Many types of lillies poisonous to cats
By Jill Bowen Q: I read in a daily newspaper that the pollen from a bunch of flowers bought at a local supermarket had killed a cat. I think they said it was a type of lily. I wondered if you had heard anything about this and what sort of lily it was. I am a cat lover and am now worried about buying any flowers in case I injure my pets.
A: The news item that I think you are referring to happened in England. A husband bought his wife a bunch of Stargazer lilies; their 13-year-old Siamese cat brushed against the flowers, dislodging some of the pollen onto its coat and then licked the pollen from its fur. Within a short time the cat started being sick and died some hours later after going blind, suffering kidney failure and becoming virtually paralyzed.
Cats are very curious animals, and it is common for them to investigate anything new coming into the house such as a bouquet of flowers.
All lilies are poisonous to cats; eating just one leaf can prove fatal. The ASPCA lists the Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and some species of the day lily as liable to cause kidney failure in cats. All parts of the lily are extremely toxic, and any case of poisoning needs immediate and aggressive veterinary treatment if the cat is to have a chance of surviving.
Cats have lived that were treated within six hours of ingesting pollen, but after six hours the chances of survival decrease rapidly and after 18 hours the kidneys have usually completely shut down, followed by death. The initial symptoms of lily poisoning consist of protracted vomiting, anorexia and depression followed by irreversible kidney failure. The first reported case of lily poisoning was in 1990, while in 2004 the ASPCA poison control center had 275 reported cases.
If bouquets contain lilies make sure they are placed somewhere inaccessible to any curious cats and when the heavy pollen is shed wipe it up immediately. Lilies growing in the garden should be a tall variety and staked where necessary
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Q: I have a 3-year-old white female cat with blue eyes and her name is Angela. She was an only cat in our house up until last December when we got Oscar, a male tuxedo kitten. He is now approximately 10 months old. Both cats weight approximately 10 to 11 pounds.
When we got Oscar, he was a total lap cat, while Angela was beginning to sit in my wife's lap. During the past four months, Oscar seems to make Angela scream. They chase each other around the house, but I almost always see that Oscar is jumping on top of Angela. She seems to be very submissive although she appears to be heavier than Oscar, he is very muscular. I would love to know if he is torturing Angela or are they playing. It's very annoying for me whenever I hear her screaming etc. because she is my first cat and I am becoming more and more protective of her. Also, both cats have been fixed when they were kittens.
A: Unfortunately we often assume that if we introduce two cats to each other they will enjoy each other's company. Cats are as fussy as people when it comes to which other cats they like or dislike. Over time, most cats learn to tolerate each other, but escalating animosity is also a strong possibility.
I fear that Oscar is not playing with Angela, but is very busy establishing himself as the alpha cat in the family with these episodes of dominance and aggression. By screaming, Angela is attempting to appear fierce and intimidate Oscar, which is obviously not working. Oscar has decided to be proactive and by chasing and attacking Angela without mercy is establishing himself as top cat.
You are lucky that so far Oscar has not inflicted any serious physical injury to Angela, but that may not last. Getting two feuding cats to accept each other is not an easy task, and in some cases has proved impossible; the only solution being to find a new home for one of the cats.
Initially I suggest that you keep the cats in separate rooms, switching rooms every day or so to prevent them from becoming too territorial and making them aware that the other cat is still around, even if they have had no actual contact. Feed them both at the same time so that they can hear the other cat being fed and also play with them at the same time.
After about two weeks when Oscar appears less belligerent and Angela less fearful, they can be reintroduced with a wire screen between the two of them. Start with a short time of contact, gradually increasing the time as long as they are behaving; at any sign of aggression or fear slow the process down until things are on an even keel again. Next, allow them to be in the same room, but in cat carriers.
Each day assuming things are still peaceful, bring them closer together, finally letting Oscar out of the carrier while Angela is still confined, then next time reverse the roles.
Provided all is calm, let them both out at the same time and feed them on opposite sides of the room under strict supervision. Gradually increasing the time they are together, but always under supervision.
Praise and pet them when they are behaving and if Oscar shows signs of aggression just put him in the carrier and ignore him.
If this plan of action fails, there is a drug called Anafranil obtainable from your veterinarian that might be worth trying for Oscar, this drug like Prozac increases the availability of the brain chemical serotonin, which has mood stabilizing and anti-aggressive properties. Another prescription drug, which has been used in similar circumstances, is the anxiety reducing drug buspirone (Buspar).
If you are not able to undertake the time consuming and tedious re-introduction process then I suggest starting the cats on one or other of these two medications immediately. If using Buspar treat both cats, as it will make Oscar less aggressive and Angela less fearful.
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Dr. Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas and taught at Texas A&M. She lives with her veterinarian husband, three cats and a chocolate Labrador retriever in Blacksburg. If you have a question, please write to her in care of The Roanoke Times' New River Current, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, VA 24068, or send an e-mail to mjbowen@radford.edu. Jill Bowen regrets that she cannot answer readers' letters personally. All sick animals should, of course, be taken to a veterinarian.
(C) 2005 Roanoke Times & World News. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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