Food safety · 2 min read

Can cats eat Tomatoes?

Caution

Caution. Ripe tomato flesh in small amounts is low-risk, but green (unripe) tomatoes, leaves, stems, and vines contain solanine — a toxin that causes GI upset and neurological symptoms.

If your cat has eaten tomatoes

  1. For a small amount of ripe tomato flesh: monitor.
  2. For green tomato, leaf, or vine ingestion: call your vet.
  3. For tomato sauce with onions/garlic: treat as onion exposure — urgent vet contact.

What's the full picture?

Red ripe tomato flesh has very low solanine levels. A small piece is unlikely to harm an adult cat. Green tomatoes and tomato plants are a different matter — cats nibbling a tomato plant in the greenhouse can develop significant toxicity.

Processed tomato products (ketchup, pasta sauce, tinned tomatoes) usually contain onion and garlic powder, which are the real concern — treat any ingestion as an onion/garlic exposure.

Cherry tomatoes straight off a vine that might have been sprayed are also a concern.

Symptoms to watch for

0–12 hours
Vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, weakness (green tomatoes).

If you're worried right now

Call your vet or out-of-hours emergency vet first. For poison advice, the Animal PoisonLine (UK) is on 01202 509000 — 24/7, charges apply. Your vet can also call the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) directly.

Garlic no Onions no Potato caution

About this guidance

Every entry on this site is compiled from published UK veterinary toxicology sources — International Cat Care, Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) references, RCVS-registered practice materials, and peer-reviewed feline medicine literature. Where the evidence is mixed, we err on the cautious side because cats are unusually sensitive to many common substances that are harmless to humans and even to dogs.

This is general information written for UK cat owners. It is not personalised veterinary advice for your specific cat, their age, weight, medical history, or the exact exposure you're dealing with. If your cat has eaten something or is unwell, call your vet first. The Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 is available 24/7 for a small fee and can tell you whether an emergency visit is needed.

Entries are reviewed and updated as new research emerges. Spotted an error? Let us know — corrections are investigated and applied within 24 hours. For more context on how we work, see about and our full disclaimer.

Last reviewed: · By the What Can My Cat Eat? editorial team

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