Can Cats Eat Eggs?

Updated 18 October 2026 · Researched against PDSA, Cats Protection and International Cat Care guidance

Egg is a good source of protein and most cats like it. Scrambled or boiled without salt, butter, milk or seasoning, cut into small pieces, makes a reasonable occasional treat — it is not a balanced diet on its own.

Raw egg white contains avidin, which binds biotin; fed regularly, that can lead to a biotin deficiency. Raw eggs also carry a salmonella risk for the cat and for anyone handling the bowl. There is no benefit to feeding them raw.

What to watch for in the UK

• No salt, no butter, no cheese stirred in — the additions are the problem, not the egg.
• Do not give the shell: it is a salmonella risk and can splinter.
• Egg is not a substitute for a complete cat food, even as a regular topper.
• Duck and quail eggs follow the same rules.

If your cat has already eaten it

1. Cooked egg: no action needed.
2. Raw egg: watch for vomiting or diarrhoea over 24 hours and wash your hands after handling the bowl.

Out of hours, use your practice's emergency number. If you can, take the packaging with you — the ingredient list often tells the vet more than the description does. This page explains risk; it cannot diagnose your cat, and it deliberately contains no doses or home treatments.

If your cat is already vomiting, see the cat vomiting guide. For the wider red-flag checklist, use sick cat symptoms. If a plant rather than a food is involved, the toxic plants checklist is the right page.

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