With Valentine’s Day less than a fortnight in the future, there’ll be a few well-organised folk out there ordering their flowers and gifts right now. Here’s a reminder of the kind of gifts that can cause a serious problem for cats.
LILIES
This has to be the worst flower to send to a cat owner’s house. The sweet scent attracts the cat to investigate (and you know cats don’t need much encouragement to be nosy!). The pollen clings to the fur as they brush past, and the cat grooms it off. A small amount of lily pollen or a nibble on the leaves or flowers – or even drinking the water from the vase the lily is placed in – can cause serious kidney problems.
Symptoms of lily poisoning include twitching, vomiting, drooling and fits, but don’t wait for the symptoms to appear. If you think your cat has been in close contact with any plant from the lily family (such as day-lilies, tulips and daffodils), take them to the vet as soon as possible for a check. Kidney damage can be a killer.
For safety’s sake – ask the florist to keep lilies, daffodils and tulips out of the bouquet they send to your favourite cat-lover.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate contains theobromine, which is poisonous to both cats and dogs – causing heart problems, kidney failure or seizures. Maybe cats will turn their noses up at chocolate, but who knows – some cats will give anything a try. It’s better to hand over those chocolates with a warning to keep them hidden away when the cat’s at play.
Apart from chocolates, there are some surprising foods that are treats for people and dangerous for cats. Raisins can cause kidney damage, and too many sweet treats like crumbs of cake will pile on the pounds and put the cat at risk of diabetes.
ALCOHOL
Cats can get drunk on even a teaspoon of alcohol and it isn’t surprising that they can suffer damage to liver and brain from a much smaller amount of alcohol than humans can tolerate. Not many cats will go hunting for alcoholic drinks, but cats do come sniffing around to see what humans are doing, and humans will offer a taste of what they’re enjoying. Don’t. Please, don’t.
A PERFECT VALENTINE GIFT?
Well, this is a just a thought. If the object of your affections has a cat in his or her life – buy a gift for the cat instead of the person. I know, it’s shameless, but if the cat’s happy, the human in its life is usually happy too. So check those heart-shaped cat beds, the catnip fish toys and tubs of cat-treats you can wrap in crinkly paper. For extra smiles – deliver them in a cat-sized box.
