What cats cant eat

There are lots of tasty human foods that can make your cat very ill. Any food not specifically designed for cats can affect the digestive system, causing vomiting, diarrhoea, or loss of appetite.

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About the Article
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)
What should I do if my cat has come into contact with something poisonous?

Foods that cats can’t eat include:

Alcohol
Chocolate
Tea, coffee and energy drinks
Cheese and milk
Fat trimmings
Raw eggs, raw meat and raw fish
Grapes and raisins
Onions and garlic
Xylitol

Find out more about the dangers these foods pose to cats in our list of foods cats can’t eat below.

If you suspect your cat has eaten human food poisonous to cats try to determine how much she may have eaten and contact your vet for advice. If it’s out of hours, find your nearest emergency vet here.

In some cases, small quantities may not cause a problem but larger quantities may require urgent treatment.

As little as a tablespoon of alcohol can lead to problems for your cat. It can cause severe liver and brain damage.

Chocolate contains theobromine. While this bitter-tasting stimulant is found in all forms, it’s most concentrated in dark and unsweetened chocolate. Ingestion can cause heart problems, muscle tremors, or seizures. Chocolate also contains caffeine.

These contain caffeine — it can cause your cat to become restless, suffer from rapid breathing, heart palpitations and muscle tremors.

Perhaps surprisingly, dairy products are high on the list of what can cats not eat. This is because some cats are lactose intolerant so if they eat dairy products it can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

Can cause vomiting, diarrhoea or a painful condition called pancreatitis (from excessive fat) and there is also a risk of Salmonella or E. coli associated with these foods.

Dogs can suffer acute kidney failure from eating grapes or raisins — and although toxicity in cats is only anecdotal we would strongly advise that you keep these foods out of reach of your cat.

All members of the onion family can cause problems if eaten in sufficient quantity. A little bit of onion or garlic in some sauce is not likely to cause any problems. However, eating a clove of garlic or a green onion may cause digestive upset. Eating some type of onion on a regular basis could cause anemia.

This is a sweetener used in a lot of sugar-free foods, especially chewing gum. There are no records of cats becoming ill from this product, but in dogs it can cause a severe drop in blood sugar — which can cause seizures and convulsions or even death — followed by liver failure. It’s better to be safe and not let your cat eat foods that contain this ingredient.

The best prevention is simply to keep your food out of reach of your cat. If you choose to give your cat human food, follow these guidelines:

The food should only be considered a treat and only given on the odd occasion to prevent gastrointestinal upset and nutritional imbalances
If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your cat.
If you wouldn’t eat the food raw, then your cat shouldn’t either

If your cat has eaten food that can cause them harm, treatment is generally supportive until the symptoms resolve. This may involve hospitalisation, intravenous fluids (a drip) and blood tests to monitor organ function.

About the Article

Some everyday foods and items are not safe for cats to eat or come into contact with. Learn of some items which are particularly dangerous to your cat.

Just like humans, cats can get intoxicated when they drink alcohol but it is believed that as little as a tablespoon of alcohol can be seriously problematic for your cat and cause liver and/or brain damage.

Onions

The onion family, whether eaten raw, or cooked, in sufficient quantity may give your feline an unpleasant digestive upset and are best avoided. Keep these foods out of reach of your cat.

Milk

Most cats are lactose intolerant and giving them a saucer of milk may give them a nasty stomach upset. It is better to leave down a bowl of fresh water instead as branded cat milk has no nutritional value.

Chocolate

As with dogs, chocolate is poisonous for cats thanks to its key substance theobromine. Even a small amount can cause heart problems, kidney failure and/or seizures, so it’s always best to keep those chocolate snacks hidden away.

Lilies

Cats like to eat grass when they are outside, but sometimes they bring this habit indoors and chew on houseplants and many of these can be toxic. Lilies in particular have a sweet scent which attracts curious cats, however its orange pollen is highly toxic and causes fatal kidney failure in cats. Brushing against the flower can cause pollen particles to cling to their fur which are ingested during grooming. Avoid having these types of house plants in your house.

Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)

Cats find antifreeze appealing because of its sweet taste. Ethylene Glycol is the chemical compound found in most types of antifreeze which is very toxic to cats. Even just a few drops of this in a puddle or spill under your car is enough to cause serious, if not fatal, kidney damage if your cat were to eat it or walk through it and then lick their paws. Symptoms include vomiting, drooling, loss of appetite, excessive urination or none at all.

Medicines

Paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets are highly poisonous to cats and should never be given to them as pain relief. Paracetamol in particular is very toxic to cats and can cause irreversible damage to their red blood vessels and liver. Signs to look out for include panting, difficulty breathing and a brown tongue and gums.