Can cats eat ice cream?

Updated 27/04/2023

While us humans might agree that ice cream is the perfect end to any meal or the ideal company for a stroll by the sea, can the cold stuff be enjoyed by other species? Can cats eat ice cream? Is ice cream safe for cats? Here we explore whether or not it’s safe for our feline friends to share this popular dessert with their humans…

Can cats have ice cream? 

Ice cream is made with milk, which as you probably know, contains lactose. Most of our feline friends are lactose intolerant - something they develop as they transition into adulthood and onto solid food. So what does this tell us about whether cats can eat ice cream? Well their bodies literally reject it in adulthood, causing all sorts of nasty yet avoidable symptoms.

Is ice cream poisonous to cats?

Much like lactose intolerance in humans, eating dairy ice cream will cause an upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. Along with those uncomfortable symptoms, ice cream is full of fat - even more than milk (which your cat shouldn’t be consuming, either). The truth is, despite how much cats might enjoy lapping at a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream, the amount of fat in one serving (lactose intolerance aside) won’t allow for your cat to get the other nutrients they need for the day without being way over their recommended calorie intake.

Can cats eat vanilla ice cream?

It’s still no. No matter the flavor of the ice cream, the answer to can cats have ice cream remains no. While a small lick of ice cream may not cause terrible symptoms or weight gain, it’s not worth the risk in our books.

Can cats eat chocolate ice cream?

It’s a double no! Along with the lactose and fat, chocolate is really bad for our feline friends. It contains caffeine and theobromine which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, low blood pressure and even seizures, cardiac failure or coma.

Meet our veterinary expert, Emma

This article has been checked by veterinarian Emma Chandley, BVetMed MRCVS PGCertSAS. Emma graduated from the Royal Vet College in London in 2011. She has a keen interest in surgery and went on to do a postgraduate certificate in small animal surgery and was then awarded advanced practitioner status in the same discipline.

What other foods are unsafe for cats?

It turns out that lots of the food us humans can get stuck into with no bother is actually pretty harmful for our feline friends. Below find a few of these and check out our blog with more info on what cats can and can’t eat.

• Cheese
• Milk
• Garlic
• Wild mushrooms
• Citrus fruit
• Onions
• Grapes and raisins 
• Chocolate