Food safety

Can Cats Drink Salt Water?

Toxic — call your vet now — Salt Water for cats.

Toxic — call your vet now

Why: Salt water can cause salt poisoning (hypernatraemia) in cats: vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, tremors and seizures. A few laps of seawater are usually not enough to poison a cat, but a cat that drinks a lot — or a cat with kidney disease — is at real risk.

If your cat ate salt water: Offer fresh water. If your cat drank a lot of salt water, or shows vomiting, diarrhoea, wobbliness or tremors, call your veterinarian immediately.

Related: Pool Water, Distilled Water, Soda

Why this verdict

Salt water can cause salt poisoning (hypernatraemia) in cats: vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, tremors and seizures. A few laps of seawater are usually not enough to poison a cat, but a cat that drinks a lot — or a cat with kidney disease — is at real risk.

If your cat ate salt water

Offer fresh water. If your cat drank a lot of salt water, or shows vomiting, diarrhoea, wobbliness or tremors, call your veterinarian immediately.

Related foods

Pool Water, Distilled Water, Soda

Check another food

Back to the Food-Safety Checker to check all 90 foods, or see the beginner feeding guide and the feeding estimator.

Before you use the result

Use the result as a starting point for observation and planning. Cats vary by age, body condition, temperament, medical history, and household setup.

Sources: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, and the Cornell Feline Health Center — Feeding Your Cat. Chocolate toxicity figures are approximate values from the Merck Veterinary Manual. If your cat ate something on the toxic list, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.