Food safety

Can Cats Eat Beef?

Safe in small amounts — Beef for cats.

Safe in small amounts

Why: Plain cooked beef is a good protein for cats and is a common ingredient in cat food. The risks are seasoning, fat and bones: serve lean meat, plain, with no onion, garlic, salt or sauce, and never give cooked bones.

Safe serving: Small pieces of plain cooked lean beef as an occasional treat. Treats should stay under 10% of daily calories.

If your cat ate beef: No action needed for plain cooked beef. If it was seasoned, fatty or had bones, watch for vomiting, diarrhoea or discomfort and call your vet if it persists.

Related: Canned Chicken, Salmon, Scrambled Eggs

Why this verdict

Plain cooked beef is a good protein for cats and is a common ingredient in cat food. The risks are seasoning, fat and bones: serve lean meat, plain, with no onion, garlic, salt or sauce, and never give cooked bones.

Safe serving

Small pieces of plain cooked lean beef as an occasional treat. Treats should stay under 10% of daily calories.

If your cat ate beef

No action needed for plain cooked beef. If it was seasoned, fatty or had bones, watch for vomiting, diarrhoea or discomfort and call your vet if it persists.

Related foods

Canned Chicken, Salmon, Scrambled Eggs

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.