Nutrition & Feeding12 min read8 August 2026

Foods Cats Can and Can't Eat: The Complete NZ List (2026)

A complete NZ list of foods cats can and can't eat, colour-coded 🟢🟡🟠🔴 with vet-based notes. Covers fruit, veg, meat, dairy and toxic foods.

Quick answer

This is a complete, at-a-glance list of common foods and whether they are safe for cats in New Zealand. Use the colour key, then read the note — the note is the important part.

Colour key: 🟢 Yes (safe as an occasional plain treat) · 🟡 In moderation (small plain amounts, with care) · 🟠 Best avoided (not toxic, but not a good idea) · 🔴 No (unsafe or toxic — keep away).

⚠️ In an emergency, if your cat has eaten something toxic (like chocolate, grapes, onion, or xylitol/"sugar-free" products), do not wait for symptoms. Call your vet, an after-hours clinic, or the Pet Poison Helpline straight away. Have the packet and an idea of the amount ready.

Foods Cats Can and Can't Eat

Food	Safe for cats?	What to know
Apples	🟢 Yes	Cats can usually have a tiny piece of plain prepared apple, but they do not need fruit. Remove core, seeds and stem, and avoid apple pie, sauce, crumble and sweet baking.
Apricots	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid apricots for cats, especially the stone, stem and leaves. Cats do not need apricot as a treat, and stone-fruit scraps can create avoidable risk.
Avocado	🟠 Best avoided	Best avoided. ASPCA lists avocado among people foods to avoid feeding pets, noting the most serious effects are in birds, rabbits and horses; for a cat the practical concerns are the fat content and the stone, which is a choking and obstruction risk.
Bacon	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid giving bacon to cats. Bacon is salty, fatty processed meat and may be smoked, seasoned or cooked with garlic, onion or sauces.
Bananas	🟡 In moderation	Tiny plain banana pieces may be okay if your cat wants them, but cats do not need banana. ASPCA lists bananas among foods that can be safely shared with pets.
Blueberries	🟡 In moderation	Tiny plain blueberries may be okay if your cat is interested, but cats do not need fruit. ASPCA lists blueberries among pet-safe snack options.
Bones	🟠 Best avoided	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.
Bread	🟡 In moderation	Plain baked bread is not a useful cat food. Raw yeast dough, raisin bread, garlic bread, chocolate bread and sweetened products are different and should be treated as unsafe.
Broccoli	🟢 Yes	Yes, cats can usually have a tiny nibble of plain cooked broccoli, but it should not replace complete cat food. Avoid cheese sauce, butter, salt, onion, garlic and seasoned leftovers.
Cantaloupe	🟢 Yes	Yes, cats can usually have a tiny amount of plain cantaloupe flesh, but they do not need fruit. Remove rind and seeds and avoid fruit salad, syrup, dairy, grapes, raisins and alcohol-containing desserts.
Carrots	🟢 Yes	Yes, cats can usually have a tiny amount of plain cooked carrot, but it is not useful cat nutrition. Avoid butter, salt, stock, onion, garlic, gravy and mixed leftovers.
Cauliflower	🟡 In moderation	Plain cauliflower is not a useful cat food, but a tiny plain nibble is different from cauliflower cheese, curry, soup or seasoned roast vegetables.
Celery	🟡 In moderation	Plain celery is not a useful cat food, but a curious lick or nibble of washed, unseasoned celery is different from eating dip, soup, stock or seasoned leftovers.
Cheese	🟡 In moderation	Best limited, and not a routine cat treat. VCA says cats should not be fed milk and notes many cats lose the ability to digest milk sugar after kittenhood.
Cherries	🟠 Best avoided	No practical reason to feed cherries to cats. Avoid cherries, especially pits, stems and leaves.
Chives	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat chives.
Chocolate	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat chocolate.
Christmas Cake	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat Christmas cake.
Christmas Pudding	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat Christmas pudding.
Cinnamon	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid cinnamon for cats. Cats do not need spices, and cinnamon powder, essential oils, spice mixes and heavily spiced desserts are not appropriate cat foods.
Coconut	🟡 In moderation	A tiny amount of plain coconut flesh may be okay for some cats, but it is not needed. Avoid chocolate coconut bars, sweet slices, coconut cream curries, alcohol desserts and rich baked goods.
Cooked Beef	🟢 Yes	Yes, cats can usually eat a tiny amount of plain lean cooked beef. Avoid cooked bones, fat trimmings, onion, garlic, gravy, marinades, pie filling and seasoned mince.
Cooked Chicken	🟢 Yes	Yes, cats can usually eat a little plain cooked boneless chicken, but it should not replace complete cat food. Avoid cooked bones, skin-heavy scraps, onion, garlic, gravy, stuffing and seasoning.
Cucumber	🟡 In moderation	Plain cucumber is not toxic to cats, but it is not needed in a cat's diet. If a cat wants a nibble, keep it washed, plain and away from dressings, onion, garlic or salty salads.
Curry	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid giving curry to cats. Curry commonly contains onion, garlic, salt, fat, chilli, spices, coconut cream, dairy or rich sauces.
Dog Food	🔴 No	Do not feed dog food as a cat's diet. VCA explains that cats and dogs have different nutritional needs, including taurine and other nutrients cats specifically require. Dog food is not formulated to be complete cat food.
Eggs	🟡 In moderation	Plain cooked egg only as a tiny occasional treat; avoid raw egg. VCA's raw food guidance for cats highlights bacterial and balance risks.
Fruit Mince Pies	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat fruit mince pies.
Garlic	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat garlic.
Garlic Bread	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat garlic bread.
Grapes	🔴 No	No. Cats should not be offered grapes, raisins or currants.
