A WARRINGTON vets is warning cat owners about the dangers of lilies after giving emergency treatment to a beloved pet.

Four-year-old cat, Poppy, licked the deadly flower in her home and was rushed to Vets Now in Orford to save her life with intravenous fluids.

Now, relieved owner, Amber Lomax, is warning others of just how lethal the plants can be, especially now many pets are spending more time at home because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Amber, 28, said: “If you have a cat, it’s just not worth the risk of having them anywhere in the house.”

Amber and her husband had been given the lily plant as a gift and, knowing the dangers, they thought they had got it safely out of Poppy’s way.

Amber explained: “We had put it on a top shelf where she had never even tried to reach before.

“There wasn’t even anything for her to access it from, so we no idea how on earth she managed to get up there.

“When I came down in the morning, she was absolutely covered in lily pollen.

Warrington Guardian:

“With hindsight, we’d never have had it and we wouldn’t wish anyone to go through what we did.

“I can’t imagine how awful it would be for an owner to have their cat die from this.”

Dave Leicester, head of clinical intelligence at Vets Now, said: “Some species of lily are extremely 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 a leaf or petal, or even water from a vase containing lilies, can be potentially fatal.

“Cats can swallow a toxic amount just by grooming after brushing against the flowers.

“We’d strongly urge all cat owners against having any species of lily in the house.”

Under the UK government’s coronavirus restrictions, veterinary practices have been confirmed as essential services and vets have been added to the list of key workers.

While clinics and hospitals are allowed to stay open, face-to-face contact has been reduced and veterinary care is restricted to emergency treatment only.

In an emergency, you can call Vets Now Warrington on 871758.