Cats are curious by nature so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when you leave some food out on the counter, they often come and take a nibble. However, this could be dangerous for your pet. There are several foods found in a pet parent’s home on a regular basis that are actually poisonous for cats. Some of these foods will cause vomiting, seizures, and liver failure, and some can even result in the death of your pet.

In the most urgent cases, you may have to take your cat to see your vet immediately. If you need to know if a food is poisonous quickly, use the FIND function in your web browser to locate the food you have questions about.

Chocolate

What You Need to Know

• While chocolate is a larger problem for dogs than cats, it still contains theobromine, which can be poisonous for our feline friends.
• Part of the reason cats are less likely to eat chocolate is because they cannot taste the sweetness of the treat while dogs can.
• The amount of chocolate a cat eats is related to how strong the poisoning is. For instance, just a small little nibble will most likely not have dire consequences.

• Seizures
• Heart attacks
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Death

• If a cat drinks tea, coffee or soda, the caffeine in those beverages can cause heart problems and troubles for your pet.
• While a few sips of a caffeinated beverage will not hurt your cat, if they eat coffee grounds or tea bags, there could be serious health effects.

Symptoms of Caffeine Poisoning in Cats

• Vomiting
• Hyperactivity
• Elevated Heart Rate
• Seizures
• Collapse

• The sulfoxides and disulfides in garlic and onions are poisonous for cats
• Sulfoxides and disulfides, which are in all forms of garlic and onions, including in raw, cooked or powdered, damage your dog’s red blood cells and can cause anemia
• Onions have larger quantities of sulfoxides and disulfides than garlic so are more toxic for your cat. But both should be avoided by your pet

• Anemia
• Lack of energy
• Pale gums

• Your cat can ingest alcohol into their bloodstream through other ways than just drinking it. If your cat eats rumcake or unbaked dough that has yeast in it, they can also get alcohol poisoning.
• If your cat eats yeast, then the alcohol from the yeast is absorbed into your cat’s bloodstream from their stomach quickly, meaning the effects of alcohol poisoning happen fast.

• Drooling
• Vomiting
• Dry Heaving
• Low Blood Pressure
• Coma
• Death

Salt

• If your cat eats too much salt, it can lead to dehydration and sodium ion poisoning.
• Salt used to be used by some pet owners and veterinarians to induce vomiting in cats for medical reasons. However, this is no longer an accepted practice.

• Vomiting
• Lack of energy
• Large amounts of thirst
• Damaged kidneys
• Seizures
• Coma
• Death

• While the fruit of the apricot isn't toxic, the pit contains cyanide.
• Cats may try to swallow the pit, which is toxic for them. This may also happen with cherry and peach pits, which both contain cyanide.
• Cyanide inhibits the enzyme in cats that allows their cells to transport oxygen through their body efficiently.

• Dilated pupils
• Hard time breathing
• Bright red coloring in the gums
• Death

Treatment of Apricot Poisoning in Cats
Contact your veterinarian and poison control as soon as possible. A vet may treat your cat for cyanide poisoning by administering an IV.

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This information is for informational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for the professional advice of, or diagnosis or treatment by, your veterinarian. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard or delay seeking professional advice due to what you may have read on our website.