Safety verdict
Consulted references classify the plant as toxic or irritating for that pet type.
Pet ingestion lookup
My cat ate Tiger Lily - what should I do?
Lilium tigrinum
Potentially toxic
Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison-control resource now, especially if any amount was chewed or swallowed.
Verified against ASPCA/provenance audit 2026-05-06 on May 6, 2026.
Signs to watch for
Vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, and signs of kidney failure such as increased thirst and urination.
Escalation note
This plant is considered extremely toxic to cats. Even small ingestions of any part of the plant can lead to acute kidney failure. Contact a veterinarian immediately if ingestion is suspected.
What to watch for
Early signs are vomiting, drooling, and loss of appetite. Within hours these progress to lethargy and increased thirst and urination, and within 24–72 hours to decreased or no urine output as the kidneys fail. Even tiny exposures — pollen on fur a cat then grooms off, a single chewed leaf — can cause severe kidney injury.
Time window
Vomiting and inappetence typically appear within 0–12 hours of exposure; acute kidney injury develops over 24–72 hours. Without treatment, kidney failure can be fatal within 3–7 days. Treatment started within roughly 6–18 hours of exposure has the best prognosis.
When to call the vet
Call immediately. Do not wait for symptoms to develop — every hour matters. Take your cat to an emergency veterinary clinic and bring a piece of the plant if possible. ASPCA Poison Control: (888) 426-4435; Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661.
What this means for your cat
Tiger lily is severely toxic to cats — and only to cats. All parts of the plant, plus pollen on fur and even water from a vase that held the flowers, can cause acute kidney failure. This is one of the rare plant exposures where treating it as an emergency before any symptoms appear genuinely matters; outcomes are dramatically better when treatment begins early.
Sources: ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline (no at-home first-aid guidance — get to a vet immediately).
Poison-control resources
This page summarizes source-bound plant-safety information and is not veterinary advice.