Food safety

Can Cats Eat Seaweed?

Safe in small amounts — Seaweed for cats.

Safe in small amounts

Why: Plain dried seaweed (nori) is not toxic to cats in small amounts. It is salty and high in iodine, so keep portions tiny — and skip seasoned snack seaweed, which often contains garlic, onion, sugar or chilli.

Safe serving: A small strip of plain dried seaweed, occasionally.

If your cat ate seaweed: No action needed for a small amount of plain seaweed. If it was seasoned, watch for an upset stomach.

Related: Sardines, Salmon, Bonito Flakes

Why this verdict

Plain dried seaweed (nori) is not toxic to cats in small amounts. It is salty and high in iodine, so keep portions tiny — and skip seasoned snack seaweed, which often contains garlic, onion, sugar or chilli.

Safe serving

A small strip of plain dried seaweed, occasionally.

If your cat ate seaweed

No action needed for a small amount of plain seaweed. If it was seasoned, watch for an upset stomach.

Related foods

Sardines, Salmon, Bonito Flakes

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.