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A horrified pet owner has revealed her cat was nearly killed by a common flower – and the revelation has left many shocked. 

The woman from the US explained she had pink lilies in her office which her cat Willow was playing with.

As she shooed away the cat from the flowers, she noticed Willow was covered in its pollen.

Despite not have any concerns, something “in my head” told the owner to Google it, when she discovered that parts of a lily are poisonous to cats.

“Even minor exposures (cat chewing on a leaf or getting pollen on his or her hair coat or whiskers) can be fatal,” the woman wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.

In a panic, she gave her cat a quick bath and rushed her to the vet.

Fortunately, Willow managed to make it out alive after spending two days in an animal hospital where she was treated “aggressively” by the vets in the hopes that it will save her life.

However, her owner was left with “intense guilt” over her “stupid” purchase, saying she felt like a “terrible fur mom”.

“I’ve had cats my entire life and have never heard of lily poisoning,” she said, adding the vet’s response to that was “most people only find out the hard way”.

After he post went viral, many cat owners commented saying they had “no idea” the flowers were so detrimental to cats.

“Quick thinking momma, lilies are my favourite and never knew this. I’m so relieved for you both she will be OK,” one said.

“It is very scary.. I’ve never heard of this before,” another wrote.

“Did not know this! Glad your baby is doing better! You are not a terrible fur mom – your quick thinking saved her,” someone else added.

Others thanked the owner for posting the “insane” story, saying their own pets had been at risk because similar to her, they were also unaware of the dangers.

Lilies are extremely toxic to cats because they cause “complete kidney failure” in as little as 36 hours, according to the RSPCA.

“The entire plant is toxic. Ingesting any part of the plant can cause complete kidney failure in 36 to 72 hours. The toxicity may occur by ingestion of, or by mouthing, very small amounts of lily material,” the animal rescue organisation states.

“Owners should make sure their cats never have access to lilies of any kind.”

If your cat comes into contact with the flower, you should take them to your nearest vet immediately.

This article originally appeared on Over60.