Can Cats Eat Pudding?
By Pettings · Sources checked Nov 2, 2026
No. Keep pudding away from cats. Most pudding is made with milk and sugar, so it brings lactose along with calories a cat has no use for. The ASPCA explains that pets lack significant amounts of lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose, so dairy desserts can upset their digestion and cause diarrhea.
Why Pudding Is a Problem for Cats
Pudding is a sweetened milk dessert, and WSAVA's treat guide lists milk and dairy products among foods to avoid for cats. The calories add up for a small animal. The USDA lists a 4-ounce cup of ready-to-eat rice pudding at 122 calories and ready-to-eat chocolate pudding at 40 calories per ounce. WSAVA's daily treat allowance for a 9 to 11 pound adult cat is about 22 to 25 calories, so even a spoonful takes up most of it.
Flavor makes the biggest difference. Chocolate pudding contains chocolate, which WSAVA lists among ingredients toxic to cats. Sugar-free pudding cups and mixes may be sweetened with xylitol, and the ASPCA warns that xylitol can cause low blood sugar and possible liver damage. Rice pudding often contains raisins, and WSAVA lists grapes and raisins as toxic too. Bread pudding can contain raisins as well, and some dessert puddings are made with alcohol.
Rice pudding without raisins still carries milk, sugar, and spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon, so it is not a cat treat either.
Signs to Watch For
Plain pudding most often causes the digestive upset the ASPCA describes for dairy, especially diarrhea. With xylitol, the ASPCA lists vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination as early signs, which can progress to seizures. Chocolate and raisins carry their own risks, and signs may be delayed, so a cat that seems fine at first may still need a vet's advice.
What to Do If Your Cat Ate Pudding
If your cat ate more than a lick, or the pudding was chocolate, sugar-free, or had raisins in it, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away. Do not try to make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to. Bring the pudding cup, box, or recipe so you can read the ingredients and say how much is gone. If it was a homemade dessert, write down everything that went into it.
For a cat with diabetes, pancreatitis, or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian about any pudding it ate, even a small amount.
Common Questions
Can cats eat rice pudding?
No, rice pudding is not a treat for cats. It is cooked in milk with sugar, which brings lactose that the ASPCA says pets digest poorly, and the USDA lists a 4-ounce cup at 122 calories. Many recipes add raisins, which WSAVA lists as toxic to cats. If your cat ate rice pudding with raisins, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
What happens if my cat eats chocolate pudding?
Chocolate pudding is more serious than plain pudding because WSAVA lists chocolate among ingredients toxic to cats. The amount of chocolate in a pudding cup is lower than in a candy bar, but cats are small. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, keep the cup or box handy, and estimate how much your cat ate. Also check whether the pudding was sugar-free.
Can cats eat sugar-free pudding?
No, sugar-free pudding can be worse for cats than regular pudding. Some sugar-free puddings use xylitol, which the ASPCA warns can cause low blood sugar and possible liver damage. Early signs are vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination. Read the ingredient list right away if your cat ate any. If xylitol is on it, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Can cats eat vanilla pudding?
Vanilla pudding is not a good treat for cats. It is a sugary milk dessert, and the ASPCA says pets lack significant amounts of lactase, so it can cause diarrhea. A spoonful also uses up most of a 10-pound cat's daily treat calories. A lick of regular vanilla pudding is unlikely to cause more than mild stomach upset, but check that it was not sugar-free.
Can kittens eat pudding?
No, kittens should not eat pudding. A kitten needs its calories from complete kitten food, and pudding is mostly sugar and milk. Dairy can cause diarrhea, which the Cornell Feline Health Center links to lactose intolerance in many cats, and diarrhea can dehydrate a small kitten quickly. Call your veterinarian if a kitten ate chocolate, sugar-free, or raisin pudding.