What Thanksgiving Foods Can Cats Eat?

Your cat doesn’t need their own Thanksgiving plate to feel like part of the festivities. A bite or two of a cat-safe food is plenty. 

The rest of their meal should come from their regular, complete and balanced cat food, with all treats—including human foods—making up no more than 10% of their daily calories. 

Cats are obligate carnivores, so meat is usually the safest food to share, as long as it’s plain and boneless.   

“It should be unseasoned and prepared without butter, oils, or gravy,” says Colleen Lambo, DVM, a veterinarian with Roo.   

Safe: 

• Turkey: Boneless, skinless, fully cooked, and unseasoned; cut into small, bite-size pieces. 
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless, fully cooked, and unseasoned; cut into small, bite-size pieces. 
• Ham: Plain, home-cooked, and only a bite-size amount.  

Skip:  

• Meat with the skin on 
• Seasoned or buttered meat 
• Gravy 
• Glazed ham 
• Seasoned ham 
• Cooked bones 

To give your cat their own special treat, try a cat-safe turkey meal or a fun chicken toy instead, like: 

Veggies aren’t a nutritional requirement for cats, but a small taste is safe for most healthy cats, says Dean Vicksman, DVM, a veterinarian and board chair of EveryCat Health Foundation.  

Safe: 

• Green beans: Plain and steamed; cut into bite-size pieces. 
• Carrots: Plain and steamed; cut into bite-size pieces. 
• Squash: Plain and cooked; cut into bite-size pieces. 
• Sweet potato: Plain and cooked, skin removed; cut into bite-size pieces or mashed. 

Skip:  

• Anything in the allium family (onions, garlic, leeks, chives, and shallots), which can be poisonous to cats, and raw potatoes, which can be a choking hazard.  

All onions and garlic are extremely toxic to cats, with dried onions and powders being especially dangerous, says Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director at Pet Poison Helpline.  

To give your cat their own special treat that’s definitely safe, try a veggie-packed food or a veggie-themed catnip toy, like:  

Most prepared sides are off the table for cats because they’re usually a combination of ingredients that range from unhealthy to toxic. However, there are a couple of exceptions.  

Safe: 

• Bread: Plain and fully baked.  
• Cranberries: Raw and chopped into bite-size pieces.  

Skip:  

• Stuffing (typically made with onion and garlic) 
• Raw bread dough 
• Cranberry sauce (made with sugar, spices, and/or alcohol) 
• Casseroles (often made with marshmallows, fried toppings, onion, and/or garlic) 
• Gravy (typically made with onion and/or garlic powder) 

To give your cat their own special treat, buy them a Thanksgiving-appropriate lickable treat or gravy, or a cute toy that looks exactly like what’s on the table. Our favorites include: 

Cats can’t taste sweet things, so pies, cookies, and sugary sides don’t hold the appeal they do for us. Instead, cats are drawn to fat and protein, which is why they’re more likely to beg for your turkey than pumpkin pie.  

That said, they might still ask for a little taste.  

Safe: 

• Pumpkin: Plain 100% canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling) or fresh steamed pumpkin cut into bite-size pieces.  

Skip:  

• Pumpkin pie filling  
• Chocolate 
• Rhubarb 
• Anything sweetened with xylitol 

To give your cat their own special treat, save the pie for yourself and offer them a tasty snack with pumpkin or a catnip-filled pumpkin toy set, like: 

It’s fun to see your cat enjoy the same foods as you do, but follow these steps to keep your Thanksgiving safe for feline friends:  

1. Check with your vet. Ask well in advance of the holiday if your cat should avoid certain foods. Fat or sugar can cause digestive upset in any cat, and it may pose greater risks for cats with underlying health conditions. Added salt also isn’t ideal, particularly for cats with underlying heart or kidney disease, Dr. Lambo says. 
2. Check the toxic foods list. Before giving your cat a taste, confirm it isn’t toxic to them. Onion, garlic, chocolate, grapes, alcohol, raw bread dough, and xylitol are common toxic food items.  
3. Serve small portion sizes. Keep portions at or below a teaspoon or a fingernail-sized bite. For all treats outside a cat’s regular diet, aim for no more than 10% of their daily calories. 
4. Keep the preparation plain. Bites of safe food for cats should be served plain and unseasoned, cut into small pieces, be free of bones, and cooled to a safe temperature. 

Food is one way to earn a cat’s affection, but it’s not the only way. “Many cats begging at the table aren’t necessarily asking for turkey—they’re asking to be included,” Dr. Lambo says. 

In fact, just a few minutes of playtime may mean more to your cat than anything from the dinner table, Dr. Vicksman adds.  

Here are a few ways to include your cat that don’t involve scraps from your plate: 

• Catnip toy: Give them something to hunt that isn’t off your plate, like one of these autumn-ready catnip toys. 

• A lick mat for slow snacking: Spread a little plain pumpkin or wet food on a textured mat to turn a treat into an activity. 

• A frozen lick treat: Try freezing half and letting them enjoy it slowly as a special holiday treat, Dr. Lambo suggests.  

• A snuffle mat: Put your cat’s nose to work by hiding their favorite treat in a snuffle mat.  

• A fun retreat of their own: Give your cat somewhere fun to play while everyone’s chowing down at the table.  

It depends. Cats can eat plain, cooked turkey in small amounts, but avoid feeing your cat anything with seasoning, skin, or bones.  

No, cats should not eat Thanksgiving stuffing. Stuffing can have seasonings that are toxic to cats.  

Sometimes. Plain 100% pumpkin puree (not pie filling) is a safe treat for most healthy cats in small amounts. It’s best to purchase pumpkin made especially for cats to be safe.