the right settings for your pet

Can Cats Eat It?

Can Cats Eat Pork?

By Pettings · Sources checked Nov 2, 2026

Only now and thenTreat size for a 10 lb adult cat: 1/4 ounce lean cooked pork loin, fat trimmed (about 12 calories)

Pork is an occasional treat at most, and only when it is lean, fully cooked and plain. A small cube of trimmed pork loin is fine for most adult cats now and then. Much of the pork people eat does not meet that bar. Cuts are often fatty, and many pork products such as ham, bacon and sausage are cured with salt, which the ASPCA warns can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and seizures in pets.

Hands tying a raw pork roast with string
Photo: Dana Sredojevic on Pexels

What Pork Offers a Cat

The Cornell Feline Health Center explains that cats rely on nutrients found only in animal products and evolved on a diet high in protein with little carbohydrate. Lean pork provides protein and water like other meats. Pork has no advantage over chicken or turkey as a treat, and many cuts carry more fat. It also is not a balanced diet on its own.

How Much Pork Can a Cat Have?

WSAVA advises that treats stay under 10% of a cat's daily calories, about 22 to 25 calories a day for a 9 to 11 pound adult. For a 10-pound adult cat with no food allergy and no medical condition, about 1/4 ounce of lean cooked pork loin or tenderloin, roughly 1 level tablespoon diced, is enough. Fatty cuts carry many more calories, so keep to lean meat and offer it as an occasional treat. Cut the regular meal back to match. Merck notes that cats with mild pancreatitis may be switched to lower-fat food and low-fat treats, so cats with that history, along with kittens, seniors and cats with diabetes, kidney disease, urinary stones or food allergies, should get veterinary advice first.

How to Serve It

Use a lean cut such as loin, tenderloin or a trimmed pork chop. Cook it with no salt, oil, garlic, onion, barbecue sauce or rub. The Merck Veterinary Manual advises against feeding cats raw or undercooked meat because of Trichinella and recommends cooking meat to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit for roasts and 160 degrees for ground meat. Cut away the fat, remove the bone, and dice the meat small. Pork chop and rib bones should never go to a cat; the ASPCA warns that bones can injure or block the digestive tract. Skip pulled pork, pork rinds, ham, bacon, sausage and any pork cooked in a sauce. Tufts Petfoodology lists fatty meats among foods that can upset a pet's stomach.

If your cat has a medical condition or eats a special diet, ask your veterinarian before sharing pork.

Common Questions

Can cats eat pork chops?

Cats can have a small piece of lean meat from a plain cooked pork chop, but not the chop itself. Trim off all fat, remove the bone, and make sure no seasoning, butter or marinade was used. Cook it all the way through. Keep the portion to about 1/4 ounce for a 10-pound adult cat.

Can cats eat raw pork?

Raw pork is not recommended for cats. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists raw infected meat as a source of trichinellosis in cats and advises against feeding raw or undercooked meat. The Cornell Feline Health Center also warns that raw meat can carry toxoplasmosis. Cook pork all the way through, trim the fat and cut it small before sharing.

Can cats eat pulled pork?

Cats should not eat pulled pork as people serve it. It is usually cooked with barbecue sauce, sugar, salt and spice rubs that often include onion and garlic powder. The ASPCA lists onions and garlic as foods to keep away from pets, and the Merck Veterinary Manual says cats are the most sensitive species. Plain cooked pork loin with nothing added is the only form worth sharing.

Can cats eat pork rinds?

Cats should not eat pork rinds. They are fried pork skin, so they are mostly fat, and they are usually salted and flavored. The ASPCA warns that salty snacks can cause excessive thirst and urination, and in larger amounts vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and seizures. Tufts Petfoodology lists high fat foods among things that can upset a pet's stomach. A crumb is unlikely to matter, but do not share them.

Can kittens eat pork?

Kittens are better off skipping pork and sticking with their kitten food. If you do share, give only a tiny piece of lean, fully cooked, unseasoned loin with the fat and bone removed. Pork is richer than chicken and adds little a kitten needs. Ask your veterinarian before offering pork or any other table food to a young kitten.

Sources