Can cats eat bread, rice and sweet foods? A bite of plain bread, cooked rice, oatmeal or popcorn will not poison a cat, but none of them does a cat any good. Sweets are a different matter: chocolate is toxic, and honey, marshmallows, pancakes and peanut butter are best kept off the menu.
This guide covers nine foods in one place: bread, oatmeal, pancakes, popcorn, rice, marshmallows, chocolate, honey and peanut butter. For each one you will find a direct answer, how much is safe (if any), what to watch for and when to call your vet. It is part of our Can Cats Eat…? guide to human foods.
Our quick take: cats are obligate carnivores, so grains and sugar are empty calories for them. A thumbnail-sized piece of plain, fully baked bread, a little plain cooked rice, a lick of plain oatmeal made with water or one or two pieces of plain air-popped popcorn are fine for most healthy adult cats once in a while. Skip pancakes, marshmallows, honey and peanut butter. Never give chocolate, raw bread dough, or anything that contains raisins, garlic, onion or xylitol. Whatever the food, all treats together should stay at or below about 10% of your cat's daily calories.
Not toxic, but fatty, sticky and salty. Check every label for xylitol.
Four rules before you share grains or sweets
Cats do not need them. Cats are obligate carnivores. A complete and balanced cat food already covers everything they need, and bread, rice, oats and sugar add calories without adding nutrition.
Cats cannot taste sweetness. They lack a working sweet taste receptor. A cat that begs for a pancake or a spoon of peanut butter is after the fat, not the sugar, so there is never a reason to choose a sweet treat for a cat.
Plain only. The grain is rarely the real danger. The toppings and mix-ins are: butter, salt, sugar, syrup, chocolate, raisins, garlic, onion and sugar-free sweeteners.
Keep it tiny. Treats should make up no more than 10% of a cat's daily calories. For a 9-pound cat that is only about 20 calories, which is roughly a quarter of a slice of bread, and less than one regular marshmallow.
If your cat is overweight, has diabetes, kidney disease or a history of pancreatitis, or eats a prescription diet, ask your vet before you offer any of the foods on this page.
Can cats eat bread?
Yes, a small piece of plain, fully baked bread is safe for most cats, but it has no benefit. PetMD's veterinary guidance sums it up: there is nothing toxic or dangerous about a cat eating a cooked piece of sandwich bread, and nothing beneficial about it either. Bread is mostly carbohydrate, and cats get nothing from it that their own food does not already provide.
How much: PetMD suggests a piece about the size of your thumbnail, once or twice a week at most. Plain white or wheat bread is the safest choice. Plain toast is the same as bread, as long as it is not burnt and has no butter, jam or spread on it.
Never give raw bread dough. Unbaked dough made with yeast is a real emergency for cats. The warm stomach lets the dough keep rising, which causes painful bloating, and the ASPCA warns that a swollen stomach can twist and become life-threatening. The yeast also produces alcohol as it ferments, which can lead to alcohol poisoning. This applies to pizza dough and rolls left out to rise as well. If your cat ate raw dough, call your vet straight away.
Breads to skip:
Raisin bread, fruit loaf and hot cross buns.Grapes and raisins can damage the kidneys.
Garlic bread and any bread made with onion or chives. These damage a cat's red blood cells, even in small amounts.
Sweet breads such as banana bread, pumpkin bread and Hawaiian bread. They are high in sugar and often contain nuts, spices or chocolate.
Sugar-free or “keto” bread sweetened with xylitol (also labeled birch sugar).
Bread with chocolate spread, butter or salty toppings.
Watch for: vomiting, bloating or gas after a first taste. If you see them, bread does not suit your cat. A meat-based cat treat is a better everyday reward.
Can cats eat oatmeal?
Yes, a small taste of plain cooked oatmeal is safe for cats, but it is not a health food for them. Oats contain nothing toxic. They are still mostly carbohydrate, and the benefits oatmeal is known for in people (fiber, iron, lower cholesterol) do not carry over to cats, which get the same nutrients from meat-based food.
How to serve it: cook plain oats in water until soft, let them cool, and offer a bite-sized taste from your spoon once in a while. Cooking makes oats easier to digest. Do not add milk, because most adult cats are lactose intolerant (see can cats drink milk?). Do not add salt, sugar, honey or syrup either.
