health

Can Cats Eat Bones? NZ Safety Answer

11 June 2026

Can cats eat bones in NZ? Avoid them. Bones can be a foreign-body risk, especially in raw diets or table scraps.

Quick answer

Avoid bones as cat treats. VCA's raw-food guidance for cats lists foreign bodies such as swallowed bone pieces as a concern, and raw feeding adds food-safety risks.

Why

Fish bones, chicken bones, lamb bones and cooked table scraps can be swallowed quickly by cats. Small does not mean safe, and bones from raw-food habits or rubbish raids are not balanced cat nutrition.

If your cat ate it

Contact your NZ vet, after-hours emergency clinic, or SPCA for advice.

Safer alternatives

A complete cat food should stay the main diet. For treats, use a cat-specific treat or a few pieces of the cat's normal food rather than pantry leftovers.

References

VCA Animal Hospitals, Raw Food Diets in Cats, checked 2026-06-11: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/avoiding-raw-food-in-cats
VCA Animal Hospitals, Top five BBQ foods that cause bowel obstructions in dogs, checked 2026-06-11: https://vcahospitals.com/resources/lifestyle-dog/hazards-safety/top-five-bbq-foods-that-cause-bowel-obstructions-in-dogs

Important notice

*General food-safety information for NZ pet owners, reviewed against ASPCA/VCA guidance (June 2026). For any suspected ingestion or illness, contact a NZ vet, after-hours emergency clinic, or SPCA for advice.*

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