Why
Carrots are nontoxic and likely safe for cats in small amounts, according to PetMD's veterinary guide, which covers carrots and peas together. The same guide warns that these vegetables are not particularly digestible for cats and are likely to cause stomach discomfort if fed in any significant amount, and it recommends not feeding them.
Carrots are famous for beta-carotene, but a cat cannot make much use of it. PetMD explains that beta-carotene is the starting form of vitamin A, and that a cat's ability to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A is extremely limited. Cats need vitamin A in a ready-made form, which is why cat foods are supplemented with it. The idea that carrots are good for a cat's eyes comes from human nutrition and does not carry over.
Risks to watch for
- Raw carrot sticks and coins, which are hard and can be a choking hazard
- Large amounts, which can cause gas, vomiting or diarrhea
- Carrots cooked with butter, salt, honey or glazes
- Carrots from soups, stews and curries, which often contain onion or garlic
- Carrot cake and baked goods with sugar, nuts or raisins
How to share safely
- Do not plan carrots into your cat's diet. A complete cat food provides the vitamin A a cat needs.
- If your cat insists on sharing, cook a small piece of plain carrot until soft.
- Mash it or cut it into tiny pieces.
- Offer only a taste, and stop if your cat shows any stomach upset.
How much?
There is no recommended amount, because PetMD's veterinary guide advises against feeding carrots to cats. A tiny taste of soft, plain cooked carrot now and then is unlikely to cause problems in a healthy adult cat.
Carrots and a cat's eyesight
Carrots will not improve a cat's vision. PetMD notes that carrots are not a major source of vitamin A in a cat's diet, because cats convert beta-carotene to vitamin A very poorly, and manufacturers add vitamin A to cat food in a form cats can use directly.
Carrot bits are also not a vitamin A risk. PetMD points out that too much vitamin A can cause bone problems and muscle weakness in cats, but a few bits of carrot now and then come nowhere near an overdose. The problem with carrots is digestion, not toxicity.
Why raw carrots are harder on cats
Raw carrot is one of the hardest vegetables a cat could try to eat. A cat's teeth are built for slicing meat rather than grinding, so a firm coin of carrot may be swallowed whole, which raises the risk of choking or of a piece getting stuck.
Cooked carrot is soft and much easier to manage. If you do share, cook the carrot until a fork goes through it easily, and mash it or cut it smaller than a pea.
Carrots in soups, stews and curries
Carrots in home cooking rarely travel alone. Carrots simmered in soups, stews, curries and braised dishes pick up salt and the flavors of onion, garlic and scallions, and the Merck Veterinary Manual identifies the onion family as a cause of red blood cell damage in cats.
Carrot cake and carrot muffins bring sugar, butter and sometimes raisins or nuts. A carrot picked out of a stew or a bite of cake is not the plain vegetable it looks like, so keep these foods out of reach.
Common questions
Are carrots good for cats?
Only in limited ways. Carrots are nontoxic and likely safe for cats in small amounts, according to PetMD's veterinary guide, which covers carrots and peas together. The same guide warns that these vegetables are not particularly digestible for cats and are likely to cause stomach discomfort if fed in any significant amount, and it recommends not feeding them.
Are carrots bad for cats?
It can be. Risks to watch for: raw carrot sticks and coins, which are hard and can be a choking hazard; large amounts, which can cause gas, vomiting or diarrhea.
Are cats allowed to have carrots?
Only in small amounts and the right form. Do not plan carrots into your cat's diet. A complete cat food provides the vitamin A a cat needs.
My cat loves carrots. Should I stop it?
A cat that enjoys a tiny piece of soft, plain cooked carrot now and then is unlikely to be harmed. Keep the amount small, never use carrots in place of cat food, and stop if your cat has gas, vomiting or loose stools.
Why do some cat foods contain carrots?
Some complete cat foods list carrots as a minor ingredient. The recipe as a whole has been balanced to meet a cat's needs, including vitamin A in a form cats can use, which is different from adding carrots to a cat's bowl at home.
Sources
- PetMD. Can Cats Eat Peas? (Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP)
- PetMD. Do Carrots Naturally Improve Your Cat’s Vision? (Jennifer Kvamme, DVM)
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Garlic and Onion (Allium spp) Toxicosis in Animals.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets.
- Cornell Feline Health Center. Feeding Your Cat.
If your cat has eaten something toxic, contact your veterinarian, an emergency animal hospital or an animal poison control service right away, even if your cat seems fine. Do not try to make your cat vomit at home.