| 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 |
Caffeine is toxic to cats by the same mechanism, and a cat's small size means less goes further. Coffee grounds and unattended cups are the usual route.
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 — it can do more damage than the poison. What we will and won't tell you.
Can dogs eat coffee? — Toxic for dogs.
No — coffee is toxic to cats, even in small amounts. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 now. Caffeine is toxic to cats by the same mechanism, and a cat's small size means less goes further. Coffee grounds and unattended cups are the usual route.
Watch for: Vomiting and diarrhea; Restlessness, hyperactivity or pacing; Panting, excessive thirst and urination; A fast or irregular heartbeat; Muscle tremors or seizures. Some signs lag by a day — call, don't wait.
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.