Food safety

Can Cats Eat Sour Cream?

Safe in small amounts — Sour Cream for cats.

Safe in small amounts

Why: Sour cream is not toxic to cats, but it is high in fat and contains lactose, so most cats will get an upset stomach from more than a lick. A tiny taste is harmless for most cats.

Safe serving: A tiny lick, rarely. Skip it if your cat is lactose-sensitive.

If your cat ate sour cream: No action needed for a small amount. Watch for diarrhoea after a larger amount.

Related: Butter, Milk, Sherbet

Why this verdict

Sour cream is not toxic to cats, but it is high in fat and contains lactose, so most cats will get an upset stomach from more than a lick. A tiny taste is harmless for most cats.

Safe serving

A tiny lick, rarely. Skip it if your cat is lactose-sensitive.

If your cat ate sour cream

No action needed for a small amount. Watch for diarrhoea after a larger amount.

Related foods

Butter, Milk, 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.