Food safety

Can Cats Eat Bell Pepper?

Safe in small amounts — Bell Pepper for cats.

Safe in small amounts

Why: Ripe bell peppers are not toxic to cats. They are mostly water and fibre, so a small piece is harmless — though most cats will ignore it. Never feed the stem, leaves or unripe green parts of pepper plants, which are in the nightshade family.

Safe serving: A small piece of ripe red, yellow or orange pepper, raw or cooked, as a rare treat.

If your cat ate bell pepper: No action needed for ripe pepper flesh. If your cat chewed pepper plant leaves or stems, call your vet.

Related: Carrots, Broccoli, Bok Choy

Why this verdict

Ripe bell peppers are not toxic to cats. They are mostly water and fibre, so a small piece is harmless — though most cats will ignore it. Never feed the stem, leaves or unripe green parts of pepper plants, which are in the nightshade family.

Safe serving

A small piece of ripe red, yellow or orange pepper, raw or cooked, as a rare treat.

If your cat ate bell pepper

No action needed for ripe pepper flesh. If your cat chewed pepper plant leaves or stems, call your vet.

Related foods

Carrots, Broccoli, Bok Choy

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.