Lotus

Lotus has no official toxicity data, so it is hard to say for certain whether it is safe. It enters the home by more routes than most flowers — as a cut stem in a bouquet, floating in a water bowl or garden pond, as a dried seed pod in an arrangement, or as leaves for tea.

The rhizome, leaves, and seeds are food for people, and the NC State Extension species page lists all three as edible. That is a record about human use, not a toxicity assessment for cats. The only evidence this app treats as grounds for calling something safe is a pet-specific assessment, and lotus appears in the ASPCA cat list under neither its botanical name nor any common name, while the NC State page carries no poison entry at all. This is the plant where "people eat it, so it must be fine" is easiest to assume, which is exactly why it is worth spelling out.

A bloom floated in a bowl leaves standing water your cat can reach. Florist stems are often treated with preservative, so keep that water out of reach, and cover the surface if the bowl cannot be moved. Dried seed pods are a separate matter from toxicity: seeds that fall out and roll across the floor can be swallowed and cause an obstruction, so keep them somewhere high.

Lotus and water lily are different plants. English separates them as lotus (Nelumbo) and water lily (Nymphaea), but they are planted side by side in ponds and the names get used interchangeably. The leaf is the surest way to tell them apart: a lotus leaf is a continuous circle with the stalk joined at the center of its underside, while a water lily leaf has a wedge cut out of one side. Lotus leaves are often held well above the water, but young ones can float flat, so floating alone does not make it a water lily. Check which one you have before you look up safety information.

If you find chewed leaves, petals, or seed pods, note when it happened and how much. If vomiting repeats or your cat seems listless, contact your vet.