Can Cats Eat Apples? Yes, the Flesh Only — No Seeds

Why apple flesh is safe for cats

The white flesh of an apple is not toxic to cats, and the ASPCA includes apples in its list of fruits that can be shared, provided the seeds, core, stems and peel are removed and the fruit is cut into bite-size pieces. Apple is mostly water with some fiber and vitamin C.

Cornell's Feline Health Center explains that cats are obligate carnivores, relying on nutrients found only in animal products. Apple adds little for a cat nutritionally, and many cats ignore it entirely. Consider it an occasional novelty for the curious few.

Warning: seeds, core, stems and leaves

The ASPCA's toxic plant entry lists the stems, leaves and seeds of the apple as containing cyanogenic glycosides, which are especially dangerous when wilting. Signs of cyanide poisoning include brick-red gums, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock. Pet Poison Helpline notes a pet would usually need to eat a large quantity of seeds for this to be a concern, but a cat is small.

Seeds and core pieces are also a choking and blockage risk. If your cat chewed a quantity of apple seeds, stems or leaves, or shows any of those signs, call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661; a fee may apply.

How to prepare apple for your cat

Wash the apple, peel it, and cut away the core with every seed. Dice a small piece of the flesh into bits smaller than a pea, so it cannot lodge in the throat. Serve it raw or lightly steamed and cooled, with no sugar, cinnamon or caramel.

Skip apple pie, apple crisp, caramel apples and sweetened applesauce, which add sugar, fat and sometimes spices or xylitol. If you have an apple tree, rake up fallen fruit and leaves, especially wilting ones, so an outdoor cat cannot chew them.

Many cats do better with small, slow portions, and a puzzle feeder or a slow feeder bowl helps with both.

How much apple a cat can have

Cornell suggests treats stay under 10 to 15 percent of a cat's daily calories. For an average 8 to 10 lb adult cat, one or two pea-sized pieces of peeled apple once or twice a week is plenty. Smaller cats should have less, and overweight cats are better with none.

Offer a single piece first and watch the litter box over the next day. If your cat has diabetes, kidney disease or a sensitive stomach, ask your vet before adding fruit.

Can kittens eat apples?

Kittens do not need fruit, and their small size makes any seed or core fragment a bigger risk. If a weaned kitten is curious, a single crumb of peeled, seedless apple is unlikely to harm, but a complete kitten food is what they need to grow.

Keep whole apples and cores off counters and out of trash a kitten can reach. If a kitten chewed apple seeds or stems, call your vet for advice rather than waiting for signs.

Signs apple disagreed with your cat, and when to call the vet

Too much fruit can cause vomiting, diarrhea or a soft stool within a few hours to a day, which usually settles once the apple stops. A cat that ate core or peel may vomit it back up.

Call your vet the same day for vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours, a cat that stops eating or hides, or repeated retching. Brick-red gums, dilated pupils, panting or labored breathing after chewing seeds, stems or leaves are an emergency and need to be seen immediately.

Treats cats are more likely to enjoy

Most cats far prefer a small piece of plain cooked chicken or turkey with no skin, bones or seasoning. A crumb of fully cooked egg or a commercial cat treat is also a better match for how cats are built.

If your cat does enjoy a little fruit, a halved blueberry is an easy alternative with no seeds to remove. Avoid grapes, raisins, onion, garlic and chives.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.