Food safety

Can Cats Eat Bird Seed?

Not recommended — Bird Seed for cats.

Not recommended

Why: Bird seed itself is mostly seeds a cat cannot digest, and seed left outside is often damp, mouldy or treated with chemicals. Eating it usually causes stomach upset rather than poisoning, but it is not a food for cats.

If your cat ate bird seed: A few seeds are not an emergency. Watch for vomiting or diarrhoea. If the seed was treated with pesticide, or your cat ate a lot, call your vet.

Related: Bugs, Sesame Seeds, Beans

Why this verdict

Bird seed itself is mostly seeds a cat cannot digest, and seed left outside is often damp, mouldy or treated with chemicals. Eating it usually causes stomach upset rather than poisoning, but it is not a food for cats.

If your cat ate bird seed

A few seeds are not an emergency. Watch for vomiting or diarrhoea. If the seed was treated with pesticide, or your cat ate a lot, call your vet.

Related foods

Bugs, Sesame Seeds, Beans

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.