Exclusive: Flowers meant to comfort Jun Peng following the unexpected loss of his mother ended up tragically taking the life of another cherished family member: his cat, Reuben.

Many popular flowers and plants, commonly included in bouquets and floral arrangements, pose a significant risk to cats and dogs due to their toxicity.

Among the hazardous varieties are lilies, tulips, azaleas, daffodils, chrysanthemums, amaryllis, oleanders, and cyclamen, to name a few.

With his mother passing away in July from a sudden cardiac arrest after spending weeks in the ICU, Peng understandably had more pressing concerns than the potential dangers of these flowers.

But that was the last thing on Peng’s mind when his mum died in July, after a sudden cardiac arrest and weeks in ICU.

Still reeling from the loss, he didn’t think when the sympathy flowers started arriving at his home.

Including at least one arrangement with lilies.

“I knew that peace lilies are toxic to cats but I didn’t know about the actual lily flowers, which are extremely toxic,” Peng told 9news.com.au.

Lilies are extremely toxic to cats, and ingesting even a small amount of any part of the plant can cause severe and potentially deadly kidney failure.

Just a few weeks after the flowers arrived, Reuben started losing weight.

The almost two-year-old ragdoll was also drinking more water than usual.

It immediately struck Peng as odd and he monitored Reuben for a day or two before heading to the vet.

Blood and urine tests revealed Reuben was showing signs of kidney disease.

Vets delivered the devastating news and informed Peng his cat’s illness was most likely caused by ingesting some part of the lilies in his home.

They suggested treatment options but warned Peng that Reuben may not get better.

“I’m not gonna lie, I had a few cries,” Peng said.

He spared no expense on Reuben’s care, from a special diet to multiple emergency vet visits.

“At the end of the day, money comes and it goes, and you use it for the things that you love,” he said.

Reuben’s care cost more than $5000 out of pocket, as Peng didn’t have pet insurance.

Canstar listed the average annual premium for a cat at $776.

It’s a cost many Australians can’t afford in a cost-of-living crisis.

Despite Peng’s efforts, Reuben continued to deteriorate over a period of weeks.

“Eventually he wasn’t able to stand and he wasn’t eating,” Peng said.

”Seeing him in that state absolutely killed me.”

About two months after the initial vet visit, Reuben had to be put down.

It broke Peng’s heart to lose his beloved pet so soon after his mother’s death.

Especially because something so innocent had killed Reuben.

“I don’t want anyone else to go through this,” he said.

He’s calling for the introduction of mandatory pet safety warnings on flowers that are toxic to animals “in every florist shop, supermarket, and online store”.

“It doesn’t have to be stickers where you have to do it for every single one,” Peng said.

“Even just a little simple poster at the counter, or something that’s visible online … little labels saying it might be toxic to animals.”

A small warning like that might have saved Reuben’s life and Peng doesn’t want other pet owners to suffer the same heartbreak he has.

The petition has already attracted almost 300 signatures.

“I’ve had a few people mention the same thing has happened [to them],” Peng said.

“I’m not here to blame anyone, I’m not blaming myself … it’s more about taking action and potentially helping other people.”