Retailers must do more to protect cats from toxic lilies

Did you know that the unsuspecting gift of a bouquet of flowers from a loved one could be fatal to your cat? Many people do not realise that lilies are extremely toxic to cats and all parts of the plant are very dangerous, from the pollen which cats can lick off their fur, to the water they are kept in which cats may drink and be poisoned by.

Cats Protection recommends never having lilies in a cat-owning household because of the danger they pose, but many people don't realise that a bouquet contains lilies until it's too late.

Some retailers include warnings on the labels of bouquets containing lilies, but our investigations show that this varies considerably between different shops. Sometimes warnings are on a part of the label designed to be torn off to hide the price or are on the reverse side of the label where many people are unlikely to look. This needs to change in order to protect cats.

In fact, research by Cats Protection has found that 53% of cat owners are not aware that lilies are toxic to cats, and we predict this lack of awareness is even higher among non-cat-owners. Clear labelling on any bouquets or potted plants which contain potentially lethal lilies can save cats and their owners much pain and heartbreak.

Sign the petition now to encourage retailers to improve labelling on lilies.