Heartbroken cat owner issues urgent Mother's Day warning over toxic flowers

05 March 2024 , 15:04

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Nova died after coming into contact with a potted lily plant (Image: Supplied)

A 'heartbroken' woman whose beloved pet cat died from lily poisoning is urging owners not to buy lilies as gifts this Mother's Day.

Becca Eggleton, 28, lost her sweet 18-month-old cat Nova after she brushed against a lily plant in Becca’s home and groomed the pollen from her fur. Nova suffered acute kidney failure and while Becca rushed Nova to the vet as soon as possible, she passed away a few days later. Her final days saw her balloon in size and vomit multiple times as her body struggled with the toxins.

Along with UK pet welfare charity Cats Protection, Becca is now urging retailers to put a clear ‘toxic to cats’ warning on lily plants so that consumers are more aware of the risks.

Becca Eggleton, 28, said it was 'heartbreaking' to lose her beloved 18-month-old cat (Supplied)

Nova suffered kidney failure and sadly had to be put down

Becca said: “I bought a potted lily plant last Christmas and I had no idea that were harmful to cats. It was only when Nova staggered into our kitchen with yellow pollen all over her fur that I thought to Google lilies and cats,”

"My vet did everything they could to save Nova but unfortunately she had ingested too much of the poison and she gradually deteriorated. Her kidneys failed and she put on a lot of weight because she was retaining so much water. She became extremely lethargic and began vomiting. The vet had no option but to put poor Nova to sleep.

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"It was heartbreaking to lose her and even worse when I had to come home and explain to my kids that they wouldn’t be seeing Nova again. It ruined our festive period and I just don’t want other cat owners to make the same mistake that I did."

A Cats Protection survey showed that over half of cat owners - 53% - are not aware that lilies are toxic to cats. All parts of the lily plant are poisonous to cats – the flowers, the stem, the leaves, the seeds, and even the water in the vase. Symptoms of lily poisoning include drooling, vomiting, a reduced appetite, lethargy and depression. As kidney damage worsens, there can be more signs such as increased thirst or urination.

The charity are urging owners not to wait for signs to appear, as cats that ingest the poison require urgent veterinary treatment - and say retailers should be putting clear warnings about the risk to customer's pets. Annabel Berdy, Senior Advocacy and Government Relations Officer for Cats Protection, said: "Becca’s story is a tragic reminder of why consumers should avoid buying lilies if they have a cat or are buying for a home with a cat"

“If all retailers could put a clear and prominent sticker on the packaging stating that lilies and lily plants are toxic to cats then it would help to save the lives of many cats and kittens out there. Some packaged lilies don’t carry any warnings at all or only have a warning in small print on the back of the label where a consumer wouldn’t necessarily see it." With Mother’s Day coming up, flower gifts that are completely safe for cats include "buddleias, hollyhocks, pansies and roses", she added. An online petition has also been launched by the charity to call on retailers to do more to protect cats from toxic lilies.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas