What can cats eat? 38 human foods checked

What harms cats: Theobromine and caffeine (methylxanthines)

When signs appear: Usually within 6–12 hours

Call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency animal hospital immediately, even before signs appear. Do not induce vomiting at home — there is no safe way to do this in cats.

Call your vet or the nearest emergency animal hospital now.

What harms cats: Sulfur-containing oxidants that cause oxidative damage to red blood cells — Heinz body hemolytic anemia; Merck rates garlic 3–5 times more toxic than onion

When signs appear: 3-5 days for hemolytic anemia to develop

Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control hotline immediately, even if your cat seems fine — hemolytic anemia can take several days to appear. Do not induce vomiting at home; a vet will likely want blood work (CBC) to check for Heinz bodies and anemia.

Call your vet or the nearest emergency animal hospital now.

What harms cats: The toxic principle is not established — Merck lists tartaric acid as one proposed candidate. The documented harm is acute kidney injury in dogs; in cats there are only anecdotal reports

When signs appear: Not established in cats specifically (no published feline case reports); in dogs, acute kidney injury can develop over the following several days after initial GI signs

Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control hotline immediately after any grape, raisin, or Zante currant ingestion — even a small amount and even with no symptoms yet. Do not wait and see, and never try to induce vomiting at home — there is no safe way to do it in cats.

Call your vet or the nearest emergency animal hospital now.

What harms cats: Sulfur-containing oxidants (ASPCA names N-propyl disulfide) that cause oxidative damage to red blood cells — Heinz body hemolytic anemia

When signs appear: 3-5 days for hemolytic anemia to develop

Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control hotline immediately, even if your cat seems fine — hemolytic anemia can take several days to appear. Do not induce vomiting at home; a vet will look for Heinz body hemolytic anemia to confirm the diagnosis.

Call your vet or the nearest emergency animal hospital now.

Why take care: Persin — a compound in avocado leaves, skin, and pit. Persin is well-documented as toxic to birds, rabbits, horses, and ruminants, but cats and dogs are considerably less sensitive to it (Pet Poison Helpline lists avocado as non-toxic to cats via persin). The more realistic risks for cats are the pit as a choking/obstruction hazard and the fruit's high fat content.

How much: A small piece of plain avocado flesh only, no skin or pit, occasionally.

Keep the pit and skin away from cats entirely — cut fruit into pieces and dispose of the pit securely. A small taste of plain avocado flesh is unlikely to cause the persin-related illness seen in other species, but keep portions tiny given the fat content. Seek veterinary care promptly if a cat may have swallowed part of a pit, or shows repeated vomiting, straining, or lethargy.

Why take care: High fat, salt, and nitrate/nitrite content from curing and cooking. The direct link between high-fat food and pancreatitis is better established in dogs than in cats (per Merck Veterinary Manual), but bacon's sodium content and fat load can still cause digestive upset in cats.

Don't make bacon a regular treat. If given at all, offer only a small piece of plain, fully-cooked bacon rarely, with grease drained off, and avoid it entirely for cats with a history of pancreatitis or on a sodium-restricted diet. Contact a vet if vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain follow.

Why take care: Lactose intolerance plus a high fat/salt content relative to a cat's size — most adult cats digest dairy poorly.

How much: A dice-sized piece of a hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss, once or twice a week at most.

When signs appear: Digestive upset from dairy in a lactose-sensitive cat has been reported roughly eight to twelve hours after ingestion.

Offer only a dice-sized piece of a hard cheese occasionally (once or twice a week at most), and skip soft, high-lactose cheeses. Stop and consult a vet if diarrhea or vomiting follow, and avoid entirely if the cat has a known dairy sensitivity.

Why take care: The risk is nutritional: unlike dogs, cats must get taurine, vitamin A and arachidonic acid from their food, and they need more taurine than dogs do.

Feed your cat a complete, balanced cat food and never make dog food its regular diet. In a home with a dog, feed the pets at separate stations. If your cat has been living on dog food, ask your vet to check it.

Why take care: High sodium content — cured/processed ham is very high in salt relative to a cat's small size; excess sodium can cause GI upset and, in large amounts, sodium ion poisoning.

