Is Peace Lily toxic to cats?
Peace lily is toxic to cats (S2 Irritant), but it is not a true lily: its insoluble calcium oxalate crystals cause oral burning, drooling, and vomiting — it does not cause the kidney failure that true lilies (Lilium) do.
- TOXINinsoluble calcium oxalates
- WHAT TO EXPECToral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting, diarrhea
- CALL THE VETCall your vet if drooling or vomiting persists or worsens, your cat refuses food or water — or immediately if you notice mouth swelling or any difficulty breathing.
Symptoms
| SIGN |
|---|
| oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips |
| excessive drooling |
| vomiting, diarrhea |
| difficulty swallowing |
| very rarely, mouth swelling leading to difficulty breathing |
If your cat just ate it
Same tabletop look, minus the risk
3 tabletop plants graded S0 — non-toxic on record.
Care at a glance
FAQ
Is a peace lily a true lily?
No. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) belong to the Araceae family and are unrelated to true lilies (Lilium). The ASPCA identifies Lilium and Hemerocallis species as the lilies that cause severe kidney injury in cats — peace lilies are not among them. Their insoluble calcium oxalate crystals cause mouth irritation instead, and per the ASPCA, "it is very rare for them to cause serious or life-threatening problems."
Can a peace lily cause kidney failure in my cat?
No — that danger belongs to true lilies. The ASPCA attributes severe kidney injury in cats to Lilium species (Easter, Asiatic, Stargazer, Oriental lilies) and daylilies (Hemerocallis), where "small amounts can cause severe injury to the kidneys." A peace lily instead causes "oral pain, drooling, vomiting or diarrhea," and "very rarely swelling in the mouth may lead to difficulty breathing" — that rare swelling is the sign to escalate to a vet.
My cat just chewed a peace lily — what should I do right now?
Take the plant material away — the calcium oxalate crystals sting on contact, which is why the ASPCA lists "oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing." Call your vet if drooling or vomiting persists or worsens — and immediately if you notice mouth swelling or any trouble breathing, the one rare escalation.
Which part of a peace lily is poisonous to cats?
All of it — the ASPCA does not single out a part, and our record lists no "most toxic" one. The reason is mechanical: the whole plant carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that release on chewing, which is why the signs are "intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips," "excessive drooling," "vomiting, diarrhea" and "difficulty swallowing." A leaf, a stem and a flower all do the same thing, so there is no safe half to leave within reach. Move the plant and call your vet if drooling or vomiting persists or worsens.
Can a cat be allergic to a peace lily, or is it always the toxin?
What gets called an allergic reaction here is almost always the toxin doing its work. Peace lily's insoluble calcium oxalates are mechanical irritants — they embed in the mouth on chewing, which is why the ASPCA records "oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips" and "excessive drooling" as the picture. That happens to any cat that chews it, not only a sensitised one, and no primary source we hold describes a separate feline allergy. Treat a mouth reaction as oxalate exposure and call your vet if it persists or worsens.
What does peace lily poisoning look like in a dog?
In a dog, the same picture as in a cat, and rarely serious. The ASPCA records one oxalate syndrome for both species — "oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips," "excessive drooling," "vomiting, diarrhea," "difficulty swallowing," and "very rarely, mouth swelling leading to difficulty breathing" — and serious problems in dogs are very rare. This is not the true-lily emergency: a peace lily is not a Lilium and carries no kidney risk for either animal. For your dog: call the vet immediately if the mouth swells or breathing changes.