Green Beans	🟡 In moderation	Plain green beans are not a useful cat food, but a tiny plain nibble is different from seasoned leftovers. Do not feed green beans with onion, garlic, butter, salt, gravy or casserole sauce.
Ham	🟠 Best avoided	Best avoided. ASPCA advises avoiding processed meats such as lunch meat or bacon because they can be high in salt, and cats need complete cat food rather than processed human leftovers.
Hot Cross Buns	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat hot cross buns.
Instant Noodles	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat instant noodles.
Kiwifruit	🟢 Yes	Cats can usually have a tiny amount of plain peeled kiwifruit flesh, but they do not need fruit. Avoid skin, large chunks, fruit salad, syrup, alcohol desserts and any mix containing grapes or raisins.
Leeks	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat leeks.
Lunch Meat	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid giving lunch meat to cats. Processed slices are often salty, fatty, smoked or seasoned, and may contain onion, garlic or other unsuitable ingredients.
Meat Pies	🔴 No	No, cats should not eat meat pies. Pie pastry and fillings are usually rich, salty and fatty, and may contain onion, garlic, gravy or other unsafe ingredients.
Nutmeg	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid nutmeg for cats. A trace in a baked item is different from a cat eating spice directly, but nutmeg is not cat food and should be kept out of reach.
Onion Gravy	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat onion gravy.
Onions	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat onions.
Peaches	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid peaches for cats, especially peach stones, stems and leaves. A lick of plain peach flesh is not usually the main worry, but peaches are not useful cat food and the stone or dessert context can make them unsafe.
Peanut Butter	🟡 In moderation	Peanut butter is not a useful cat treat. If used at all, it must be plain and xylitol-free; avoid chocolate, sugar-free, salty and flavoured spreads.
Pecans	🔴 No	No, avoid giving pecans to cats. They are fatty, not useful cat nutrition, and often appear in sweet baking or nut mixes with other risky ingredients.
Pepperoni	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid giving pepperoni to cats. It is processed human food and may contain salt, fat, garlic, onion, chilli or smoke flavouring.
Pineapple	🟢 Yes	Cats can usually have a tiny amount of plain pineapple flesh, but it is not needed in their diet. Avoid tinned pineapple in syrup, fruit salad, alcohol desserts, rind and tough core.
Plums	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid plums for cats, especially the stone, stem and leaves. Cats do not need fruit treats, and a plum stone or sweet dessert plate is not worth the risk.
Popcorn	🟡 In moderation	A few pieces of plain air-popped popcorn are usually low risk for cats, but popcorn is not useful cat nutrition. Avoid butter, salt, caramel, cheese powder, chocolate and flavour sachets.
Pork	🟢 Yes	Cats can usually have a tiny piece of plain cooked pork, but skip ham, bacon, sausages, crackling, bones, marinades, onion, garlic and salty processed pork.
Pumpkin	🟡 In moderation	Cats can sometimes eat plain cooked pumpkin, but it should be unseasoned and secondary to complete cat food. Avoid pumpkin with butter, onion, garlic, salt, gravy, pie spices or sweet desserts.
Raisins	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat raisins, sultanas, currants or dried-fruit baking.
Raw Bread Dough	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat raw bread dough.
Raw Chicken	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid raw chicken as an ad hoc cat treat. VCA says raw food diets for cats raise infectious-disease, nutritional-balance and foreign-body concerns.
Raw Fish	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid raw fish as a routine cat treat. VCA's raw food guidance for cats highlights infectious-disease and nutritional-balance concerns, and VCA also warns against feeding tuna as a routine cat food.
Rice	🟡 In moderation	Plain cooked rice is usually low risk in a tiny amount, but it should not replace complete cat food. Avoid fried rice, salt, butter, stock, onion, garlic, sauces and leftovers.
Salami	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid giving salami to cats. It is processed human food and may contain salt, fat, garlic, onion, spices or smoke flavouring.
Salt	🔴 No	Cats should not be given salt as a treat, and very salty foods are best avoided. Salt-heavy snacks, cured meats, stock powder and salt dough are not cat foods.
Sausage Rolls	🔴 No	No, cats should not eat sausage rolls. The processed filling and pastry are usually salty, fatty and seasoned, and may contain onion, garlic or sauces.
Sausages	🟠 Best avoided	Avoid sausages for cats. Sausages are processed meats that are extremely high in sodium, fats, and seasonings like onion and garlic, which are dangerous to cats.
Spring Onions	🔴 No	No, cats should not eat spring onions. Avoid raw spring onion, cooked spring onion, garnishes, salads, stir-fries, noodles, dumplings and leftovers.
Stock Cubes	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat stock cubes.
Strawberries	🟢 Yes	Cats can usually have a tiny piece of plain strawberry, but fruit is not needed in a cat diet. Avoid cream, yoghurt, chocolate, jam, pavlova topping, syrup and mixed desserts.
Stuffing	🔴 No	No, cats should not eat stuffing. It can contain onion, garlic, chives, leeks, raisins, currants, alcohol, rich fat and salty seasoning.
Trifle	🔴 No	No. Cats should not eat trifle.
Tuna	🟡 In moderation	Not as a regular food. VCA says cats should not be fed tuna as a routine food.
Turkey	🟢 Yes	Yes, cats can usually eat a little plain cooked boneless turkey, but it should not replace complete cat food. Avoid cooked bones, stuffing, onion, garlic, gravy, skin-heavy scraps and seasoning.
Watermelon	🟢 Yes	Cats can usually have a tiny piece of plain watermelon flesh, but they do not need fruit. Remove rind and seeds and avoid fruit salad, syrup, alcohol desserts and grape-containing mixes.

