Can Cats Eat Blueberries?

Nutritional considerations of feeding blueberries to cats

Are blueberries high in sugar?

Yes, blueberries are a medium sugar-content fruit as they contain around 10g of sugar per 100g. This sets them apart from other berries such as strawberries or raspberries, which are very low in sugar at only 4.5g per 100g.¹ To compare, peaches contain 8g, apples contain 10g, and bananas contain 12g per 100g.

This means that caution should always be taken in cats with diabetes. If your cat suffers from diabetes, it's best not to give them fruit - even low sugar options like berries.

Can cats eat storebought frozen blueberries?

If you're going to feed your cat blueberries, it's generally recommended to opt for fresh berries. You may wish to freeze fresh blueberries as a tasty frozen treat, but generally we advise against commercially packed frozen berries.

Storebought frozen berries can be higher in sugar than fresh strawberries. Not only does freezing naturally concentrate the fruit into a more nutrient-dense state, but some manufacturers add juice or syrup to the pack to enhance the flavour.

In addition, recent outbreaks of infectious diseases from frozen berries (such as the 2015 hepatitis outbreak) have led to many experts recommending boiling or cooking frozen berries² before eating them, to remove the risk of disease. So, generally we recommend choosing fresh berries for your cat!