Last Updated: 24/09/2026
What Human Foods Can Dogs and Cats Eat Safely?
Learn which human foods are safe or unsafe for your pets? Read more here.
Author: Dr Josepha Cox BBiomedSc (Hons) DVM
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
Dogs and cats can safely eat a wide range of human foods in moderation, including plain cooked meat, egg, most vegetables, and fruits like blueberries, watermelon, strawberries and apple. A handful of everyday foods, though, including chocolate, grapes, onion, garlic, xylitol and macadamia nuts, are genuinely toxic and should never be shared, however convincing the begging is.
In short: most plain, unseasoned meat, egg, vegetables and low-sugar fruit are safe for dogs and cats as an occasional treat, but should never make up more than about 10% of your pet's daily calories. Chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion, garlic, xylitol and macadamia nuts are toxic and should be kept out of reach altogether. The at-a-glance list and vet guides below cover exactly which foods fall into which camp, for both dogs and cats.
The question we get asked most in consult isn't which foods are dangerous - most pet owners already know to keep the chocolate locked away. It's which ones are actually fine to share.
Safe in moderation
- Cooked lean meat and fish (beef, chicken, kangaroo, lamb)
- Cooked egg
- Plain hard cheese, cottage cheese, natural yoghurt (dogs)
- Pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, broccoli, peas
- Blueberries, strawberries, watermelon (no rind/seeds), apple (no core/seeds), mango, pineapple, tomato
- Plain cooked rice, oats, quinoa, air-popped popcorn
- Unsalted peanut butter (no xylitol)
Toxic - never feed
- Chocolate and cocoa
- Grapes, raisins and sultanas
- Onion and garlic
- Macadamia nuts
- Xylitol (check "sugar-free" labels)
- Avocado
- Raw bread dough and alcohol
What human foods can dogs eat?
Dogs can eat most plain, cooked lean meats and fish, cooked eggs, many vegetables, and fruits such as blueberries, watermelon, strawberries and apple, as well as small amounts of cheese, provided everything is unseasoned and given as an occasional treat.
Beef, chicken, kangaroo and lamb are all fine cooked, unseasoned and off the bone, and cooked egg is a good source of protein too. A small amount of hard cheese or cottage cheese also makes a handy training reward, though it's worth reading Can Dogs Eat Cheese? for how much is too much, and lactose-intolerant dogs may do better with a lactose-reduced option, covered in Can Dogs Drink Milk?
Vegetables like pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, zucchini, peas, spinach, broccoli and raw cucumber are safe served plain and cooked. Corn is fine too, but only the cooked kernels - the cob itself is one of the most common causes of gut obstruction in dogs.
Blueberries, watermelon, strawberries, mango, bananas, pineapple, tomato and apple are all safe, popular treats - each of our dedicated guides (blueberries, watermelon, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, apples, tomatoes, pineapple) covers exactly how to prepare them and how much to feed. Grapes, sultanas and raisins are the big exception: unlike the fruits above, these are toxic to dogs.
Plain popcorn, cooked rice, oats, quinoa and a spoonful of unsalted peanut butter round out the safe list. Keep treats to no more than around 10% of your dog's daily food intake, and check with your vet first if your dog is on a prescription diet.
What human foods can cats eat?
Cats can eat small amounts of plain cooked meat, fish and egg, and some cats enjoy fruit like blueberries, watermelon or strawberries, but as obligate carnivores, cats can tend to refuse them, and many also can't tolerate milk and dairy.
Cooked, plain chicken, fish, beef or egg can be an occasional addition to a cat's diet, and a few cats will happily eat small amounts of blueberries, watermelon or strawberries - our cat-specific guides on blueberries, watermelon and strawberries cover exactly how to serve them safely.
Milk is one area where cats and dogs differ from what people expect. Most adult cats lose the ability to digest lactose properly, so a saucer of milk is more likely to cause an upset stomach than to be a harmless treat, despite the classic image of a cat lapping up a bowl of milk.
Cats are also more sensitive than dogs to several common foods and medications - onion, garlic, alcohol and even paracetamol can be dangerous in much smaller amounts for a cat than for a dog. For the full list, see our guide to toxic foods and household items for cats.
What human foods are toxic to dogs and cats?
Chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion and garlic, xylitol, macadamia nuts and alcohol are toxic to both dogs and cats and should never be fed intentionally, whatever the amount.
Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which pets can't metabolise the way we can - the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. Grapes, raisins and sultanas can cause kidney failure in both dogs and cats, with no known safe dose. Onion and garlic damage red blood cells and can cause anaemia, xylitol (in some sugar-free gum, peanut butter and baked goods) can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar, and macadamia nuts cause tremors and weakness in dogs. Avocado (the pits in particular), raw bread dough and alcohol round out the main household risks.
In practice, the toxic-food calls we get aren't only around Christmas (like Christmas ham and alcohol) or Easter (like that chocolate bunny and hot cross buns) - a handful of grapes from a school lunchbox or a square of dark chocolate from the pantry causes just as many emergency presentations on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon.
For the full list of toxic foods, safe doses and emergency steps, see our complete guide to toxic foods for dogs, or our cat-specific guide to toxic foods and household items for cats.
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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 24 Sep 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Josepha Cox BBiomedSc (Hons) DVM
Author, BBiomedSc (Hons) DVM
Dr Josepha graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2015 and has spent her time in small animal practice in Melbourne. She has a special interest in diagnostic imaging, nutrition and geriatric medicine. She is currently completing further study in animal nutrition and her favourite part of being a vet is helping senior animals to live happily and comfortably into their twilight years.
