Last Updated: 13/11/2025
Top 10 Foods & Household Items Toxic to Cats
From lilies and chocolate to common medications like paracetamol, your home could have hidden dangers for your cat. Our vet guide identifies the top toxic foods and household items to help you keep your feline friend safe.
Author: Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 5 minutes - short read
As naturally curious creatures, cats often investigate their world with their noses and mouths. But what happens when that curiosity leads them to something dangerous? Many everyday items in Australian homes, from the food on our plates to the flowers in a vase, can be surprisingly toxic to our feline friends.
Protecting them isn't about wrapping them in cotton wool; it's about awareness. This guide breaks down the common household hazards that every cat parent should know, helping you to "cat-proof" your home and keep your furry family member safe.
Toxic foods to keep away from your cat
Onions and garlic
Similar to dogs, excessive or concentrated amounts of onion and garlic can be damaging to your cat's red blood cells, which can ultimately lead to anemia. Although they're sometimes seen in cat food, when these two ingredients eaten in large quantities your cat may suffer from lethargy, weakness, pale gums, a reduced appetite or red or orange urine.
Chocolate
Chocolate contains substances called methylxanthines, which can also be found in caffeinated drinks. Methylxanthines can cause a number of symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea, high body temperature, muscle tremors, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures and more.
For more information, learn about Chocolate Toxicity.
Grapes and raisins
Even small amounts of grapes or raisins are very dangerous to cats, showing symptoms such as vomiting in as little as 12 hours and eventually leading to kidney failure. The weird thing? We aren't quite sure why.
Learn more about Grape Toxicity in Pets.
Alcohol
Cats simply aren't built to ingest alcohol, which can cause cause vomiting, diarrhea, disorientation, breathing difficulties, coma, and even death. This also goes for any food that contains alcohol, or can cause alcohol to form in the stomach, such as raw dough.
Milk and dairy
It's true that some cats go crazy for milk - but sadly, it's not very good for them. The lactose in milk can lead to an upset stomach and diarrhea, since cats really only drink milk while nursing from their mother and therefore have not developed to properly digest it later in life.
If you want to treat your cat to some milk, there are lactose-reduced cat and kitten milks available.
The deadly danger of lilies
It is a little known fact that cats and lilies do not mix. The most common culprit of lily toxicity in cats are the Lilium or Hermerocallis ('Daylily') species that are commonly found in gardens and floral arrangements. Even if a cat consumes a very small amount of any part of these lilies, it could result in kidney failure or death. If you have a cat at home it is best to avoid lilies altogether to be on the safe side.
Learn more about Kidney Disease in Pets.
Are household cleaners a risk to cats?
Although our feline friends are known for their cleanliness, they do not always mix well with common household cleaners. Benzalkonium chloride (a disinfectant added to many cleaning products), bleach and phenol-based disinfectants (like some formulations of Dettol) are particularly toxic to cats. If your cat licks or walks over a surface that is wet with one of these products it can result in painful ulceration of the paws or tongue.
This problem can be avoided by rinsing the area well and waiting for the area treated with the product to dry before allowing your cat to have access to it. Alternatively, use another product that does not contain these substances.
Perils in the medicine cabinet: Paracetamol
As a general rule it is you should never give human medication to your pets. Paracetamol poses an especially serious threat to cats. Unlike humans, cats do not have an enzyme involved in the breakdown of paracetamol on the body. Because of this only very small doses of paracetamol may cause irreversible liver damage or death.
Never use dog flea treatments on cats
Some flea and tick preventatives that are perfectly safe for dogs can cause serious harm to our feline friends. Products containing permethrin, including Advantix, cause seizures, tremors, twitching, fever and even death.
The first signs of toxicity are often dilated pupils and drooling. Always check the package of flea preventatives to ensure they are safe for cats before you apply them.
The risk of string
Although our fiesty felines love to frolic with string, wool and ribbons, it is important that this play is supervised. If your cat ingests a piece of string it may catch on a piece of intestine or around the base of the tongue causing a the gut to 'concertina' up on itself, resulting in a life threatening bowel obstruction.
Symptoms of an obstruction include retching, vomiting, drooling, lethargy and loss of appetite. Be especially careful with your sewing kit as cats have been known to swallow needle and string all in one go.
What to do if you suspect poisoning
If you suspect your cat has eaten something toxic, been exposed to a poison, or swallowed something they shouldn't have, this is a veterinary emergency.
Act immediately. In cases of poisoning, time is the most critical factor for a positive outcome.
- Contact your local veterinarian or nearest emergency vet hospital straight away.
- You can also call the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 (a 24/7 dedicated Australian service) for specific toxicological advice.
- If it is safe to do so, have the product packaging, plant clipping, or a photo of the item ready. This information is vital for helping the veterinary team assess the risk and determine the correct treatment.
- Important: Never try to make your cat vomit unless you are specifically directed to do so by a veterinarian. Trying to induce vomiting at home can be dangerous and often makes the situation worse.
For non-urgent questions about pet safety or potential household hazards, Pet Circle's Vet Squad is available to provide further advice.
FAQs
Keeping your cat safe is all about awareness. By taking a quick scan of your home for these common toxins - from the kitchen pantry to the bathroom cabinet - you can prevent a dangerous accident.
If you are ever in doubt or suspect your cat has ingested something they shouldn't, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison helpline immediately. Time is critical, and it's always better to be safe than sorry.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 13 Nov 2025
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Head Veterinarian, BVSc (Hons)
Pet Circle's Head Veterinarian, Dr Teagan graduated from the University of Queensland in 2010 and went on to work in small animal and mixed practice in various locations around QLD & ACT before joining Pet Circle in early 2016. Dr Teagan has special interests in dermatology, nutrition and preventative health care. She feels privileged to witness the special bond people share with their pets on a daily basis and enjoys forming lasting relationships with pet parents and their fur children.
