Food safety

Can Cats Eat Xylitol?

Toxic — call your vet now — Xylitol (Birch Sugar) for cats.

Toxic — call your vet now

Why: Xylitol is a sugar substitute found in sugar-free gum, candy, some peanut butters, baked goods and toothpaste. In dogs it triggers a dangerous insulin release and liver failure. Data in cats is limited, but the safe course is to treat any ingestion as an emergency — never give a cat anything sweetened with xylitol.

If your cat ate xylitol (birch sugar): Call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately. Bring the product packaging if you can. Vomiting, weakness, wobbliness or collapse need emergency care.

Related: Candy, Skittles, Caramel, Sherbet

Why this verdict

Xylitol is a sugar substitute found in sugar-free gum, candy, some peanut butters, baked goods and toothpaste. In dogs it triggers a dangerous insulin release and liver failure. Data in cats is limited, but the safe course is to treat any ingestion as an emergency — never give a cat anything sweetened with xylitol.

If your cat ate xylitol (birch sugar)

Call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately. Bring the product packaging if you can. Vomiting, weakness, wobbliness or collapse need emergency care.

Related foods

Candy, Skittles, Caramel, 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.