Hello everyone! I'm hoping that someone here knows for sure if daylilies are truly poisonous to cats. Any input would be most appreciated!
I plan on naming a seedling of mine in memory of my mom, and I asked my sister if she would like to grow some. She said she'd love to. She then messaged me back, saying she couldn't, because they were deadly to cats. I told her that I hadn't heard that before, and she said she had no idea, but where she checked, it said all lilies were deadly to cats.
I explained to her that daylilies aren't related to lilies, but I told her I'd check, just to make sure. Her cats are mostly indoor cats, but they are outside occasionally, and they like to taste the plants in the yard, so no way would either of us want to risk it.
I was rather frustrated when I started looking online. Pretty much every web site that contains information on plants that are poisonous to cats, lumps daylilies and lilies together, as if they're the same plant. We know that they aren't in the same family, so the information is completely wrong there. But, that doesn't answer the question about daylilies being poisonous to cats.
Below are some of the sites I visited and a small portion of what they had to say, so that you can see where my frustration comes from. If anyone has personal experience of their cat(s) chewing on daylilies with any side effects, or no side effects, or can point me to a trusted source on this, I'd be forever thankful! I just can't trust the information that I found.
From the FDA web site:
Lilies are extremely popular around the world and are commonly seen in garden beds and borders and in bouquets. While their flowers are lovely to see and smell, lilies pose a significant safety threat for your cat.
Lilies in the "true lily" and "daylily" families are very dangerous for cats. The entire lily plant is toxic: the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase.
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Pet Poison Helpline:
The following are some examples of lilies considered dangerous around cats:
" Asiatic lily - including hybrids (Lilium asiatica)
" Day lily (Hemerocallis species)
" Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum)
" Japanese Show lily (Lilium speciosum)
" Rubrum lily (Lilium speciosum var. rubrum)
" Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer'- a hybrid)
" Tiger lily (Lilium tigrinum or lancifolium)
" Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum or umbellatum)
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Wag, which has a picture of what I believe is an Easter lily at the top of the page, so nothing after that is trustworthy to me:
Daylily poisoning in cats is noted through its clinical signs that usually begin 6-12 hours after exposure. Early symptoms a cat may display include dehydration, lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomiting. In a few short hours, the cat's clinical signs soon progress to kidney failure, disorientation, seizures, and death. Immediate veterinary care is the only way a feline can survive a daylily poisoning, which makes veterinary treatment a necessity.
Daylilies belong to the Liliaceae family and are given the scientific name, Hemerocallis spp. Daylilies in this family include the Asiatic lily, the tiger lily, and the Easter lily, but many other varieties are also found in this plant classification. Daylilies are not toxic to canines but are highly toxic to felines.
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Science Direct:
This site referenced a book or magazine article by Tina Wismer, in August's Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine, Volume 7, 2016.
Feline Toxins
Lilies
Members of the true lily family (Lilium and Hemerocallis) have been shown to cause acute kidney injury in the cat. Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum), tiger lilies (Lilium tigrinum), rubrum or Japanese showy lilies (Lilium speciosum), and orange daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) are all examples of true lilies. All parts of the plant, including the pollen, can cause acute kidney injury if ingested. Even minor exposures may result in life-threatening toxicosis. The toxic principle is unknown, but is known to be water soluble.
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ASPCA:
Lilies, including Asiatic lilies and daylilies, can be toxic to both dogs and cats, however the effects are much more severe in cats. Signs and symptoms in dogs tend to be limited to stomach upset, though any eaten bulbs could potentially cause a stomach or intestinal blockage. However, any exposure in cats, including leaves, bulbs, flowers, pollen or water that the flowers have been sitting in, can cause acute kidney injury and even death.
