International Cat Day on August 8th, provides us with 24 hours of recognition and appreciation for one of humanities oldest and most beloved pets. It is a day to raise awareness for cats and their care, and learn about ways to help and protect them.
This year, custodianship of International Cat Day is represented by International Cat Care, a charitable organisation striving to improve the health and welfare of cats worldwide. International Cat Care are currently running a campaign on Keeping Cats Safe, covering key topics including poisoning. Their articles have discussed the dangers of household chemicals and plants.
Plants account for a large number of our poisoning cases in cats; our most common enquiry for cats are related to the Lilium species. Although many people are aware of lily toxicity in cats, their danger is often underestimated. All part of the plants are toxic, including the pollen, flowers, stem and leaves. Ingestion of less than one leaf can cause severe poisoning, and there are reports of cats developing renal failure after being exposed to only pollen.