Oat foods to skip:
Flavored instant oatmeal. The packets are high in sugar, and some contain raisins, chocolate or sugar-free sweeteners.
Oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies contain ingredients that are toxic to cats, plus a lot of sugar and fat.
Granola and overnight oats. These usually come with dried fruit, nuts, milk or sweetened yogurt.
What about oats in cat food? Some cat foods use oats as a carbohydrate source. That is fine, because the recipe as a whole is balanced for cats. It is not a reason to add extra oatmeal to the bowl.
Watch for: vomiting, diarrhea or gas in the day after a first taste. Because carbohydrates are not very filling for cats, regular helpings mostly lead to weight gain.
Can cats eat pancakes?
No, pancakes are not a good treat for cats. A plain pancake is not toxic, and a bite stolen from your plate is unlikely to do harm. The trouble is what pancakes are made of: milk and butter, which most adult cats digest poorly, plus sugar, salt and fat that a cat does not need.
The toppings are the bigger risk:
Chocolate chips and chocolate spread are toxic to cats. See chocolate below.
Raisins can damage the kidneys.
Syrup, powdered sugar and whipped cream are sugar and fat with nothing else to offer. Cats cannot even taste the sweetness.
Sugar-free syrup may be sweetened with xylitol.
Raw batter contains raw egg, which the ASPCA advises against feeding to pets.
What about banana, blueberry or vegan pancakes?Banana and blueberries are safe for cats on their own, and a vegan pancake has no lactose. The pancake around them is still flour, sugar and oil, so the advice does not change.
A better breakfast share: a small piece of plain, fully cooked egg with no butter or salt suits a cat far better than a pancake.
Watch for: gas, bloating, vomiting or diarrhea in the 12 hours or so after your cat eats pancake. Call your vet if the pancake contained chocolate, raisins or a sugar-free sweetener.
Can cats eat popcorn?
Plain, air-popped popcorn is not toxic to cats, and a piece or two is unlikely to cause harm. It has no benefit for them either. Popcorn is simply corn, a starchy grain, and most cats are more interested in batting it across the floor than in eating it.
The risks:
Kernels. Unpopped and half-popped kernels are large and hard compared with a cat's mouth. PetMD's veterinarians warn that they can cause choking, or a blockage if they are swallowed whole.
Butter and salt. Movie-theater and microwave popcorn are coated in fat and salt. Large amounts of salt are harmful to pets.
Flavored popcorn. Cheese and savory seasonings can contain onion or garlic powder. Caramel corn is sugar. Chocolate-coated popcorn is toxic.
If you share it: offer one or two fully popped, plain pieces with no kernels attached, and keep the bowl out of reach. Do not give popcorn to kittens or to cats with dental problems.
Watch for: vomiting, diarrhea, low energy, a poor appetite or coughing after eating popcorn, and call your vet if you see them. Gagging, pawing at the mouth or trouble breathing can mean a piece is stuck. Treat that as an emergency and go to a vet at once.
Can cats eat rice?
Yes, a small amount of plain, fully cooked rice is safe for cats. In the words of PetMD's veterinary guidance, rice is not toxic to cats, but it is not good for them either. It is a starchy filler that takes up room a cat needs for protein.
How much: PetMD recommends less than a tablespoon of rice per week. Cook it until soft and serve it plain, with no butter, oil, salt, soy sauce or spices. White and brown rice are both acceptable. Brown rice has a little more fiber and is slightly harder for cats to digest.
Is rice good for a cat with diarrhea? This advice comes from dogs, and it does not transfer well. PetMD's veterinarian notes that rice is difficult for cats to digest and does not soothe the gut the way it can in dogs. Some vets do suggest a short bland diet of plain cooked chicken or white fish with a little white rice, so follow your own vet's instructions if you are given them. Do not treat diarrhea with rice on your own. A cat with diarrhea that lasts longer than 24 hours, and any kitten with diarrhea, needs to see a vet. If your cat has ongoing digestive trouble, a cat food made for sensitive stomachs is a better long-term answer than home cooking.
