Hi everyone! I’m a long time listener and I really need advice because my family isn’t taking this issue seriously. For context, I am 20 and just came home from college for the summer. At college I have my cat, who I adore, who lives with me. I call her my shadow because she is extremely bonded to me and goes everywhere with me. So obviously I brought her home from college with me. Also we have two other cats at home.
So here is the issue, I was shocked when today my sister, who is a senior in high school, came down with a bouquet that SHE made for pictures that had several lillies in it. I’m sure most of the cat owners now see how I’m concerned. For those who don’t know, lillies are one of the most toxic flowers for cats. Even drinking water from the vase they’re in or licking off a few grains of pollen from their fur while grooming can kill a cat in three days. My family and my sister know this. We had an incident when we first got my cat when she was only a couple months old, she’s 2 now, where my mom accidentally brought home lillies and didn’t know they were toxic. Long story short, our cats ended up staying several days at the emergency vet and came home ok but a bit traumatized. I had spent the days absolutely devastated because my cat and I were already pretty bonded at this point and I loved her, and still do, with all my heart. My heart also ached for my other kitties as well. From that day forward I have made it my mission to only bring cat safe or fake flowers into the house and keep them out of reach just in case. I also have made it a point to assess any flower arrangements my family brings into the house for toxic plants. I have caught several and make sure to point them out, carnations, baby’s breath, etc.
So, you can imagine my shock when my sister puts a bouquet with huge white lillies on the counter today right by the cats water bowls. I obviously start freaking out and saying that they’re poisonous. Both my mom and sister brush me off and say they’re “being careful” meanwhile I watch my sister carelessly tip the flowers several times before she left almost spilling the toxic water everywhere and shaking pollen from the flowers all over the place. I was so angry but was just treated like I was over dramatic. I tried to clean the place as best as possible but was still paranoid. The only relief I felt was that she promised she wouldn’t bring the flowers back into the house after leaving several hours ago.
Well just minutes ago, she walked back down flowers in hand tipping them carelessly all over the place yet again. She also touched several things like the door knob and handles to commonly used drawers in the kitchen. Which if I hadn’t caught and cleaned could have made all of us possibly expose all of the cats to the pollen. I went to my mom in a panic telling her she needs to tell my sister to not bring them back in the house, but again she just said everything would be fine. When I said it’s serious and it’s not fine she started becoming irritated. I’m so close to snapping at both of them for my sister’s selfish decision just because they look pretty. This is not something that can just be taken lightly. Our cats could literally die. I’m so upset right now I don’t even know what to do.
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Backup of the post’s body: Hi everyone! I’m a long time listener and I really need advice because my family isn’t taking this issue seriously. For context, I am 20 and just came home from college for the summer. At college I have my cat, who I adore, who lives with me. I call her my shadow because she is extremely bonded to me and goes everywhere with me. So obviously I brought her home from college with me. Also we have two other cats at home.
So here is the issue, I was shocked when today my sister, who is a senior in high school, came down with a bouquet that SHE made for pictures that had several lillies in it. I’m sure most of the cat owners now see how I’m concerned. For those who don’t know, lillies are one of the most toxic flowers for cats. Even drinking water from the vase they’re in or licking off a few grains of pollen from their fur while grooming can kill a cat in three days. My family and my sister know this. We had an incident when we first got my cat when she was only a couple months old, she’s 2 now, where my mom accidentally brought home lillies and didn’t know they were toxic. Long story short, our cats ended up staying several days at the emergency vet and came home ok but a bit traumatized. I had spent the days absolutely devastated because my cat and I were already pretty bonded at this point and I loved her, and still do, with all my heart. My heart also ached for my other kitties as well. From that day forward I have made it my mission to only bring cat safe or fake flowers into the house and keep them out of reach just in case. I also have made it a point to assess any flower arrangements my family brings into the house for toxic plants. I have caught several and make sure to point them out, carnations, baby’s breath, etc.
So, you can imagine my shock when my sister puts a bouquet with huge white lillies on the counter today right by the cats water bowls. I obviously start freaking out and saying that they’re poisonous. Both my mom and sister brush me off and say they’re “being careful” meanwhile I watch my sister carelessly tip the flowers several times before she left almost spilling the toxic water everywhere and shaking pollen from the flowers all over the place. I was so angry but was just treated like I was over dramatic. I tried to clean the place as best as possible but was still paranoid. The only relief I felt was that she promised she wouldn’t bring the flowers back into the house after leaving several hours ago.
Well just minutes ago, she walked back down flowers in hand tipping them carelessly all over the place yet again. She also touched several things like the door knob and handles to commonly used drawers in the kitchen. Which if I hadn’t caught and cleaned could have made all of us possibly expose all of the cats to the pollen. I went to my mom in a panic telling her she needs to tell my sister to not bring them back in the house, but again she just said everything would be fine. When I said it’s serious and it’s not fine she started becoming irritated. I’m so close to snapping at both of them for my sister’s selfish decision just because they look pretty. This is not something that can just be taken lightly. Our cats could literally die. I’m so upset right now I don’t even know what to do.
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NTA. I’m a cat owner. I get it. If you’ve ever had to nurse your babies back to health, you get it.
Your mom and sister don’t and sound like they don’t care or love your cats. Short of them having to feel the trauma themselves, I don’t think they will ever get it. Some people are just too selfish.
It’s traumatizing, but see if there are any vids of what a cat goes thru after poisoning like that.
You sound super intense and bombarding
I would’ve lost my mind and chucked them out the window. I have literally done that to my father! He brought home a poinsettia.
When I saw the title I thought “I bet this is about a cat” because I KNEW. No I would literally bag them up and throw them in the garbage. My sisters would NEVER!!
NTA.
Record yourself telling them the flowers are toxic and you will go after them legally if anything happens to your cats. Cats are considered property by law. (But only if they’re chipped)
NTA i would have taken my cat and left again