Gardening help needed: removing lilies for cats

Hello, 

We've just moved into a new house and realized the whole area of lilies ( abt 150 sqf )  in our garden are fatal to cats (we have 2 very lovely kitties). The previous home owners have had them for years, they are beautiful flowers and it's sad that we have to get rid of them....the question is how to do it. My husband and I are very new to gardening (just relocated to suburbs from the city), should we just dig out all the roots and leave the original soil there? If we wanna replace them with some feline friendly flowers, what should be the proper procedure? 

Also, I read online that certain types of lilies are so toxic to cats that they die in 6-12 hours after ingesting a tiny part of it (or its pollen). Anyone with some experience on that? 

Thanks in advance for answering!

I would pose that first question on HOW to get rid of all those gorgeous lillies in our "cat lounge" Forum. That's where our gardeners normally hang out

As to your other questions, seems to me that I DO recall a few cats who've bitten into a leaf or petal (you may have read the posts), and ended up at the Emergency Vets for a couple days stay, but I think I also remember one cat who did get acute renal failure and did NOT survive.  I just can't find that thread.  It definitely CAN happen, to be sure.  Whether it would  be in such a short timeframe or not, that I don't know about.  They can definitely show symptoms and whatnot within 6 hours though. 

I'm assuming that you want to dig them up because you're going to allow your cats outside?  Lilies grow from bulbs, so all you have to do is dig down far enough and dig out the bulb. You could probably sell them or give them away on a site like Craig's List. 

The bulbs multiply. So yes, they will have to be dug out.

Is it possible to keep the cats on the deck or in a screened in porch? Or even one of these cat runs?

Seems like it might be a little easier than digging up all those lilies, and less chance of cats escaping.

Lilies are bulbs but some kinds also can spread via rhizomes.  Either way, I'd think they would be fairly easy to get rid of although time consuming.

If your intention was to let the cats outdoors, I agree there are better methods to allow them that experience.  Or, keep them indoors and not have to pull all the lilies out of the ground.  I have day lilies in my yard, but don't allow the cats outside and, never pick them for vases inside.

I also agree that if you're getting rid of them, ask around if anyone else wants them.  Lots of gardeners would just love to get their hands on a bunch of free bulbs.

I have to question whether these were lilies, like Easter lilies, or daylilies. It's hard to believe the garden is covered with the bulb-type lilies, but it's very plausible if they are daylilies, which spread by rhisomes. They can easily take over a garden. I don't know if they are poisonous to cats, but it seems to me that it's very unlikely that the cats would chew on them.

If we lived closer, I would buy your lilies!   I'd even help you dig them out! We are in the process of planting beds of daylilies in various areas of our yard, mainly by the one property line between pine trees. (We don't let the cats outside, so it's not a problem here.)

You'll have to dig them out, all of the bulbs. Even if you leave part of a bulb, I think the plant will come back. And the same is true of rhizomes, I think.....you'll have to get all of them.

Good luck!

I would post it in the paper that has free ads. Gardener's will come right to your home and dig them up for you!!! I kid you not!

Good luck.

I had some in my yard and dug them out last summer.  They were near my cat run and I was concerned the pollen would get blown into the mesh tent and tunnels.  I cut the flowers before they could bloom while I decided what to replace them with.  I walk one of my cats on a leash and he had tried to eat the leaves too.  If your cats are allowed to roam, I suggest at least one cat mint plant.  I am a terrible planner and tend to go to the nursery and pick out plants that look good to me, so we googled all the plants to make sure they weren't toxic to cats before purchasing them.  The nursery workers will not know if a plant is safe or not.