Accidental poisoning is a significant cause of suffering and death in cats, with certain household plants, foods, and garden chemicals presenting specific risks that owners can easily prevent.
Poisoning causes extreme suffering depending on the substance: lily poisoning causes days of renal failure before death; permethrin toxicity causes uncontrolled tremors and seizures; antifreeze causes apparent recovery then acute fatal kidney failure. Much of this suffering is entirely preventable through awareness and removing toxins from the home environment. Cat owners who understand the risks can eliminate most poisoning cases.