Can cats eat cheese? How much is safe

Cats can eat a very small amount of plain cheese, but only with care. Cheese is not toxic to cats, yet most adult cats digest lactose poorly, and cheese is salty and fatty. Think of it as an occasional crumb, not a food. Cheese that is blue-veined, moldy, or flavored with garlic, onion or chives is off limits.

Is cheese bad for cats?

It can be, for three reasons.

• Lactose. Kittens make an enzyme called lactase to digest their mother's milk. Most cats make much less of it after weaning. Undigested lactose ferments in the gut and can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and sometimes vomiting, usually within a day of eating dairy.
• Salt. Cheese is one of the saltier foods in the fridge, and a cat is small.
• Fat and calories. A cube of cheese that is a snack for a person is a large share of the calories a cat needs in a day.

Some cats tolerate a little cheese with no trouble, and others get loose stools from a nibble. A small number are allergic to dairy proteins, which can show up as itchy skin or stomach upset. You only find out by watching your own cat.

Is cheese good for cats?

Not in any way that matters. Cheese contains protein and calcium, but a complete cat food already supplies both in the right balance. Cats do not need dairy at any age after weaning. The only real case for cheese is that some cats love it, which makes it useful as a rare treat.

Hard cheese, soft cheese and cream cheese compared

The type of cheese changes the risk. As a general pattern, aging removes lactose, so hard aged cheeses contain less of it than soft fresh ones. They tend to be saltier, though.

Can cats eat cream cheese?

A lick of plain cream cheese is unlikely to harm a healthy cat, but it is one of the poorer choices. It is mostly fat, it has more lactose than hard cheese, and many tubs are flavored. Chive, onion, garlic and "herb" cream cheeses must not be given at all. Sweetened versions, cheesecake and frosting are also out.

Cheeses a cat should never have

• Anything with garlic, onion, chives, leeks or shallots, fresh or powdered. These damage a cat's red blood cells, and cats are more sensitive to them than dogs. If your cat ate some, call your vet or an animal poison control line now.
• Blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Stilton. The molds that ripen them can produce a substance that has caused vomiting, tremors and seizures in dogs. Keep them away from cats too.
• Moldy cheese from the back of the fridge or the trash, for the same reason.
• Unpasteurized (raw milk) cheeses, which carry a higher risk of harmful bacteria.
• Cheese with added extras, such as chili, cured meats, raisins or other fruit, or nuts.
• Processed cheese products, spreads, sauces and cheese-flavored snacks, which are high in salt and additives.

Cheese on pizza, pasta or sandwiches usually comes with onion or garlic in the sauce, so do not share those either. Chocolate desserts made with cream cheese carry a separate risk, covered in can cats eat chocolate.

How much cheese can a cat have?

For a healthy adult cat, a crumb about the size of a pea, once in a while, is a sensible limit. Not every day, and not a slice or a cube. A common rule of thumb is to keep all treats together to about a tenth of daily calories, and cheese uses that allowance up fast.

The first time, give a single crumb of plain hard cheese and watch the litter box for a day. If you see loose stools, gas or vomiting, your cat does not tolerate it, and that is the end of the experiment.

Cheese and older cats

Age makes cheese a worse fit, because the conditions that salt, fat and phosphorus affect become common.

• Kidney disease. Cheese is high in both sodium and phosphorus, and phosphorus is what kidney diets restrict most carefully. A cat with kidney disease should not have cheese unless the vet has agreed to it.
• Heart disease and high blood pressure. Vets often advise avoiding salty extras for cats with heart disease.
• Weight. Less active senior cats gain weight easily, and small daily extras are a common cause. See weight management for senior pets.
• Pancreatitis and sensitive stomachs. Rich, fatty food is best avoided in cats with a history of either.
• Diarrhea. An older cat dehydrates faster than a young one. If dairy sets off diarrhea in an older cat, it is more than a nuisance.

Hiding a daily pill in cheese

This is how many senior cats end up eating cheese every day. A pea-sized piece once is nothing. The same piece every day for months, sometimes more than once a day, is a steady source of salt and calories for a cat that may have kidney or heart disease.

There is a second problem. Some medicines, including certain antibiotics, are absorbed less well when given with dairy. Before you use cheese, ask your vet or pharmacist whether it is acceptable for that particular medicine. Also ask about alternatives: soft treats made for hiding pills, a flavored liquid or chew version of the drug, or a small ball of your cat's own wet food. Our page on cats and peanut butter goes through the ways to pill a senior cat.

Call the vet today if

• Your cat ate cheese or a cheese dish containing garlic, onion, chives or leeks. Call your vet or an animal poison control line now, even if your cat seems fine.
• Your cat ate blue or moldy cheese, especially if you see vomiting, twitching, tremors or wobbliness. Tremors or a seizure are an emergency.
• Your cat vomits repeatedly, or has diarrhea that lasts more than a day, is watery or contains blood.
• Your cat is dull, hiding, hunched or will not eat after getting into cheese.
• You see pale gums, weakness or fast breathing in the days after your cat ate anything with onion or garlic.
• Your cat has kidney disease, heart disease or pancreatitis and ate more than a nibble.
• You see facial swelling, hives or trouble breathing.

This article is general educational information, not veterinary advice. How well a cat tolerates cheese varies, and a small amount that suits one cat can make another ill, particularly an older cat with kidney disease, heart disease or pancreatitis. Ask your veterinarian before giving cheese regularly or using it to give medicine.