Pet Owner's Warning After Both Cats 'Turn Yellow' Overnight
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Reddit post has gone viral after a cat owner revealed their two orange cats mysteriously turned yellow overnight—prompting widespread concern.
The Redditor, u/vvleo, posted in the popular subreddit CAT HELP, sharing their confusion and concern after noticing both of their cats had yellow-stained faces and fur. The post quickly amassed over 21,000 upvotes.
"Woke up this morning to two of my cats all bright yellow in the face/neck area. the first cat's bed is also colored where he lays his head. we do have two bouquets but we've had them for almost a week and this is new and I don't know if they could be causing it. is this potentially dangerous? thanks in advance," they wrote.
The accompanying images showed both cats with yellow discoloration and pictures of the flower bouquets in the home—one of which appeared to include lilies.
Posts from the cathelp
community on Reddit
Expert Insight
According to Dr. Maggie Placer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), the yellow staining could potentially be pollen from lilies in the bouquets. She explained to Newsweek even though the flowers had been in the house for nearly two weeks, cats can suddenly take interest in things they previously ignored.
"All parts of the lily plant are toxic, with the flowers being the most dangerous," she said. "Untreated lily intoxication can cause kidney failure within 12 to 36 hours of exposure and death within a few days."
In cases where more than one cat shows signs of exposure, it may be that one cat's curiosity influenced the other.
Placer said that regardless of whether lilies are present, the owners should call their veterinarian immediately. She noted that exposure to certain lilies, such as those in the Lilium and Hemerocallis species, can cause lily toxicosis—an acute and potentially fatal condition resulting in kidney failure.
To ensure safety, she recommended pet owners always review the contents of bouquets received or purchased and to be vigilant about their cats' environment—both indoors and outdoors.
A split mage showing the cats with mystery yellow stains covering their fur.
A split mage showing the cats with mystery yellow stains covering their fur.
vvleo/vvleo
Reddit Reacts
Concerned Redditors flooded the post with advice and urgent pleas for the owner to act fast.
"Lilies aren't just toxic to cats—they're deadly. Take them to the vet ASAP," one user urged.
"I work in a Vet ER and I really wish ALL florists would mention that lily is toxic. We get dozens of new cases every holiday. Especially Mother's Day and Easter, it's honestly heartbreaking," another shared.
"This is an EMERGENCY VET VISIT—please let us know once you get back from the vet and kitties are okay!" said a third.
Update From the Owner
Later, the original poster returned with a reassuring update, explaining that the cats had been treated and were expected to recover.
They shared that the cats received fluids to help hydrate and flush out any toxins and would return to the vet for a follow-up the next day. While acknowledging the oversight, the Redditor emphasized their love for their pets and gratitude for the support they received.
They wrote that they had "definitely learned" from the experience and will be more cautious in the future.
"Thanks to everyone who said kind words and genuinely wanted to help, I love my cats and have had cats my whole life. I like to think I'm a pretty great pet parent and this is my first oversight ever, though it's a pretty huge one... at least I know I truly care for them, even if it doesn't show in my words," they said.
Newsweek reached out to u/vvleo for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Astrocytic gamma-aminobutyric acid dysregulation as a therapeutic target for posttraumatic stress disorder. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 10(1), 240.
