Food safety

Can Cats Eat Caramel?

Not recommended — Caramel for cats.

Not recommended

Why: Caramel is cooked sugar — sometimes with butter, cream and salt. It can cause stomach upset and contributes nothing to a cat's diet, and sticky sweets are a choking risk.

If your cat ate caramel: A small lick is not an emergency. Watch for an upset stomach. If it was sugar-free caramel, check for xylitol and call your vet.

Related: Candy, Skittles, Sherbet

Why this verdict

Caramel is cooked sugar — sometimes with butter, cream and salt. It can cause stomach upset and contributes nothing to a cat's diet, and sticky sweets are a choking risk.

If your cat ate caramel

A small lick is not an emergency. Watch for an upset stomach. If it was sugar-free caramel, check for xylitol and call your vet.

Related foods

Candy, Skittles, Sherbet

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.