Can cats eat lilies?

Updated 2026-08-07 · Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database · Free · No sign-up

No — lilies are toxic to cats, even in small amounts. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 now.

If your cat may have eaten something harmful — or any part of a lily — call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right now — don't wait for symptoms. A consultation fee may apply to the ASPCA hotline.

Verdict for cats	Toxic
Severity	5 / 5 — Emergency — can be fatal, and small amounts can matter. Call now.
Safe amount	None
Category	Plants
Source	ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database · reviewed 2026-08-07 · confidence: high

Why

This is one of the most dangerous things in a house with a cat. The ASPCA lists lilies as toxic to cats, with kidney failure as the clinical sign — and it takes very little: a nibbled leaf, a chewed petal, pollen groomed off the fur, or water from the vase. Go to a vet immediately; do not wait for symptoms.

Signs to watch for if your cat has eaten lilies

Vomiting and drooling
Loss of appetite and hiding
Lethargy
Urinating more, then not at all — kidney failure can set in within 24–72 hours

Signs vary with the amount and with the individual pet, and some appear only after a day or more. Their absence does not mean your cat is in the clear — call rather than watch.

What to do now

Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 straight away. Tell them what your cat ate, roughly how much, and when, and take the packaging with you. Don't wait for symptoms — with several poisons the harm is done before a pet looks ill.

Never induce vomiting and never give any medicine unless a vet tells you to. With some substances it causes more damage than the poison. This page tells you when to get help — it never tells you how to treat at home.

Safer alternatives for cats

A small piece of plain cooked chicken or turkey
Plain cooked fish, boneless and unseasoned
A vet-approved commercial cat treat, kept to under a tenth of daily calories
Cat grass grown indoors instead of houseplants
Fresh water — a fountain tempts many cats to drink more

What about dogs?

Can dogs eat lilies? — Don't feed it to dogs either.

Verdicts are transcribed from the cited veterinary sources, never inferred. Where a source establishes a finding for one species only, the other species is left null and the page says to ask your vet — a dog finding is never copied onto a cat.

This page is a reference, not veterinary advice or a diagnosis. CanMyPetEat is a reference, not veterinary advice or a diagnosis. It tells you when to get help — never how to treat at home. Never induce vomiting or give any medicine unless a vet tells you to. Individual pets vary and toxicity guidance changes; your vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center are the authority.