the right settings for your pet

Can Cats Eat It? Human Foods and Cats

Each page answers one question about a food people often share with cats, with a treat size where one makes sense and the sources we checked.

Popular Questions

Recently Added

Small Amounts Are Fine (42)

Can Cats Eat Apples?Yes, in small amountsThe fruit itself is not the concern.Treat size: 1 teaspoon of chopped peeled apple (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Arugula?Yes, in small amountsArugula, also called rocket, is a tender salad green that is mostly water and very low in calories.Treat size: 2 or 3 small leaves, washed and torn (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Bananas?Yes, in small amountsThe ASPCA lists the edible banana plant as non-toxic to cats, so a nibble is not a cause for alarm.Treat size: 1 thin slice or 1 teaspoon mashed (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Beef?Yes, in small amountsA bite of lean steak or roast, trimmed of fat and cooked without seasoning, is a reasonable treat for most adult cats.Treat size: 1/4 ounce lean cooked beef, diced (about 16 calories)
Can Cats Eat Beef Heart?Yes, in small amountsHeart is a muscle, so a bite of it sits much closer to what cats are built to eat than most table food does.Treat size: About 1/4 ounce (7 grams) cooked and chopped (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Bell Peppers?Yes, in small amountsSweet bell peppers are mild and mostly water, and they do not contain the heat of chili peppers.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain bell pepper, finely chopped or cooked soft (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Blackberries?Yes, in small amountsThe fruit is not on the ASPCA list of people foods to avoid, but cats do not need it.Treat size: 1 to 2 fresh blackberries, cut up (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Blueberries?Yes, in small amountsTwo or three washed berries, cut in half, are fine for most adult cats, and frozen berries work once they are thawed.Treat size: 2 or 3 fresh blueberries, halved (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Brussels Sprouts?Yes, in small amountsA soft, unseasoned leaf or two will not hurt most adult cats, but it does nothing for them nutritionally.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain cooked Brussels sprout, chopped (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Cabbage?Yes, in small amountsGreen, red, savoy and napa cabbage all work the same way: a soft, unseasoned piece is fine for most adult cats, but it is not something they need.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain cooked cabbage, chopped (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Cantaloupe?Yes, in small amountsA couple of small cubes of ripe flesh, with the rind and seeds removed, is fine for most adult cats.Treat size: 1 tablespoon fresh cantaloupe, 2 or 3 small cubes with rind and seeds removed (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Carrots?Yes, in small amountsThe ASPCA includes carrots in its list of garden vegetables that can be fed to pets as snacks in moderation, and Tufts Petfoodology lists steamed carrots among its low-calorie treats for dogs and cats.Treat size: 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped cooked carrot (about 3 to 6 calories)
Can Cats Drink Cat Milk?Yes, in small amountsThese products are sold as treats and are made with the lactose reduced or removed, which addresses the main reason regular milk is a problem.Treat size: 1 to 2 tablespoons (calories vary by product; check the label)
Can Cats Eat Cauliflower?Yes, in small amountsTufts Petfoodology lists boiled cauliflower, drained and without salt, among its low-calorie treats for dogs and cats.Treat size: 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cooked cauliflower (about 2 to 4 calories)
Can Cats Eat Celery?Yes, in small amountsRaw celery chopped very fine works too.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain celery, finely chopped or cooked soft (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Chicken?Yes, in small amountsA few bites of skinless breast or thigh make a simple treat for most adult cats.Treat size: 1/4 to 1/2 ounce diced cooked breast (about 12 to 24 calories)
Can Cats Eat Chicken Gizzards?Yes, in small amountsA gizzard is a thick muscle in a bird's digestive tract that grinds food, so it is lean and chewy.Treat size: 1/4 ounce cooked chicken gizzard, finely chopped (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Cod?Yes, in small amountsIt is a mild, lean white fish that flakes easily, which makes it simple to portion and to check for bones.Treat size: 1/2 ounce (14 grams) cooked, boneless (about 15 calories)
Can Cats Eat Corn?Yes, in small amountsThe kernels are soft starch and sugar, and a few of them are fine for most adult cats when nothing is added.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain cooked corn kernels (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Cranberries?Yes, in small amountsCranberries are not on the ASPCA list of people foods to avoid, and a berry or two is unlikely to upset most adult cats.Treat size: 1 to 2 plain cranberries, chopped (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Duck?Yes, in small amountsLean duck meat, with the skin and fat removed, can be an occasional treat for an adult cat.Treat size: 1/4 ounce skinless cooked duck meat, finely diced (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Eggs?Yes, in small amountsScrambled or hard-boiled egg with nothing added is one of the easier people foods to share with a cat.Treat size: 2 teaspoons plain scrambled or chopped hard-boiled egg (about 15 calories)
