---
title: "Can dogs and cats eat honey?"
description: "Honey and pets: risky — depends on amount or preparation. What it does, whether the dose matters, and how dogs, cats, rabbits and birds differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/honey/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can pets eat honey?

**Honey: Risky — depends on amount or preparation**

Dogs: In moderation · Cats: In moderation · Birds: Risky

## By animal

| Animal | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dogs | In moderation | Safe in small amounts. It is sugar, so the calories are the issue. |
| Cats | In moderation | Safe and of no interest — cats cannot taste sweetness. |
| Birds | Risky | Raw honey can carry botulism spores, which matters more at bird body weights. |

## What it actually does

Honey is about 80 per cent sugar and has no property that makes it more or less suitable than any other sugar. The claims about local honey and allergies are not supported in animals any more than in people. Cats are indifferent because they lack a functional sweet-taste receptor — the gene is a pseudogene in all cats, from domestic to lion, which is why no cat has ever been interested in a dessert.

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

> 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.

## Sweets and baking

| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Chocolate | Toxic | Toxic | Toxic |
| Xylitol and birch sugar | Toxic | Toxic | Risky |
| Chewing gum | Toxic | Toxic | Risky |
| Ice cream | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Nutmeg | Not safe | Not safe | Not safe |
| Cinnamon | Risky | In moderation | Risky |

## Common questions

### Can dogs eat honey?

Fine in small amounts. Safe in small amounts. It is sugar, so the calories are the issue.

### Can cats eat honey?

Fine in small amounts. Safe and of no interest — cats cannot taste sweetness.

### What does honey actually do?

Honey is about 80 per cent sugar and has no property that makes it more or less suitable than any other sugar. The claims about local honey and allergies are not supported in animals any more than in people. Cats are indifferent because they lack a functional sweet-taste receptor — the gene is a pseudogene in all cats, from domestic to lion, which is why no cat has ever been interested in a dessert.

## Related pages

- [Can pets eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/)
- [Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/)
- [Can pets eat chewing gum?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chewing-gum/)
- [Can pets eat ice cream?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/ice-cream/)
- [Can pets eat nutmeg?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/nutmeg/)
- [Can pets eat cinnamon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cinnamon/)
- [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)