Drinks

Drink	Safe for cats?	What to know
Alcohol	🔴 No	No. Cats should not drink alcohol.
Coffee	🔴 No	No. Cats should not drink coffee or eat coffee grounds, beans, caffeine tablets, energy drinks or coffee-flavoured desserts.
Milk	🔴 No	Usually no. Milk is a common cat myth, but VCA says cats should not be fed milk, and notes that many cats lose the ability to digest milk sugar after kittenhood. Milk can upset a cat's stomach.
Tea	🔴 No	No. Cats should not drink tea.

How to read this list

A 🟢 or 🟡 rating means a food is generally tolerated as an occasional, plain, properly prepared treat — not a meal, and not a daily habit. Treats of any kind should stay under about 10% of your cat's daily calories; the rest should come from a complete, balanced cat food. Introduce any new food in a tiny amount and watch for stomach upset.

A 🟠 or 🔴 rating means skip it. "Best avoided" foods aren't usually poisonous but carry a choking, fat, or digestive risk that isn't worth it. "No" foods are genuinely unsafe — some are toxic even in small amounts.

Individual cat tolerance varies, and this list is general guidance for healthy adult cats, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your cat has a health condition, is very young or old, or you're unsure, check with your vet first.

References

ASPCA Animal Poison Control, People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets, checked 2026-09-03: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets
ASPCA Animal Poison Control, Sharing Is Caring: Foods You Can Safely Share with Your Pet, checked 2026-09-03: https://www.aspca.org/news/sharing-caring-foods-you-can-safely-share-your-pet
Pet Poison Helpline, Poison List (toxins by severity): https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/
Merck Veterinary Manual, Food Hazards for Small Animals: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/special-pet-topics/poisoning/food-hazards
VCA Animal Hospitals, Raw Food Diets in Cats, checked 2026-09-03: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/avoiding-raw-food-in-cats
VCA Animal Hospitals, True or False: Milk and tuna are great foods for cats, checked 2026-09-03: https://vcahospitals.com/resources/preventive-cat/nutrition/true-or-false-milk-and-tuna-are-great-foods-for-cats
VCA Animal Hospitals, Feeding Multiple Pets, checked 2026-09-03: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-multiple-pets

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