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Can Cats Eat It?

Can Cats Eat Beef Heart?

By Pettings · Sources checked Nov 2, 2026

Yes, in small amountsTreat size for a 10 lb adult cat: About 1/4 ounce (7 grams) cooked and chopped (a few calories)

Cats can eat small amounts of plain cooked beef heart. Heart is a muscle, so a bite of it sits much closer to what cats are built to eat than most table food does. Cornell Feline Health Center describes cats as obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products. That makes heart a reasonable treat, though it can never replace a complete cat food.

A heart-shaped cut of beef on a grill
Photo: Mohamed Olwy on Pexels

What Beef Heart Offers a Cat

Beef heart is animal protein and fat. The Merck Veterinary Manual says organ and skeletal meats have a higher biologic value than plant proteins, and it explains that cats need some animal protein in the diet because plant proteins contain no taurine. Tufts Petfoodology adds that cats cannot make taurine themselves the way many animals can, which is why every cat food has to supply it. A complete commercial diet already covers that need, so think of heart as a treat and not a supplement. Merck also warns that diets made mostly of meat run high in phosphorus and low in calcium. A cat should never live on heart or any other plain meat.

How Much Beef Heart Can a Cat Have?

WSAVA advises keeping treats under 10% of a cat's daily calories. For a 10-pound adult cat, that is roughly 22 to 25 treat calories a day. We could not confirm a USDA calorie figure for cooked beef heart, so measure by weight: about 1/4 ounce (7 grams), chopped small, is plenty and adds only a few calories. Give the heart in place of a little of that day's regular food, not on top of it. Merck lists beef among the foods cats are most often allergic to, so stop if you see itching around the head and neck. Kittens, seniors and cats with diabetes, kidney disease, urinary stones, pancreatitis or food allergies should get the vet's okay first.

How to Serve It

Boil or bake the heart until it is cooked all the way through. Leave out salt, butter and marinades, and keep it away from onion and garlic, which the ASPCA lists among foods pets should not eat. Trim off the hard fat, valves and stringy connective tissue, let the meat cool, and cut it into pea-size pieces. Do not offer raw heart. Merck's cat owner guide says raw meat can pose health risks for cats, and the ASPCA warns that raw meat can carry Salmonella and E. coli.

If your cat has a medical condition or eats a prescription or special diet, ask your veterinarian before you add beef heart.

Common Questions

Can cats eat raw beef heart?

It is better not to feed raw beef heart. The Merck Veterinary Manual's guide for cat owners says raw meat can pose health risks for cats, and the ASPCA warns that raw meat can carry Salmonella and E. coli that can sicken both pets and people. Cooking the heart all the way through takes care of that problem without changing what makes it appealing to a cat.

Can kittens eat beef heart?

A kitten can have a tiny taste of plain cooked beef heart, but ask your veterinarian first. Kittens need a complete growth diet, and WSAVA advises that treats of any kind stay under 10% of daily calories. A growing kitten's stomach is small, so even a few pieces of heart can crowd out the food it needs. Cut any treat very small to lower the chance of choking.

Is beef heart a good source of taurine for cats?

Beef heart is animal muscle, but you should not rely on it for taurine. Tufts Petfoodology explains that cats cannot make enough taurine themselves, which is why all complete cat foods must include it. A cat eating a complete commercial diet already gets the taurine it needs. Merck notes that plant proteins contain no taurine, so the nutrient has to come from animal tissue or a synthetic source in the food.

Can cats eat beef heart every day?

A small piece of cooked beef heart can fit into a cat's daily treat allowance, as long as it replaces part of the regular food. The amount is the limit. WSAVA puts the treat budget for a 10-pound cat at roughly 22 to 25 calories a day. Feeding much more meat than that is a mistake, since Merck reports calcium deficiency in cats fed high or all-meat diets.

Can cats eat beef heart cooked in a stew?

No, beef heart taken from a stew or pot roast is not a good treat. Those dishes are usually cooked with salt, onion, garlic and broth, and the ASPCA lists onions and garlic among foods to keep away from pets. Too much salt can also cause problems. If you want to share heart with your cat, set aside a piece before seasoning and cook it separately in plain water.

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