Cat potentially ingests toxic flowers and plant

After a family member of Mercedes Muldoon’s, DVM, retired, they received a bouquet of flowers that Muldoon stored in her office away from Doja, the office cat at her veterinary clinic. As a veterinarian, she knew that some of the flowers in the bouquet could be toxic, so she wanted to avoid exposure to Doja. However, Doja somehow managed to still sneak into her office. Once in there, Doja accidentally got locked inside Muldoon’s office for about an hour and started to explore.

Peruvian lilies, roses, and carnations were included in the bouquet in Muldoon’s office, all of which can cause gastrointestinal (GI) upset in pets, plus there was also a potted shamrock plant in the office.

"Fortunately, the type of lily Doja came in contact with was not expected to cause severe toxicity," said Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, said in the release.¹ "The most dangerous and potentially life-threatening lily ingestions by cats involve lilies belonging to the genera Lilium (true lilies) and Hemerocallis. Even small ingestions, including pollen or water from the vase, may result in severe, acute renal (kidney) failure."

Despite there being multiple flowers that could have given Doja GI upset, the primary concern was the shamrock plant. Shamrock has a very bitter taste to it, which usually deters canine and feline patients from consuming it in large quantities. According to Schmid, ingesting shamrock plants can cause a sudden drop in calcium, and in rare cases, acute renal failure.

Pets who ingest this plant normally present with the following symptoms²:

• Bloody urine

• Changes in thirty and urination
• Diarrhea
• Drooling
• Inappetence
• Lethargy
• Tremors
• Vomiting
• Weakness

"Although cats are particularly susceptible to lilies, there are other houseplants that are more dangerous to dogs," Schmid added.¹ "For example, many people keep sago palms in their home or office, and sagos are also used in ornamental bonsai houseplants. All parts of the sago palm are considered poisonous, with the seeds (nuts) being the most toxic part of the plant. Ingestion can cause severe liver failure in dogs, signs of which include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, inappetence, abnormal fluid accumulation, abdominal pain and more. Even with aggressive treatment, the survival rate is about 50%."

Muldoon called Pet Poison Helpline and provided a list and description of the flowers and plants in her office and determined that Doja had not ingested or absorbed enough of any items to require her to get treatment.

Once a month, Pet Poison Helpline shares Toxin Tails to help educate animal lovers and veterinary professionals on the types of poisoning dangers pets can face throughout their daily lives. All pets that Pet Poison Helpline highlight in Toxin Tails have been successfully treated for the poisoning and fully recovered.

For Doja, Pet Poison Helpline shared her story because January 10^th is National Houseplant Appreciation Day, so the team at Pet Poison Helpline shared this story to remind people to be cautious of what house plants and flowers they have in their home because they can make pets sick, or worse.

Along with Toxin Tails, to help educate veterinary professionals and clients, Pet Poison Helpline has No Lilies for Kitties, where they provide information on the dangers of lilies to pets, safer alternatives for homes, and educational materials.

References

1. Veterinarian's Doja Cat Trapped in Toxic Office. News release. Pet Poison Helpline, January 7, 2026, Accessed January 8, 2026. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veterinarians-doja-cat-trapped-in-toxic-office-302653042.html
2. Pet Poison Helpline. Shamrock. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/shamrock/