Never give:
Uncooked rice. It is very hard to digest and can cause bloating, vomiting and diarrhea. PetMD advises calling your vet if a cat eats any amount of it.
Fried rice, pilaf and seasoned rice. They usually contain onion, garlic, scallions, oil or soy sauce.
Rice pudding. It is made with milk and sugar and often with raisins.
Kittens: skip rice. A growing kitten needs every mouthful to count, and PetMD advises against feeding kittens empty carbohydrate calories. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, bloating or low energy after your cat eats rice.
Can cats eat marshmallows?
No. Marshmallows are not toxic to cats, but you should not give them. A marshmallow is sugar, water and gelatin whipped into a sticky sponge. One regular marshmallow has about 23 calories and 4 grams of sugar, which is more than a cat's whole treat allowance for the day, and cats cannot taste the sweetness anyway.
The risks:
Choking. The soft, sticky texture can lodge in a cat's throat and block the airway. Mini marshmallows are no safer.
Sugar. Regular sweet treats lead to weight gain, and obesity raises the risk of diabetes.
Xylitol. Some sugar-free marshmallows are made with this sweetener. It is highly toxic to dogs, and vets advise keeping it away from cats as well.
Chocolate. Chocolate-coated marshmallows, s'mores and hot chocolate with marshmallows all contain it.
If your cat ate a marshmallow: first check that it is breathing and swallowing normally. If a plain marshmallow went down without trouble, your cat should be fine. Read the packet. If it lists xylitol or chocolate, call your vet. Gagging, pawing at the mouth or trouble breathing is an emergency.
Can cats eat chocolate?
No. Chocolate is toxic to cats, and there is no safe amount to give. Chocolate contains two related stimulants, theobromine and caffeine. Cats cannot clear them the way people do, and they affect the gut, the heart and the nervous system. The ASPCA lists the effects as vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.
The darker the chocolate, the greater the danger. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives these approximate amounts of the two toxins combined:
Type of chocolate
Theobromine and caffeine per ounce
Cocoa powder
about 807 mg
Unsweetened baking chocolate
about 440 mg
Dark and semi-sweet chocolate
about 150 to 160 mg
Milk chocolate
about 64 mg
White chocolate
about 1 mg
How much is dangerous? Very little, because cats are small. According to the Pet Poison Helpline veterinarians writing for PetMD, a 10-pound cat can be poisoned by less than half an ounce of semi-sweet chocolate, or just under 1¾ ounces of milk chocolate. Baking chocolate and cocoa powder are dangerous in far smaller amounts. White chocolate contains almost no theobromine, but its fat and sugar can still cause vomiting and diarrhea.
It is not only chocolate bars. Brownies, chocolate cake and cookies, chocolate chips, hot cocoa, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, chocolate spread and chocolate-covered coffee beans all count. So does cocoa bean mulch used in gardens.
Signs of chocolate poisoning: mild signs usually start within a few hours. The more serious ones may not show until about 12 hours after eating, and the effects can last from one to four days.
Vomiting and diarrhea
Restlessness and hyperactivity
Drinking and urinating more than usual
Panting, or a fast or irregular heartbeat
Trouble walking, muscle tremors and seizures
What to do if your cat ate chocolate: call your vet or a pet poison line (numbers below) right away. Do not wait for signs to appear. Have ready the type of chocolate, roughly how much is missing, when it happened and your cat's weight, and keep the wrapper. Do not try to make your cat vomit at home. There is no safe way to do this in cats. At the clinic, a vet can empty the stomach safely, give activated charcoal to limit absorption, and provide fluids and medicine to control the heart rate, tremors or seizures.
Prevention: because cats cannot taste sweetness, most ignore chocolate. Some are drawn to the milk and fat in it. Keep chocolate, baking supplies and cocoa in closed cupboards, and ask guests and children not to share.
Can cats eat honey?
Honey is not toxic to cats, but it is not recommended. Honey is almost pure sugar. Cats cannot taste it, they have no need for it, and the veterinarians at Cats.com conclude that its risks outweigh any benefit it could offer a cat.
How much is safe: a lick from your spoon will not hurt a healthy adult cat. Cats.com's veterinary guidance treats a teaspoon as the absolute ceiling, and there is no reason to offer honey on purpose. More than that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and belly pain, and regular sugar adds to weight gain and the risk of diabetes.
