems, flowers, and roots for their safety.

– Moving Close to the Leaves

The cat can also get lily poisoning even without chewing the plant. It happens when the pets rub their fur against the plant, and the toxic sap gets stuck on their coat. Since cats lick their bodies when bathing, they could get injured by the stuck lily toxins.

Peace lily, also referred to as the Mauna Loa Plant, contains a poisonous sap that irritates cats. The lily plant has calcium oxalate crystals released when the cat tears any part of the plant. These crystals are only visible under a microscope.

What Are the Symptoms of Lily Poison in Cats?

The symptoms of lily poison in cats would be ongoing drooling swelling of the mouth, vomiting, decrease in appetite, and difficulties when swallowing. It would also have a burning sensation and irritation around the mouth, and lastly, the harshest extent would be kidney damage.

According to peace lily cats RSPCA, the poison will show its reaction in different ways. You will notice the symptoms once your feline friend ingests or rubs their coat against them. The most common symptoms are of different kinds, but the more it ingests, the worse it will get, as the density of the poison increases.

– Swelling of Mouth

If you suspect your cat nibbled a part of the lily, check if they constantly rub their mouth or face with the paws. They do so due to the irritation from the crystals. You can also check for signs of pain, discomfort, and swelling of the lips, tongue, and mouth.

Now, these symptoms sound too much for your cat to bear, and they might leave you wondering; can a peace lily kill a cat? While other lilies contain a toxic substance, this lily variety will mildly affect your cat.

– Kidney Damage

The toxins do not cause liver or kidney damage, which is irreversible and causes cat deaths.

However, this is not to say that you can let your kitty have a piece of the plant. The irritation causes discomfort, and the lack of appetite and vomiting can worsen.

What Should You Do If Cat Eats Peace Lily?

If your cat eats peace lily you should first examine its mouth for any swelling. Then, you should aim to give it dairy products, such as milk, to wash out the toxins. After so, try to wash them well, if the sap is upon their fur and skin.

– Examine the Mouth

If you find your cat eating peace lilies, do not panic. First, check if they have a piece of the plant in their mouth, and take pictures of it to show the vet the exact image of it. It will help the vet verify that the symptoms are due to the ingestion of the lily.

– Give them Diary Products

If your cat is suffering the symptoms, give them small amounts of yogurt or cold milk. It helps to soothe their sore mouth and can neutralize the toxicity of the crystals. However, ensure the milk is lactose-free to avoid causing them diarrhea. Also, do not give the cat too much milk and yogurt because large amounts can also lead to diarrhea.

– Wash them Well

If you suspect the cat rubbed their coat against the lily, wash their paws with cool water to remove any remains. You can also wipe their coat with clean water to remove irritants. The symptoms of drooling, vomiting, and loss of appetite disappear after a short while, so you might not need a trip to the vet. However, if they do not stop, ensure you call your vet right away.

When your cat ingests a piece of the lily, you can wash its mouth. Start by removing any leaves’ remains and washing all the areas around the mouth, including the nose. Wash the other body parts, like the paws, to remove any remains of the toxic substance.

When giving your feline friend first aid after the symptoms of pet poison, do not induce vomiting. Forcing the pet to vomit makes them dehydrate fast and can cause untreatable kidney problems like kidney failure.

How To Keep the Lilies Away From Cats?

To keep the lilies away from cats, you should try to place them on a tall shelf, out of their reach, or you can try to plant them outside around placing some physical barriers, and lastly, you can try to place some cat repellents like scents they don’t like.

– Keep It on a Tall Shelf

If you have cats in the house but cannot resist the beauty of lilies, there is a way to keep your feline friends from the plant. You can place the lily on a tall shelf where the cat cannot reach it. Ensure there are no shorter shelves the kitty can jump on to get to the plant.

– Grow The Plant Outside

If the lily grows outside, you can fence the garden with chicken wire to keep the kitties away.

Also, covering the soil with gravel will prevent the cat from digging into the ground and reaching for the roots.

– Place Cat Repellents

If you have potted lilies, pour coffee pellets into the soil, and you can also sprinkle citrus juice on the pot and around the plant. Cats find these smells disgusting so that they won’t get close to your flower.

Alternatively, you can grow a minty plant, lavender, or rosemary, or even place their scented oil. This is because they hate the smell of these plants and will keep off your plant. Whichever trick you choose to keep your cat safe from lilies, ensure they don’t harm your feline friend.

In addition, you can stop your cat from playing around the lilies by sprinkling the pots with citrus oil, you can place them on some cotton pads and the smell would fill the place. You can also grow rosemary or lavender plants near the lilies or even sprinkle the scent of coffee around the plant, as again they hate these smells and will stay away from your plant.

What about children? Are peace lilies poisonous to humans, and can they affect small children? The toxic sap of the peace plant is poisonous to humans as well. If ingested, it causes injuries in the mouth and tongue and causes throat irritation.

FAQ

– Are Peace Lilies Poisonous to Dogs?

Yes, they are toxic to dogs as well. The poisonous plant sap from injured parts of the plant irritates the dog’s mouth, muzzle, and throat. When your dog ingests a piece of the plant, you will notice symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive drooling.

Conclusion

Peace lilies are toxic to cats, so you must protect your pets from feeding on them. To summarize the article:

• Peace lilies are toxic to cats, but their toxicity is milder than true lilies. The plants contain a poisonous sap with sharp crystals, which irritates their mouth, tongue, and gut when ingested.
• Calcium oxalate in a lily cannot kill your cat. However, symptoms like vomiting cause the pet’s dehydration, which can kill them if not treated.
• The peace lily poisoning symptoms are drooling, vomiting, and loss of appetite. These symptoms disappear after a short while, but visit a vet if they persist.
• You can keep your pets away from lilies by sprinkling citrus juice or grounded coffee pellets around the pot or growing lavender and rosemary plants near the lilies.

Now that you know how this lily can affect your pets, the symptoms, and how to treat them, ensure you keep the pets safe.