Toxic foods
Toxic foods for cats
A complete UK reference of human foods that are harmful or dangerous to cats. For any suspected poisoning, call your vet immediately.
Cats are obligate carnivores with a very different metabolism to humans and dogs. Many foods that are perfectly safe for us — onions, chocolate, grapes, alcohol — are toxic to cats, sometimes fatally so. This page lists every food in our database with a toxic verdict.
If your cat has eaten something on this list, call your vet or the Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 (24/7, charges apply). Don't wait for symptoms to appear — the faster you act, the better the outcome.
Suspected poisoning? Act now.
Time is critical. Call your vet first, then the Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 if you can't reach your vet. Don't induce vomiting unless a vet explicitly tells you to.
Toxic foods (48 entries)
Listed alphabetically. Click any food for full details including mechanism of toxicity, what quantity is dangerous, and which symptoms to watch for.
Alcohol
no
Bacon
no
Biscuits
no
Black tea / tea bags
no
Caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks)
no
Cake
no
Chewing gum
no
Chives
no
Chocolate
no
Christmas cake
no
Christmas ham / gammon
no
Christmas pudding
no
Cocoa powder
no
Coffee grounds
no
Cooked bones
no
Crisps
no
Currants
no
Dark chocolate
no
Easter eggs
no
Energy drinks
no
Garlic
no
Grapes
no
Gravy
no
Grease / cooking fat
no
Ham
no
Hot cross buns
no
Leeks
no
Macadamia nuts
no
Marmite
no
Milk chocolate
no
Mince pies
no
Mushrooms
no
Nutmeg
no
Onions
no
Oranges (and citrus)
no
Puff pastry / pastry
no
Raisins
no
Raw bread dough
no
Salt
no
Sausages
no
Shallots
no
Spring onions
no
Stuffing (sage and onion)
no
Sultanas
no
Turkey bones
no
Vanilla extract
no
Walnuts
no
Xylitol
no
Chocolate is the most common cat poisoning enquiry.
Open chocolate toxicity calculator →