When signs appear: Salt-toxicosis signs follow a large ingestion; a small taste of ham is far more likely to cause only mild GI upset than true sodium poisoning.

Avoid deli/processed ham. If offering ham at all, use a small piece of plain, unseasoned, home-cooked ham only occasionally, and skip it entirely for cats on a sodium-restricted diet (kidney or heart disease). Seek veterinary care if a cat shows tremors, seizures, or repeated vomiting.

Why take care: Lactose, high sugar and high fat combined, plus a real risk that chocolate or coffee flavors contain ingredients toxic to cats. Sugar-free versions may use xylitol — dangerous to dogs and, per ASPCA, not a serious problem for cats, but still nothing a cat should eat.

How much: No meaningful safe portion — at most a small lick of plain vanilla, and only rarely.

Avoid ice cream as a treat. If a cat licks a small taste of plain vanilla, it's unlikely to cause more than mild stomach upset, but never offer chocolate, coffee, or sugar-free ice cream. Seek emergency vet care if a chocolate or coffee flavor was eaten or symptoms are severe.

Why take care: Lactose intolerance — cats lose most of their lactase enzyme after weaning, so adult cats generally cannot digest milk's lactose properly.

Don't offer cow's milk as a regular treat or hydration source — fresh water is what cats need. A tiny amount of lactose-free cat milk is a lower-risk option if you want to share a dairy taste, but it isn't necessary. See a vet if diarrhea persists or the cat seems unwell.

Why take care: Toxin varies entirely by species — plain culinary mushrooms sold for human consumption (button, cremini, portobello) pose no expected toxicity, while wild/foraged mushrooms may contain a wide range of potent toxins that can cause severe organ damage. The two categories cannot reliably be told apart without expertise.

Plain, grocery-store mushrooms are not a concern in small amounts. Treat any wild or unidentified mushroom found outdoors or in the home as potentially toxic and keep cats away from them. If a cat eats a wild mushroom, contact Pet Poison Helpline or a vet immediately, ideally with a sample or photo for identification, since some toxic species cause delayed, severe illness.

Why take care: Not a toxin concern itself — the risks are physical (choking or obstruction from hard kernels) and from typical additives (butter, salt, and toppings like caramel or chocolate).

How much: A few pieces of plain, air-popped popcorn, kernels removed, only occasionally.

If sharing popcorn, use only plain, air-popped popcorn with no butter, salt, or toppings, and remove unpopped kernels first. Watch for choking, and see a vet promptly if a cat seems to be straining, vomiting repeatedly, or not eating afterward (possible obstruction).

Why take care: Solanine — a glycoalkaloid concentrated in raw potato flesh, green-tinged skin, sprouts ('eyes'), and all above-ground parts of the potato plant. Cooking substantially reduces solanine, so plain cooked potato flesh is the caution-not-toxic exception; raw or green potato is a genuine toxin exposure.

How much: A small piece of plain, fully cooked, peeled potato, occasionally.

Only feed plain, fully cooked, peeled potato flesh (no butter, salt, or gravy) in small amounts. Never feed raw potato, green-tinged potato, potato skins, sprouts, or any part of the potato plant. Contact a vet if a cat eats raw or green potato, or shows vomiting, tremors, or lethargy.

Why take care: Bacterial contamination — Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli and other pathogens are significantly more common in raw meat than in cooked or commercial cat food, and can sicken both the cat and the people handling its food or litter. Cornell also names raw meat as a vehicle for toxoplasmosis.

How much: Fully cooked, unseasoned meat is the safe substitute — there is no 'safe amount' of contaminated raw meat, since the risk is bacterial rather than dose-dependent.

When signs appear: Foodborne illness signs follow eating contaminated meat; timing varies with the pathogen.

Cook meat thoroughly before feeding, or use a commercial raw diet that has been processed to reduce pathogen load; wash hands, bowls, and surfaces after handling raw meat or a raw-fed cat's litter. Pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised household members should be especially cautious. See a vet if a cat develops vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy after eating raw meat.

Why take care: Solanine/tomatine — concentrated in the unripe green fruit, leaves, and stems of the tomato plant. Toxin content drops sharply as the fruit ripens, so ripe tomato flesh is not toxic.

