Hi everyone!
My parents have a lovely 11 year old cat who's mostly indoor but usually gets some afternoon outside time where she roams around our front and backyard. I don't live with them but I visit very often and I consider her to be my cat as well, she just can't live with me for a multitude of reasons. Back in May, my parents brought back a bouquet that had stargazer lilies in it. I didn't know much about lily toxicity but in the back of my mind remembered that they could be dangerous, so after some googling, I was reminded of how unsafe they are and immediately moved them into a different room. My parents also had day lilies growing in their front yard. Long story short, while we've never seen her consume anything, I definitely panicked and got rid of the bouquet, and dug out the day lilies and tried to wash down the concrete right next to it. I also took her to the vet so they could run bloodwork and check her kidneys. I had to fly back home but I reminded my parents that going forward, no lilies should be in or around the house. My parents didn't necessarily agree and tend to be of the mindset that they've had lilies around for her whole life and she's been fine (to which my response is that we've just been lucky so far).
Fast forward to last week, I saw there was a flower arrangement they put outside by a statue and I asked my mom if there were lilies in it - she said no. Last night however, I walked to the side of the house to close our garage and to my surprise, saw easter lilies nestled in the jasmine plant they have, about 5 feet up. I was really confused because I've never seen lilies in that spot so I asked my dad and he told me it was from the arrangement. I once again panicked, because they're blooming, which means the pollen would be an issue despite the plant itself being out of reach.
This morning I put on long sleeves and gloves, pulled the plant out into a garbage bag, and threw it away. Should I also wash down the concrete floor below it? I don't think our hose reaches that far but maybe I could take some dish soap in a large cup and rinse it. Or would that potentially spread any pollen? I will absolutely admit I get quite worked up about our cat's safety, but I feel extra defeated because we went through this ordeal already during the early summer, and I feel so bummed that my parents let this happen when they could've easily removed the lilies to begin with.
I guess my question is mainly about the pollen since I don't think there's any way she could get to the flowers or leaves. I inspected the floor below and don't see anything but of course it's outdoor concrete so it's not like it's a clean, plain surface. If anyone read this whole thing, I appreciate it!
My parents have a lovely 11 year old cat who's mostly indoor but usually gets some afternoon outside time where she roams around our front and backyard. I don't live with them but I visit very often and I consider her to be my cat as well, she just can't live with me for a multitude of reasons. Back in May, my parents brought back a bouquet that had stargazer lilies in it. I didn't know much about lily toxicity but in the back of my mind remembered that they could be dangerous, so after some googling, I was reminded of how unsafe they are and immediately moved them into a different room. My parents also had day lilies growing in their front yard. Long story short, while we've never seen her consume anything, I definitely panicked and got rid of the bouquet, and dug out the day lilies and tried to wash down the concrete right next to it. I also took her to the vet so they could run bloodwork and check her kidneys. I had to fly back home but I reminded my parents that going forward, no lilies should be in or around the house. My parents didn't necessarily agree and tend to be of the mindset that they've had lilies around for her whole life and she's been fine (to which my response is that we've just been lucky so far).
Fast forward to last week, I saw there was a flower arrangement they put outside by a statue and I asked my mom if there were lilies in it - she said no. Last night however, I walked to the side of the house to close our garage and to my surprise, saw easter lilies nestled in the jasmine plant they have, about 5 feet up. I was really confused because I've never seen lilies in that spot so I asked my dad and he told me it was from the arrangement. I once again panicked, because they're blooming, which means the pollen would be an issue despite the plant itself being out of reach.
This morning I put on long sleeves and gloves, pulled the plant out into a garbage bag, and threw it away. Should I also wash down the concrete floor below it? I don't think our hose reaches that far but maybe I could take some dish soap in a large cup and rinse it. Or would that potentially spread any pollen? I will absolutely admit I get quite worked up about our cat's safety, but I feel extra defeated because we went through this ordeal already during the early summer, and I feel so bummed that my parents let this happen when they could've easily removed the lilies to begin with.
I guess my question is mainly about the pollen since I don't think there's any way she could get to the flowers or leaves. I inspected the floor below and don't see anything but of course it's outdoor concrete so it's not like it's a clean, plain surface. If anyone read this whole thing, I appreciate it!
