Can Cats Eat Grapes?

Grapes are a delicious and nutritious snack for humans. Whether you’re just having a quick snack or devouring a whole bunch, grapes are a sweet and convenient way to help make sure you get your 2 servings of fruit a day. 

But what about if you want to share some of these juicy little treats with your fur-baby? Can cats eat grapes? The answer is no — it’s not safe to feed your cat grapes. Keep reading to find out why that’s the case.

Humans have been cultivating grapes for thousands of years, and it’s not hard to see why. These vine-grown berries are not only used to make wine, butalso offer a wide range of health benefits. 

Grapes are high in antioxidants and are a good source of vitamin K as well as a range of other nutrients. They also contain a phytonutrient known as resveratrol, which studies have shown helps improve heart health.

Grapes can be seeded or seedless, and they come in a diverse selection of colors — red, green, black, purple, pink, yellow, and more. And while the majority of grapes grown around the world are cultivated for winemaking purposes, they’re also a popular choice for anyone looking for a quick, easy, and nutritious snack.

It’s quite widely known that grapes aren't safe for dogs to eat. While it’s not known exactly why grapes are poisonous to dogs, grape poisoning can cause severe and acute kidney failure in our canine companions. So, do grapes pose the same health risks to felines?

The unfortunate answer is that we don’t really know. While there’s reportedly some anecdotal evidence of grapes causing similar health problems in cats, there’s no scientific evidence to support this. 

The advice from Pet Poison Helpline is that all grapes can cause toxicity, and most (if not all) products that contain grapes can cause toxicity. This includes everything from grape juice to trail mix that includes raisins.

Hopefully, we’ll one day know for sure whether grapes pose any serious health risks to cats. In the meantime, it’s recommended that you never feed grapes to your cat, and that you also make sure your kitty can’t get their paws on any grapes when you’re not watching.

It’s also worth pointing out that there’s no nutritional need for cats to eat grapes in the first place. Cats are obligate carnivores, and feeding a high-quality cat food will ensure that all their nutritional needs are met. Studies have also shown that cats can’t taste sweetness in the same way we humans can — so there’s absolutely no reason to take the risk of feeding your cat grapes.

OK, so grapes are off the menu for your feline friend, but what about raisins? Unfortunately, the answer is once again no, raisins aren’t safe for cats to eat. 

With this in mind, it’s important to be aware of the many different products that may contain raisins. Raisin bread, cookies, and some snack bars can contain raisins or raisin paste, so be very careful if your kitty looks like they might like to share your snack.

Your mischievous kitty has just helped themselves to a grape snack from your kitchen counter — what should you do?

In dogs, the symptoms of grape poisoning can include:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Lethargy

• Weakness 

• Reduced appetite

• Abdominal pain

• Excessive thirst

• Lack of urine production

• Tremors

Due to the fact that so little is known about grape poisoning in cats, the safest approach is to treat the situation as an emergency. If you notice any of the symptoms of grape toxicity, contact your veterinarian, the Pet Poison Helpline, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately for advice on what to do next.

It would certainly be super convenient if we could give grapes to our cats, but the risks involved mean it’s just not safe. There are some fruits that are safe for cats to eat in small amounts, but others like citrus fruits can also cause poisoning in our furry friends. Check with your veterinarian before introducing any new food to your cat’s diet.

However, it’s also worth remembering that fruit is not a necessary part of your cat’s diet. Because they’re obligate carnivores, cats don’t require fruit to ensure that all their nutritional needs are satisfied. This also means that many kitties will show little to no interest in fruit of any kind, grapes included, which can be very handy when it comes to keeping your fur-baby safe and healthy.