Never give your cat onion or garlic (in any form, including in soups and sauces), chocolate, coffee or alcohol, grapes or raisins, raw dough, or fatty, salty and smoked table food. Don't regularly give milk, raw fish, raw egg white or dog food. Lilies — even their pollen — and human medicines, especially paracetamol, are deadly for cats. If your cat ate anything on this list, call your vet right away.
Foods that are dangerous for cats
| Food | Why it's dangerous |
|---|---|
| Onion, garlic, chives | Destroy red blood cells and cause anaemia. Cats are more sensitive than dogs — even seasonings and baby food with onion are dangerous |
| Chocolate, cocoa, coffee, energy drinks | Theobromine and caffeine: vomiting, fast heartbeat, seizures |
| Alcohol, raw yeast dough | Ethanol poisoning; dough ferments in the stomach |
| Grapes, raisins | Considered dangerous for the kidneys, as in dogs |
| Fatty, salty, smoked food | Sausage, lard, ham — strain on the pancreas and kidneys |
| Cooked bones, fish bones | Sharp splinters, injuries and blockage |
What not to give regularly
- Milk. Most adult cats have little lactase, so milk causes bloating and diarrhoea. Kittens need a special milk replacer, not cow's milk.
- Raw fish. Fed regularly, it destroys vitamin B1 (thiamine), plus there's a risk of parasites. Cooked boneless sea fish occasionally is fine.
- Raw egg white binds biotin; a boiled egg now and then is fine.
- Dog food. It has less taurine and other nutrients cats need, and without them cats develop heart and eye disease. Finishing the dog's bowl once is no disaster, but feeding it regularly is not acceptable.
- Large amounts of liver — too much vitamin A.
- Human canned food — tuna in oil or sauce, pâtés with spices and onion.
Plants and substances in the home
The most dangerous plants for cats are lilies (true lilies and daylilies): even a little pollen licked off the fur, or water from the vase, can cause acute kidney failure. If you have a cat, it's best not to bring lilies home at all. Dieffenbachia, oleander, azalea, daffodils and many other plants are also toxic — check before placing a plant where your cat can reach it.
Substances that seem harmless can also be dangerous:
- Paracetamol — even part of a tablet can kill a cat. Ibuprofen, aspirin and other human medicines must not be given either.
- Dog flea products with permethrin — cause severe seizures in cats. Use only products made for cats.
- Essential oils (tea tree, citrus, eucalyptus) — in diffusers and on the fur.
- Antifreeze, rodent poisons, household chemicals.
What treats are safe for cats
The best treats are made for cats: they don't upset the balance of the diet when given in moderation (up to 10% of daily calories). For example, soft Trixie PREMIO Quadro-Sticks. From home food, small pieces of boiled chicken or turkey without salt or spices are fine. Read more in which treats are good for cats and see the cat treats section.
If your cat ate something dangerous
- Remove what's left, find out what and how much was eaten, keep the packaging or the plant's name.
- Call your vet immediately. With lily and paracetamol poisoning every hour counts.
- Don't induce vomiting or give medicines yourself — this is especially risky in cats.
- With drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, seizures or difficulty breathing — go to a clinic at once.
Complete food is the basis of the diet
Cats are obligate carnivores: they need animal protein, taurine, arachidonic acid and preformed vitamin A. All of this is already balanced in complete cat food, so cats don't need table food. For an adult cat, Happy Cat Minkas Perfect Mix is a good choice. Dry and wet food can be combined — how to do it right is covered in what to feed a cat: dry or wet food. The full range is in the cat food section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can cats drink milk?
Better not for adult cats: it gives many of them diarrhoea. If your cat loves dairy, a little low-fat kefir or lactose-free cat milk is fine.
Can I feed my cat dog food?
Not regularly. Dog food doesn't have enough taurine and protein for a cat. A one-off portion is not dangerous.
Can cats eat fish?
Raw fish — not regularly. Cooked boneless sea fish is fine occasionally, but it shouldn't be the basis of the diet.
Which flowers are dangerous for cats?
Above all lilies and daylilies — they are deadly. Dieffenbachia, oleander, azalea, daffodils, tulips and many others are toxic too.
