WARNING-USE CAUTION ON VALENTINE'S DAY!

MAKE SURE TO HAVE A CAT-FRIENDLY VALENTINE’S DAY

With Valentine’s Day approaching you may be thinking about giving the perfect gift. But did you know that the traditional tokens of affection: ROSES, LILIES, CHOCOLATES, and OTHER CANDIES ARE VERY HARMFUL TO CATS AND CAN BE FATAL?

SPCA experts offer some tips to ensure a loving and safe day for all species this February 14th:

• Please take CAUTION WITH ROSES and other blooms containing thorns, which could prove harmful to pets if played with, bitten, stepped on or swallowed. Cats can develop serious infections from thorn punctures.
• Also, many varieties of LILIES are highly toxic to cats, so if these are your Valentine’s flower of choice, make sure your cats can’t get near them. Never, Ever, Ever leave DRIED LILIES lying around - even the dried flowers are toxic to your cat.
  
• CHOCOLATE contains theobromine and caffeine, both methylxanthines that can cause stimulation of the central nervous system, an increase in heart rate and tremors. Clinical signs—vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, and increased thirst, urination and heart rate—can be seen with the ingestion of as little as 2 ounces of baking chocolate by a 7 lb. cat.