How much: A small piece of ripe, red tomato flesh only — never the plant, stems, leaves, or unripe green fruit.

Ripe, red tomato flesh in small amounts is not a concern; keep cats away from tomato plants and don't let them eat green tomatoes, leaves, or stems. Contact a vet if a cat chews on the plant or eats unripe tomatoes and shows vomiting or lethargy.

Why take care: Nutritional problems from a tuna-heavy diet: treats are usually not a nutritionally complete and balanced source of nutrition, and Merck records vitamin E deficiency (pansteatitis) in cats given large quantities of it. Thiaminase — the enzyme that destroys thiamine (vitamin B1) — is a raw-fish problem; cooking and canning destroy it. Merck also associates fish-based diets with chronic mercury toxicosis in cats.

How much: Plain canned tuna given only occasionally — not as a replacement for a balanced cat food.

When signs appear: The documented problems follow large quantities of canned tuna or a diet made up mostly of fish.

Offer tuna only as an occasional treat, never a meal replacement; avoid seasoned tuna, and never feed raw fish regularly. See a vet if a cat on a fish-heavy diet develops appetite loss, listlessness, a belly that is painful to touch, wobbliness or seizures.

Why take care: Residual lactose — fermentation breaks down much of the lactose in yogurt, making it easier to digest than milk, but some remains and many cats are still lactose-sensitive. Sweetened or flavored yogurts add sugar and sometimes xylitol — dangerous to dogs and, per ASPCA, not a serious problem for cats, but still nothing a cat should eat.

How much: A lick or two of plain, unsweetened (or plain Greek) yogurt, once or twice a week at most.

Only offer plain, unsweetened yogurt — never a flavored, frozen, or sugar-free variety. Keep the amount to a lick or two as an occasional treat. Call a vet if vomiting or diarrhea persists.

How much: A few small, peeled, cored, seedless pieces, offered occasionally.

Too much apple flesh can upset the stomach: stop feeding it and watch your cat. If your cat chewed or swallowed apple seeds, stems or leaves, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible, because those parts contain cyanide. Always core, seed and peel apple before offering it.

How much: Small, bite-size pieces of peeled banana, given sparingly as an occasional treat.

Too much banana can upset your cat’s stomach: stop giving it and watch your cat, and call your vet if the upset does not settle. Always remove the peel first.

How much: Up to about three fresh or frozen blueberries at a time, a few times a week — washed, and mashed or cut for smaller cats to reduce choking risk.

Stop feeding blueberries and monitor for digestive upset; contact a veterinarian if a cat with diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, or pancreatitis has eaten more than a small amount, or if symptoms persist.

How much: A thumbnail-sized piece of plain, fully baked white or wheat bread once or twice a week at most — never raw dough, and never bread containing raisins, garlic, or onion.

For baked bread, stop feeding it and watch for mild digestive upset. If a cat has eaten raw, unbaked yeast dough, treat it as an emergency and contact a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately — rising dough can cause dangerous stomach bloating/twisting and alcohol toxicity.

How much: A pinky-nail to thumb-sized piece of plain, cooked, chopped broccoli once or twice a week.

Stop feeding broccoli and monitor for GI upset; contact a veterinarian if choking or repeated vomiting occurs. Only offer small, cooked, chopped, unseasoned pieces.

How much: A few small, cooked and cut (or finely grated) pieces of plain carrot as an occasional treat — cats can't use carrots' beta-carotene as a vitamin A source, so treat it as a low-calorie snack, not a nutrient supplement.

Stop feeding carrots and monitor for choking, vomiting, or soft stool; seek emergency veterinary care if a cat appears to be choking or has swallowed a large chunk. Otherwise, mild GI upset usually resolves on its own within a day.

How much: A few small, finely chopped pieces of plain celery as an occasional treat.

Stop feeding celery and monitor for choking or GI upset; contact a veterinarian if choking, repeated vomiting, or diarrhea occurs. Always chop celery finely and serve it plain.

How much: Small amounts of lean, cooked chicken, free of bones and seasoning, as an occasional treat. Treat limits differ: AAHA says no more than 10% of total intake, Cornell Feline Health Center 10 to 15% of daily calories, the ASPCA’s Cat Nutrition Tips 5% or less of daily food intake.

