A DISTRAUGHT teenager today sent out a warning to cat owners after his pet died of lily pollen poisoning.

Isaac Brailsford, of Almondbury, told the Examiner he doesn’t want anyone else to make the same mistake.

The 16-year-old said: “I had a beautiful cat, Blue, who was four years old..

“I woke up the other morning to find her dead on the floor.

“The only evidence was a hair ball next to my mum’s lilies.

“The whole family are heartbroken, but I just want to put out a friendly, yet strong warning that lily pollen is poisonous and fatal to cats.”

Isaac phoned a Huddersfield vet who confirmed that the cause of Blue’s death was most likely to be lily poisoning.

Isaac said: “Lilies are my mum’s favourite flowers.

“It’s weird how such a beautiful flower can kill such a beautiful creature.

“I don’t want anyone else to make the same careless mistake.”

Ellie Button, a vet at Donaldson and Partners’ Huddersfield surgery, said: “They’re very, very lethal – they only have to eat two or three leaves.

“Cats are very different creatures. Some love chewing plants and will eat anything so it’s about making a judgement based on your cat’s behaviour and whether it’s a significant risk.”

Ms Button also pointed out that the yew tree, tobacco, polyander, and azaleas could also prove lethal to cats.

An RSPCA spokesman confirmed lilies are extremely poisonous to cats. Signs of poisoning can include continued vomiting, blindness, paralysis, renal failure, coma and death.

“It is not only the ingestion of the plant that can cause such signs in cats, brushing past the flower and then grooming the pollen from the fur can also have the same effect.”

The RSPCA is currently campaigning for clearer labelling about the dangers to cats on bouquets and plants.

Experts have identified a number of plants as the most dangerous types of lily.

They include: the Easter Lily (Lilium Longiflorum), the Tiger Lily (Lilium Tigrinum), the Rubrum Lily (Lilium Speciosum), the Stargazer Lily (Lilium Orientalis), the Japanese Show Lily (Lilium Lancifolium), Asiatic Lilies and Species of the Day Lily (Hemerocalis).They have urged cat-owners to take care with all lil types.