If you're a cat lover, you'll know that they are really allergic to lilies. The flowers are extremely poisonous to cats, and just one or two leaves (or even the pollen) can kill a cat. Even small ingestion can result in severe kidney failure and potentially cause death.
And being cats, they're not exactly aware that they're allergic to the flowers - they're still going to try and eat the lilies. So it's up to owners to make sure that they keep cats as far away from them as possible.
And it's not just the leaves and pollen that are dangerous. It's the water that the flowers have been in - that can contain pollen, too.
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Cats like to lick everything and they lap up any water they can get their little furry tongues on. So make sure that your cat doesn't get its paws on the vase water either.
As Easter lilies are really popular over the Easter period, vets are seeing a sharp incline of cats with lily poisoning and are warning pet owners to be aware of the risks and take care of their charges.
One cat, Millie, from Essex, ended up on an IV drip after licking pollen from the flowers, reports the Mirror.
Millie's mouth and paws were stained yellow as a result of the incident and was kept in overnight but survived the ordeal.
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Credit: Vets Now
Dave Leicester, Vets Now's head of clinical intelligence, said: "We see a 50% rise in pet emergency cases around this time of year and often it's due to cats and dogs eating things they shouldn't such as lilies and chocolate Easter eggs.
"Lilies are particularly poisonous to cats. They can cause severe diarrhoea, convulsions, acute kidney failure and even death.
"What makes them particularly dangerous is that all parts of the plant are toxic and even small ingestions, such as two or three leaves or petals, or water from a vase containing lilies, can be potentially fatal.
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"In fact, even very small amounts of pollen can be extremely dangerous. Cats can swallow a toxic amount just by grooming after brushing against the flowers. Lilies are so dangerous we'd call on cat owners never to have them in their house."
Experts advise not to wait until the symptoms become visible - as soon as you realise that your cat may have ingested any part of the plant, you should take it to an emergency vet immediately.
If you're a big fan of lilies and don't want to give them up, there is an answer.
Not all lilies are toxic to cats. There are some breeds that won't hurt your kitty at all; the Peruvian, peace and Calla.
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Just make sure that you don't get them mixed up.
If in doubt, make sure your flowers and vase are far out of reach of your pet.
Words: Laura Hamilton
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Cat