Food safety

Can Cats Eat Beets?

Safe in small amounts — Beets for cats.

Safe in small amounts

Why: Plain cooked beets are not toxic to cats. They are sugary for a vegetable, so they are a rare-treat food at most, and they can turn urine or stools pinkish-red — alarming to see, but usually harmless.

Safe serving: A small piece of plain cooked beet, occasionally. Skip pickled beets (vinegar, salt, sugar).

If your cat ate beets: No action needed for plain cooked beets. Pink urine after beets is usually harmless, but if it persists without beets, call your vet.

Related: Carrots, Broccoli, Cabbage

Why this verdict

Plain cooked beets are not toxic to cats. They are sugary for a vegetable, so they are a rare-treat food at most, and they can turn urine or stools pinkish-red — alarming to see, but usually harmless.

Safe serving

A small piece of plain cooked beet, occasionally. Skip pickled beets (vinegar, salt, sugar).

If your cat ate beets

No action needed for plain cooked beets. Pink urine after beets is usually harmless, but if it persists without beets, call your vet.

Related foods

Carrots, Broccoli, Cabbage

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.