---
title: "Can dogs and cats eat carrot?"
description: "Carrot and pets: fine in small amounts. What it does, whether the dose matters, and how dogs, cats, rabbits and birds differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/carrot/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can pets eat carrot?

**Carrot: Fine in small amounts**

Dogs: Safe · Cats: Safe · Rabbits: In moderation · Birds: Safe

## By animal

| Animal | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dogs | Safe | Genuinely good as a low-calorie chew. Whole raw carrots can be a choking risk for enthusiastic eaters. |
| Cats | Safe | Safe cooked or raw, and of little interest. |
| Rabbits | In moderation | Not the staple the cartoon suggests — a carrot is a sugary root, and hay should be most of the diet. |
| Birds | Safe | Well tolerated. |

## What it actually does

Carrots are mostly water and fibre, and a chilled raw carrot is one of the better low-calorie chews for a dog. The rabbit case is the interesting one: Bugs Bunny has convinced several generations that carrots are rabbit staples, when in fact a rabbit needs unlimited grass hay for gut motility and dental wear, and root vegetables are a sugary treat. Carrot tops — the green leaves — are actually the better part for a rabbit.

No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.

## The bit that is usually got wrong

> Carrots are a treat for rabbits, not a food. Hay should be about 80 per cent of what a rabbit eats.

> Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.

## Vegetables

| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Onion, garlic, leek and chives | Toxic | Toxic | Toxic |
| Corn on the cob | Not safe | Not safe | Risky |
| Mushrooms | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Tomato | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Pumpkin | In moderation | Safe | Safe |
| Potato | Not safe | Risky | Risky |
| Lettuce and leafy greens | Risky | Safe | Safe |
| Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower | Risky | In moderation | In moderation |
| Peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels | Risky | Safe | Safe |
| Rhubarb | Toxic | Not safe | Not safe |

## Common questions

### Can dogs eat carrot?

Safe. Genuinely good as a low-calorie chew. Whole raw carrots can be a choking risk for enthusiastic eaters.

### Can cats eat carrot?

Safe. Safe cooked or raw, and of little interest.

### What does carrot actually do?

Carrots are mostly water and fibre, and a chilled raw carrot is one of the better low-calorie chews for a dog. The rabbit case is the interesting one: Bugs Bunny has convinced several generations that carrots are rabbit staples, when in fact a rabbit needs unlimited grass hay for gut motility and dental wear, and root vegetables are a sugary treat. Carrot tops — the green leaves — are actually the better part for a rabbit.

## Related pages

- [Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/)
- [Can pets eat corn on the cob?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/corn-on-the-cob/)
- [Can pets eat mushrooms?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/mushrooms/)
- [Can pets eat tomato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/tomato/)
- [Can pets eat pumpkin?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/pumpkin/)
- [Can pets eat potato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/potato/)
- [Can pets eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/)
- [Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/grapes/)
- [Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/)
- [Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/)
- [Everything, for dogs](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/)
- [Everything, for cats](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/)

## Sources

- Animal Poison Control Center — toxic and non-toxic lists — ASPCA (https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control)