Contact a veterinarian if your cat swallowed a bone, since bones can injure or block the digestive tract and may need surgery. Never feed chicken cooked with onion, garlic, or other seasoning.

How much: Less than a tablespoon of plain, cooked corn kernels a week — never the cob or husk.

Stop feeding corn and monitor for digestive upset; seek veterinary care promptly if a cat has swallowed a corn cob or husk, since this is a common cause of intestinal obstruction requiring surgery.

How much: About a tablespoon of cooked, plain egg white added to food occasionally.

Stop feeding eggs and monitor for vomiting or diarrhea. If raw egg was eaten, watch for signs of bacterial illness (vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, fever) and contact a veterinarian if they appear. Always cook eggs fully with no salt, butter, or seasoning.

How much: A couple of small, peeled, pitted pieces of ripe peach flesh occasionally — never the pit, leaves, or stems.

For flesh only, stop feeding and monitor for mild digestive upset. If a cat has chewed or swallowed a peach pit (or eaten leaves/stems), treat it as an emergency — contact Pet Poison Helpline or a veterinarian immediately, since the pit's kernel contains cyanide-forming compounds and the pit itself can also cause choking or a GI obstruction.

How much: A couple of small, bite-sized pieces of fresh, peeled pineapple occasionally — never canned pineapple in syrup, dried pineapple, or the skin/leaves.

Stop feeding pineapple and monitor for digestive upset; contact a veterinarian if a cat swallowed the tough skin, core, or leaves, or if vomiting/diarrhea persists.

How much: Small amounts of lean, cooked pork, free of bones and seasoning, as an occasional treat.

If your cat swallows a pork bone, call your vet: bones can injure or block the gut and may need surgery. Share only plain pork with no seasoning, and skip bacon and other processed meats, which can be high in salt.

How much: A teaspoon or two of plain, 100% canned pumpkin (not pie filling) mixed into food occasionally — never spiced or sweetened pumpkin.

Reduce or stop the pumpkin and monitor stool; mild diarrhea from overfeeding usually resolves within a day or two. Contact a veterinarian if diarrhea persists, or if a cat has eaten pumpkin pie filling (which contains spices that can be harmful) or a large amount of seeds.

How much: Less than a tablespoon of plain, well-cooked white or brown rice per week, mixed with a balanced meal — not a regular dietary staple or a substitute for veterinary-recommended food.

Stop feeding rice and monitor for digestive upset; if vomiting or diarrhea persists beyond a day, or the cat has diabetes or another health condition, contact a veterinarian before continuing to feed rice.

How much: A small pinch or two of thoroughly cooked, plain, boneless salmon mixed into food as an occasional treat.

Stop feeding salmon and monitor for vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or skin irritation; contact a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline if symptoms are severe or persist. Never feed raw, smoked, or canned salmon meant for humans.

How much: Half a shrimp for a small cat, up to one whole shrimp for a large cat, once or twice a week — fully cooked, shell and tail removed, no seasoning.

Stop feeding shrimp and watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or discomfort over the next day; call a veterinarian if signs are severe or a shell/tail may have been swallowed. Always cook shrimp fully and remove the shell and tail before offering.

How much: One small strawberry (cut into pieces, stem and leaves removed) or less, a couple of times a week at most.

Stop feeding strawberries and monitor for digestive upset; contact a veterinarian if a diabetic or overweight cat ate a large amount, or if symptoms persist.

How much: A small cube of plain, cooked, skinless, boneless turkey breast (about the size of a thumb tip) as an occasional treat — not the skin, bones, deli meat, or seasoned/salted turkey.

Stop giving turkey, remove access to skin, bones, and leftovers, and monitor for vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy. Seek veterinary care promptly if bones were eaten or if there is persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, or lethargy suggesting pancreatitis.

How much: A small piece of seedless flesh, occasionally — always remove seeds and rind first.

Stop feeding watermelon and monitor for digestive upset; seek veterinary care if a cat swallowed a large piece of rind (obstruction risk) or if vomiting/diarrhea persists.