TOXIC 🌿 Herbs & Spices
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center citation Named source linked below Cat-specific rating

Can Cats Eat Nutmeg?

Food-safety reference.

Short answer

No, nutmeg is toxic to cats.

According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which names this food among those dangerous to pets, our cat rating is toxic. Portion guidance: None. Watch for: Seizures, CNS effects. The same food is rated toxic for dogs; feline metabolism often differs, so do not transfer the dog rating. Ask your veterinarian about your own animal.

No. Nutmeg is toxic to cats.

Food-safety rating slip

Cats can-eat rating TOXIC Nutmeg

TOXIC · Herbs & Spices · 30.8% cat-haz

  • LEVEL toxic
  • DOG toxic
  • SHARE 30.8% haz
  • RISK 2 risks
  • BEN 0 benefits
  • SYMP listed
  • SRC ASPCA Animal Po…
  • PHOTO Basil

Category photo peer: Basil (safe)

Nutmeg (this)4Chili Pepper3Oregano3Salt3Black Pepper2Cinnamon2
Cats hazard band in this category (4=toxic · 3=unsafe · 2=caution · 1=safe)

Cat rating for nutmeg is toxic. Dogs: toxic. Herbs & Spices neighbourhood compares 6 foods by hazard band. Band scores are ordinal (toxic=4 → safe=1), not clinical doses. Read with this food →

Category standing

Toxic on both the cat and dog charts

Cats and dogs share a toxic rating for Nutmeg. Inside herbs & spices, 1 of 13 cat ratings are toxic. this is a household-wide keep-away, not a species-specific quirk.

Source for this food: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which names it among the foods dangerous to pets. Portion, preparation and symptom detail on this page is our own editorial guidance.

Portion & Preparation

Recommended Portion
None

Risks & Warnings

  • Same toxins as dogs
  • Cats more sensitive

Warning Signs

Seizures, CNS effects

If your cat shows these symptoms, contact your vet or call ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435

Also Safe for Dogs?

TOXIC Dogs must never eat nutmeg

Found in many baked goods; check ingredient lists; hallucinations reported

Full dog safety guide for Nutmeg →

🚨 Pet Poison Emergency

ASPCA Animal Poison Control

888-426-4435

24/7, consultation fee may apply

Other Herbs & Spices for Cats

Rating bands and editorial notes are rendered from PlainPetFood's food-safety archive. See our methodology for how we evaluate evidence and label named authority sources. For general pet-food safety information, visit the FDA's pet-food safety guidance.

PlainPetFood publishes an editorial food-safety compilation. When the FDA or ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center names a food as dangerous, that food's page links the source; other ratings are identified as editorial guidance. