Medication safety · 2 min read

Is Calpol toxic to cats?

No — dangerous

No. Calpol is a paracetamol-based children's medicine. It's liquid, sweet, and easy for a cat to lap up — and it's as deadly as any other form of paracetamol.

If your cat has just eaten calpol

  1. Emergency — treat as paracetamol poisoning.
  2. Note the volume and strength on the bottle (usually 120mg/5ml or 250mg/5ml 6+ version).
  3. Call your vet immediately. Do not delay.
  4. If you can't reach a vet, call Animal PoisonLine (01202 509000) — paid triage, 24/7.

What's the full picture?

Calpol is the UK's most popular children's paracetamol product. The strawberry-flavoured liquid is often accidentally spilled, left in a syringe, or squirted by a child onto a surface a cat then licks.

Calpol contains paracetamol. The toxic dose is the same as for tablets — about 10mg per kg of cat body weight. Standard Calpol infant suspension contains 120mg per 5ml, so less than 2ml can be a lethal dose for a 4kg cat.

Symptoms to watch for

0–4 hours
Drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy.
4–12 hours
Brownish-grey gums, rapid breathing, facial swelling.
12–48 hours
Jaundice, liver failure, collapse.
💊 Check the dose against your cat's weight — time-critical
Open paracetamol calculator →

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.

Ibuprofen no Nurofen no Paracetamol no

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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