Do these flowers look like lilies?

[baztien]

Hey everyone, my parents received this bouquet and it's outside in their front yard:
They have a cat that occasionally goes outside and there are also a few ferals that wander around - I'm worried that those yellow flowers are lilies.

I don't live there so I called them once I saw these photos and they said they'll throw them away but I'm also worried about pollen that might fall or spread while they're moving it. Thanks!

 

[AbbysMom]

Yes, those yellow ones absolutely look like lilies.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Yeah i agree with AbbysMom

 

[baztien]

Bummer, this is something that has come up in the past with them a few times because they love flowers and lilies seem to be everywhere despite their toxicity. What would be the best way to dispose of them? They got pretty upset with me since this isn't the first time I've had them throw away a bouquet and 'luckily' at least this one didn't make it inside the house. They're older so they're not as delicate when it comes to picking up and moving things around and I'm just concerned about the pollen since some of these flowers have fully boomed.

I've asked them to be careful with the pollen and wash their hands but I'm not sure if they'll listen.

 

[fionasmom]

If your parents get gifts of flowers from florists, there will usually be lilies. They are very popular out here. If they carefully extracted the lilies and put them immediately into a bag or the recycle green waste, if you have that, it will probably be okay. If pollen were scattered around, I would try to sweep it up or wash it away.

 

[baztien]

Okay so we have outside cameras and I was able to see them remove the bouquet. I had talked to them on the phone about how to do it carefully and they told me they'd place a trashbag over it and flip it but I just saw my dad take the bouquet out, flip it upside down, and wiggle it to use the flowers to open the trash bag, which probably now means that there is pollen everywhere.

I'm insanely frustrated because this is about the 5th time something like this has happened and I'm trying to remain calm. How would we best go about making sure pollen isn't on the sidewalk? Would hosing it down with dish soap help? Would we need something alcohol based?

I did tell him to change his clothes and put them in the washer. And I asked him to wipe his shoes and vacuum because I know he wears shoes inside. I have no idea if they'll listen to any of that though.

 

[Kflowers]

You might want to tell them again, if the cat gets sick immediately take it to the vet and tell the vet it could have gotten into lily pollen. If you repeat this a couple of times they may decide to do it, or if not, when they get to the vet and are arguing about it, it may come out and the vet will know.

If it helps my grandparents grew a small bed of lilies of the valley about 10 plants, and their in/out, mostly out cat never got near the plants. I don't know why, he liked to fight and was sort of destructive, but he left the lilies alone. This was before we had any idea they were dangerous.

 

[baztien]

Yeah, I really don't know what to do at this point. I feel like a crazy person because I've tried in various tones to explain to them the gravity of what could happen. What bums me out too is that I know they're not particularly dexterous or careful so I was a little relieved when they offered themselves to bag it carefully and remove it, which made it seem like they understood that disturbing the stamen/pollen was important. I still reiterated and repeated to them how important it is but then to see them shake it around, I just feel really defeated.

I've never been one for flowers so it just boggles my mind that a love for them could outweigh the life of an animal that can't look out for itself when it comes to something like this. We have been good for a while on this front and they did let me dig up and remove their day lilies a year ago, but they definitely weren't happy about it.

About your grandparents, that's good to hear and I've read a lot of similar accounts. I hope that our cat is okay but I'm just tired of going through the same ordeals every so often.

 

[catapault]

Tell your parents to take a pair of tweezers and remove the pollen bearing stamens. Once "neutered" the lilies are safe and may remain in the arrangement. If they are too awkward for this flower neutering, perhaps they have a friend who would be amused to help.

 

[silent meowlook]

All parts of the Lilly are toxic. Everything including leaves and stems.

 

[Kris107]

I have older parents who have cats and I love lilies. I don't have lilies in my house, but if I ever get some as a gift I just pull those stems out and put them in the trash. Cats typically don't just munch on flowers, and I haven't had any issues. I had a few day lilies in a corner of my yard and I just dug them up and tossed them. Cats had never bothered them but wanted to err on the side of caution. If your parents are elderly and don't have the best mobility, the only way to do things as you say is to do it yourself. I know that feels unhelpful, but I can tell my parents how to do something until I'm blue in the face and they will still do it how they want or are able. Their cleaning skills aren't what they used to be because they truly don't see the grime. I can imagine my parents not seeing pollen. I don't know what would "deactivate" the pollen. Perhaps a damp rag to lift it up and then toss the rags?

 

[fionasmom]

Which Lilies Are Toxic to Pets?
The entire lily is toxic. You will notice that the ASPCA chart breaks this down into really bad/not as bad but all types are a hazard to pets.

If your parents will do it, washing the surface with a hose should get rid of the pollen; however, lily pollen is notoriously hard to remove from hands, clothes, etc. If you can get them to dispose of the whole flower in one piece it would be best.

I am sure that your parents are lovely people. Many of us here understand the difficulty of "supervising" family members or others who are not always careful around pets.

 

[catapault]

Is the cat likely to chew the flowers? Not as much as cleaning themself. So if a cat brushes against the flowers and gets pollen on their fur - they lick themselves and ingest pollen. Not good.