Saturday, April 30, 2011

Lovely, but Lethal.


 My husband Chris is a real sweetheart, and one of the many little ways he demonstrates his love is to occasionally bring home bouquets for no other reason than to make me smile. He’s definitely a keeper - no trade-ins in my future!
However, this last time he selected a floral arrangement with lilies, which, although lovely, are deadly to cats. We share our household with four little characters who, like the average two-year-old, will stick even the most unlikely objects in their mouths. One of them in particular, Katie, has a definite oral fetish, even to the point of trying to strip the paint from walls. In any case, all cats will munch on plants that look appealing, so it’s a good idea to steer clear of the ones whose toxins are particularly nasty, such as lilies. The entire plant is poisonous and if even a small amount is ingested it can lead to kidney failure and death.
Thankfully my hubby is as fond of the furballs as I am, so he understood when I consigned the lily element of the arrangement to the fireplace. Too bad - they were so pretty. At least I got a couple of photos before the “cremation”, and if Katie tries to chew on the print the worst she’ll suffer is indigestion.
Check out this list of some common plants that are hazardous to pets. Some of them are surprising.