Can cats eat cereal?

Updated 12/05/2023

In the world of human food, cereal is pretty wide-ranging on the health, taste and texture front - not to mention one of the most common starts to the day. While some are coated in chocolate and packed with sugar, others make for a pretty healthy, rounded breakfast choice. So, while their benefits are debatable for us humans, can cats eat cereal, or is cereal bad for cats? Let’s find out…

Can cats eat cereal?

It turns out that cereal, in general, is safe for cats. Why do we say in general? Well lots of the cereals we find on our shelves are filled with ingredients that aren’t safe for cats, so be sure to find out what is and isn’t safe for your kitty to eat before sharing your breakfast cereal. The second is that the most common accompaniment to cereal is milk. As it happens, most cats are lactose intolerant, meaning sharing your breakfast with your feline friend could result in stomach cramps, discomfort and other intolerant reactions. And the third? Well there’s also a chance your kitty could be gluten or grain intolerant, which immediately takes cereal off the ‘safe to eat’ list. Last thing - cereal is filled with carbohydrates, which may be a sensible start to the day for us humans, but it’s not an essential food group for our feline friends.

Can cats eat dry cereal?

So now we know that cereal isn’t inherently bad for cats, but it’s also not necessary. How should you feed cereal to your kitty? Is cereal bad for cats if it’s dry? The answer is no, cats can have cereal dry. In fact, some might enjoy the crunchy texture. Others might struggle with the hardness of cereal clumps, so it’s best to soak it with a little water to soften it up.

Feeding your cat cereal

As we’ve mentioned, before feeding your cat cereal, there are a few things any responsible pet parent should do. Firstly, if your kitty has a known allergy to grains or gluten, all cereals should be avoided altogether, although gluten allergies in cats are very rare. The second is to check that the cereal doesn’t contain anything that cats shouldn’t be digesting (like cherries or raisins, for example). Next, never feed your cat cereal with milk, as, despite what popular culture tells us, most cats are in fact lactose intolerant. And lastly, don’t even think about replacing any of your kitty’s meals with cereal. Cats are obligate carnivores, so they need a meat-based diet to thrive. The best way to make sure your feline friend is getting all the nutrients they need is to stick to commercially available cat foods that are designed specifically for their breed, age and any health conditions they have. So, any cereal you’re sharing with your cat should be done sparingly - it’s filled with sugar and frankly, despite not being toxic to cats, it’s a pretty unnecessary item to share with your feline friend.

Meet our veterinary expert, Emma

This article has been checked by veterinarian Emma Chandley, BVetMed MRCVS PGCertSAS. Emma graduated from the Royal Vet College in London in 2011. She has a keen interest in surgery and went on to do a postgraduate certificate in small animal surgery and was then awarded advanced practitioner status in the same discipline.

Other foods that are safe for cats

Our feline friends are picky, we all know that. But it turns out that their bodies can’t tolerate all the human foods that most of us can. Find out what your cat can and can’t eat, and start with the handy list of kitty-safe foods below.

• Bread
• Cooked eggs
• Cooked meat and fish 
• Oatmeal
• Corn
• Brown Rice 
• Broccoli
• Carrots 
• Apples and pears (if deseeded)