Can Cats Eat Salt?

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

Cats need a small amount of sodium in a complete food; they do not need added salt. Because cats are small, a handful of crisps or a salty takeaway can deliver a large dose relative to body weight, and the result is salt poisoning — vomiting, thirst, tremors, wobbliness and, in severe cases, seizures.

It also is not only about the salt cellar. Salt dough decorations, homemade play dough, stock cubes, gravy granules, bacon and crisps all carry concentrated salt, and a cat that chews a salt dough ornament at Christmas can become seriously unwell.

What to watch for in the UK

• Christmas salt dough ornaments and homemade decorations are a seasonal hazard.
• Crisps, chips, gravy, stock cubes, olives and takeaways are the everyday sources.
• Do not add salt to a cat's water or food, including in hot weather.
• A cat that drinks a lot after salty food can be showing early salt toxicity, not just thirst.

If your cat has already eaten it

1. Phone your vet for advice, especially if a large amount was eaten or the cat is small or elderly.
2. Offer water but do not force it.
3. Watch for vomiting, tremors, wobbliness or seizures — go to an emergency vet if any appear.

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 and vomiting blood. 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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