Can Cats Eat Flounder?Yes, in small amountsIt is one of the leanest, mildest fish at the counter, and its soft flakes are easy for a cat to eat.Treat size: 1/2 ounce (14 grams) cooked, boneless and skinless (about 12 calories)
Can Cats Eat Green Beans?Yes, in small amountsTufts Petfoodology lists steamed green beans among its low-calorie treats for dogs and cats, and the ASPCA includes beans in its list of garden vegetables pets can have as snacks in moderation.Treat size: 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cooked green beans (about 2 to 4 calories)
Can Cats Eat Ground Beef?Yes, in small amountsA spoonful of lean ground beef, browned with nothing added and drained of fat, makes a simple treat for most adult cats.Treat size: 1/4 ounce cooked lean ground beef, drained (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Lamb?Yes, in small amountsA bite of lean meat trimmed of fat is a reasonable occasional treat for most adult cats.Treat size: 1/4 ounce lean cooked lamb, fat trimmed, diced (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Mackerel?Yes, in small amountsIt is an oily fish with a strong smell that cats tend to like.Treat size: 1/3 ounce (10 grams) canned and drained or plain cooked, boneless (about 15 calories)
Can Cats Eat Mango?Yes, in small amountsMango is not on the ASPCA list of people foods to avoid for pets, but it is a sugary fruit that a cat does not need.Treat size: 1 teaspoon of diced ripe mango (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Oatmeal?Yes, in small amountsOats are not on the ASPCA list of people foods to avoid, and Tufts Petfoodology explains that cats can digest properly cooked carbohydrates.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain cooked oatmeal (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Pears?Yes, in small amountsRipe pear flesh is soft and easy to chew, and nothing in it is listed as a concern for cats.Treat size: 1 teaspoon of chopped peeled pear (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Peas?Yes, in small amountsThe ASPCA names peas among garden vegetables that can be fed to pets as snacks in moderation.Treat size: 1 to 2 teaspoons cooked green peas, mashed or halved (about 2 to 5 calories)
Can Cats Eat Pumpkin?Yes, in small amountsTufts Petfoodology lists unsalted canned pumpkin among its low-calorie treats for dogs and cats.Treat size: 1 to 2 teaspoons plain canned pumpkin (about 2 to 4 calories)
Can Cats Eat Raspberries?Yes, in small amountsNothing in a raspberry is listed as a problem for cats, but a cat has no use for fruit in its diet.Treat size: 1 to 2 fresh raspberries, cut up (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Rice?Yes, in small amountsTufts Petfoodology explains that cats can digest and metabolize properly cooked carbohydrates, and rice is a common ingredient in commercial cat foods.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain cooked rice (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Salmon?Yes, in small amountsThe limits are about portion size, bones and how the fish was prepared.Treat size: 1/2 ounce (14 grams) cooked, boneless and skinless (about 20 calories)
Can Cats Eat Sardines?Yes, in small amountsA little mashed sardine makes a strong-smelling treat that most cats accept quickly.Treat size: About 1/4 ounce (7 grams) canned in water, no salt added, mashed (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Sea Bass?Yes, in small amountsA flake of plain white fish is a reasonable occasional treat for a cat on a complete diet.Treat size: About 1/4 ounce (7 grams) cooked, boneless and skinless (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Shrimp?Yes, in small amountsPeel off the shell, pull off the tail, and remove the dark vein before sharing.Treat size: 1/2 ounce (14 grams) cooked, peeled, tail off, chopped (about 15 calories)
Can Cats Eat Sweet Potatoes?Yes, in small amountsIt is a starchy root that brings calories and some fiber, not anything a cat's diet is short on, so it fits only as a small treat.Treat size: 1 teaspoon plain cooked sweet potato, mashed (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Tilapia?Yes, in small amountsIt is a mild, lean freshwater fish, and a flake or two is an easy treat to share from a plain fillet.Treat size: About 1/4 ounce (7 grams) cooked, boneless (a few calories)
Can Cats Eat Turkey?Yes, in small amountsA bite or two of skinless white or dark meat makes a reasonable treat for most adult cats.Treat size: 1/4 to 1/2 ounce diced cooked breast (about 12 to 25 calories)
Can Cats Eat Venison?Yes, in small amountsDeer meat is lean, and a bite or two cooked with nothing added can serve as a treat for most adult cats.Treat size: 1/4 ounce lean cooked venison, diced (a few calories)

Only Now and Then (31)

Keep Away From Cats (84)