Never give honey to:
Kittens. Honey, especially raw honey, can carry botulism spores. As with human babies, a kitten's immature gut is less able to deal with them.
Diabetic or overweight cats. Honey causes a sharp rise in blood sugar. If your cat is diabetic, see our guide to diabetic cat foods instead.
Cats with a weak immune system or a long-term illness, unless your vet agrees.
Does honey help a cat's cough, sore throat or allergies? There is no good evidence that it does, and the amount needed would be too much sugar for a cat. A cat that is coughing, sneezing or itching needs a vet's diagnosis, not a home remedy.
What about manuka honey on wounds? Vets do use medical-grade manuka honey dressings to help some wounds heal. That is a sterile product applied under veterinary direction. Honey from the kitchen is not sterile, and a cat will simply lick it off. Ask your vet before you put anything on a wound.
Watch for: vomiting, diarrhea or a sore belly after eating honey. In a kitten, weakness, wobbliness or refusing food after eating honey needs a vet visit the same day.
Can cats eat peanut butter?
Most peanut butter is not toxic to cats, but it is not a good treat for them. PetMD's veterinarian calls it empty calories with no nutritional value for a cat. Peanuts are a plant protein, and cats do best on protein from meat.
The risks:
Fat and calories. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contain about 190 calories, close to what many indoor cats need in a whole day. Rich, fatty foods can also cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Stickiness. A thick lump can stick to the roof of the mouth or in the throat and is a choking risk.
Xylitol. Some sugar-free, reduced-sugar and “protein” peanut butters are sweetened with xylitol (birch sugar). It is a proven danger to dogs. Its effect on cats is less clear, but PetMD's veterinarians treat a cat eating xylitol peanut butter as an emergency. Read the label every time.
Salt, sugar and added oils in many popular brands.
Whole peanuts. They can cause choking or an intestinal blockage, and they are often salted or coated.
If you share it: PetMD's guidance is that less than a teaspoon of xylitol-free peanut butter is generally safe for a healthy cat. A thin smear on your fingertip, now and then, is plenty. Choose a plain, unsalted peanut butter with no sweeteners.
Hiding a pill in peanut butter: a tiny smear can work, but ask your vet first, because some medicines should not be given with food. A soft pill treat made for cats is less sticky and usually easier.
One more reason to skip it: peanut butter is a common bait in mouse traps and rodent poison stations. A cat that has learned to like the smell is more likely to investigate one.
Also off the list: peanut butter cups (chocolate), peanut butter cookies, and peanut butter and jelly.
Watch for: vomiting, diarrhea or a loss of appetite, and call your vet if they appear. Peanut allergy is rare in cats, but itching, facial swelling or trouble breathing after eating peanut butter needs urgent veterinary care. If the jar lists xylitol, call your vet at once, even if your cat seems fine.
Grain and sweet foods cats should never have
Chocolate and cocoa in any form, and anything flavored with coffee. See chocolate above.
What to do if your cat eats something on this list
If your cat ate a little plain bread, rice, oatmeal, popcorn, pancake, honey or peanut butter, the most likely result is nothing at all, or a mild upset stomach. Take the food away, offer fresh water and its normal food, and keep an eye on the litter box. Most cats are back to normal within 24 hours.
Call your vet if:
your cat ate chocolate or cocoa, raw yeast dough, raisins, garlic, onion or anything containing xylitol. Do not wait for signs to appear;
your cat has a swollen belly, is retching without bringing anything up, or seems wobbly or “drunk” after eating dough;
your cat is gagging, pawing at its mouth or struggling to breathe. This is an emergency;
the vomiting or diarrhea is severe, contains blood or lasts longer than 24 hours;
your cat is a kitten, elderly or diabetic, or has kidney disease or a history of pancreatitis;
your cat stops eating, hides, seems to be in pain, is very restless or is very quiet.
If you cannot reach your vet, these services are open 24 hours a day (a consultation fee applies):
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435
Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661
Have ready what your cat ate, roughly how much and when, and keep the packaging. Do not try to make your cat vomit at home.
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