---
title: "What cats can and cannot eat"
description: "46 foods sorted for cats: 8 toxic, 18 fine, and what each one actually does. Plus the ones commonly got wrong."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What cats can and cannot eat

46 foods with a verdict for cats specifically, because the answer genuinely differs by species — cats are several times more sensitive to onion than dogs, rabbits cannot vomit at all, and avocado is a mild caution for a dog and lethal for a bird.

> If this has already been eaten, ring your vet or an animal poison control line now rather than waiting for signs to appear — for several of these the window in which treatment works closes before the animal looks unwell. Do not try to make the animal sick at home: home emetics are dangerous for corrosive and petroleum substances and for an animal already showing signs, and salt-based ones have themselves proved fatal.

## Toxic — treat as an emergency

| Food | Why | Dose known? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chocolate | Equally toxic, but cats rarely eat it — they cannot taste sweetness at all, having lost the receptor gene. | Yes |
| Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants | Far fewer reported cases, but the same precaution applies. | No |
| Onion, garlic, leek and chives | Cats are several times more sensitive than dogs and feline haemoglobin is unusually vulnerable to oxidative damage. | Yes |
| Lilies | Every part is lethal to cats, including the pollen and the water in the vase. Acute kidney failure. | No |
| Alcohol | Same, more so. | No |
| Coffee, tea and energy drinks | Same. | No |
| Salt, salt dough and sea water | Same. | No |
| Raw bread dough | Same, though cats eat it less often. | No |

## Everything else

| Food | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Xylitol and birch sugar | Risky | Cats appear far less sensitive, but there is little data and no reason to test it. |
| Peanut butter | In moderation | Harmless in small amounts and of no nutritional interest to a cat. |
| Avocado | Risky | Same — the persin risk is overstated for cats and dogs. |
| Milk and cream | In moderation | Same, and the saucer of milk is a genuinely bad idea for a well-known reason. |
| Cheese | In moderation | Not toxic, and lactose applies as it does to milk. |
| Cooked bones | Not safe | Same, particularly cooked poultry bones. |
| Apple | Safe | Safe and of no interest to most cats. |
| Tuna | In moderation | Fine occasionally. A tuna-only diet causes real problems. |
| Chewing gum | Risky | Less sensitive to xylitol, but the gum itself can obstruct. |
| Banana | In moderation | Safe and rarely wanted. |
| Carrot | Safe | Safe cooked or raw, and of little interest. |
| Corn on the cob | Risky | Same principle, though cats rarely attempt a cob. |
| Bacon, ham and fatty meat | Risky | Same, plus a lot of salt for a small animal. |
| Mushrooms | Risky | Same. |
| Dog food, for a cat | Not safe | Not poisonous, but long term it causes taurine deficiency, which damages the heart and the retina. |
| Macadamia nuts | Risky | Not documented as a feline syndrome, but the high fat content alone is a problem. |
| Tomato | Risky | Same. |
| Blueberries and strawberries | Safe | Safe and generally ignored. |
| Watermelon and melon | Safe | Safe, seeds and rind removed. |
| Almonds, walnuts and mixed nuts | Risky | Same, and of no dietary interest. |
| Ice cream | Risky | Same, plus the brain freeze is not a myth in animals either. |
| Pumpkin | Safe | Same. |
| Potato | Risky | Same. |
| Raw fish | Risky | Some raw fish contains thiaminase, which destroys vitamin B1 and can cause neurological disease. |
| Raw egg | Risky | Same. |
| Cherries, peaches, plums and apricots | Risky | Same. |
| Oranges, lemons and limes | Risky | Cats are more sensitive to citrus oils, and generally hate the smell anyway. |
| Bread | In moderation | Same. |
| Lettuce and leafy greens | Safe | Harmless. |
| Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower | In moderation | Safe in small amounts. |
| Popcorn | In moderation | Same. |
| Yoghurt | In moderation | Same. |
| Honey | In moderation | Safe and of no interest — cats cannot taste sweetness. |
| Coconut and coconut oil | In moderation | Same. |
| Peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels | Safe | Safe and of little interest. |
| Nutmeg | Not safe | Same. |
| Rhubarb | Not safe | Same. |
| Cinnamon | Risky | Cats process the essential oil compounds poorly. |

## Read the full page

- [Can cats eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/grapes/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat peanut butter?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/peanut-butter/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat avocado?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/avocado/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat milk and cream?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/milk/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cheese/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat cooked bones?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cooked-bones/) — Not safe
- [Can cats eat lilies?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lilies/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat apple?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/apple/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat tuna?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/tuna/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat chewing gum?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chewing-gum/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat alcohol?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/alcohol/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat coffee, tea and energy drinks?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/caffeine/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat banana?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/banana/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat carrot?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/carrot/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat corn on the cob?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/corn-on-the-cob/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat bacon, ham and fatty meat?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bacon/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat mushrooms?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/mushrooms/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat dog food, for a cat?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog-food-for-cats/) — Not safe
- [Can cats eat macadamia nuts?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/macadamia-nuts/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat salt, salt dough and sea water?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/salt/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat tomato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/tomato/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat blueberries and strawberries?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/blueberries/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat watermelon and melon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/watermelon/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat almonds, walnuts and mixed nuts?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/nuts/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat ice cream?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/ice-cream/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat pumpkin?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/pumpkin/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat raw bread dough?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bread-dough/) — Toxic
- [Can cats eat potato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/potato/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat raw fish?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/raw-fish/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat raw egg?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/raw-egg/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat cherries, peaches, plums and apricots?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cherry/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat oranges, lemons and limes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/citrus/) — Risky
- [Can cats eat bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bread/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat lettuce and leafy greens?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lettuce/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/broccoli/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat popcorn?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/popcorn/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat yoghurt?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/yoghurt/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat honey?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/honey/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat coconut and coconut oil?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/coconut/) — In moderation
- [Can cats eat peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/sweetcorn-and-peas/) — Safe
- [Can cats eat nutmeg?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/nutmeg/) — Not safe
- [Can cats eat rhubarb?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/rhubarb/) — Not safe
- [Can cats eat cinnamon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cinnamon/) — Risky

## Related pages

- [What dogs can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/)
- [What rabbits can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/rabbit/)
- [What birds can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bird/)