Updated 2026-08-07 · Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets · Free · No sign-up
No — alcohol is toxic to cats, even in small amounts. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 now.
If your cat may have eaten something harmful — or any part of a lily — call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right now — don't wait for symptoms. A consultation fee may apply to the ASPCA hotline.
Verdict for cats
Toxic
Severity
5 / 5 — Emergency — can be fatal, and small amounts can matter. Call now.
Safe amount
None
Category
Drinks
Source
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets · reviewed 2026-08-07 · confidence: high
Why
The same applies to cats, and a cat's small body weight means a very small amount matters. Alcohol poisoning is a same-day emergency, not a wait-and-see.
Signs to watch for if your cat has eaten alcohol
Vomiting, drooling or retching without bringing anything up
Wobbliness and disorientation
A swollen, hard or painful belly
Slow breathing, low body temperature, collapse
Signs vary with the amount and with the individual pet, and some appear only after a day or more. Their absence does not mean your cat is in the clear — call rather than watch.
What to do now
Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 straight away. Tell them what your cat ate, roughly how much, and when, and take the packaging with you. Don't wait for symptoms — with several poisons the harm is done before a pet looks ill.
Never induce vomiting and never give any medicine unless a vet tells you to. With some substances it causes more damage than the poison. This page tells you when to get help — it never tells you how to treat at home.
Safer alternatives for cats
A small piece of plain cooked chicken or turkey
Plain cooked fish, boneless and unseasoned
A vet-approved commercial cat treat, kept to under a tenth of daily calories
Cat grass grown indoors instead of houseplants
Fresh water — a fountain tempts many cats to drink more
Verdicts are transcribed from the cited veterinary sources, never inferred. Where a source establishes a finding for one species only, the other species is left null and the page says to ask your vet — a dog finding is never copied onto a cat.
This page is a reference, not veterinary advice or a diagnosis. CanMyPetEat is a reference, not veterinary advice or a diagnosis. It tells you when to get help — never how to treat at home. Never induce vomiting or give any medicine unless a vet tells you to. Individual pets vary and toxicity guidance changes; your vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center are the authority.
No — alcohol is toxic to cats, even in small amounts. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 now. The same applies to cats, and a cat's small body weight means a very small amount matters. Alcohol poisoning is a same-day emergency, not a wait-and-see.
What happens if a cat eats alcohol?
Watch for: Vomiting, drooling or retching without bringing anything up; Wobbliness and disorientation; A swollen, hard or painful belly; Slow breathing, low body temperature, collapse. Signs can take hours or, for some poisons, a day or more to appear, so call your vet rather than waiting to see.
How much alcohol is dangerous for a cat?
There is no known safe amount — small quantities have caused serious harm, so treat any exposure as urgent and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.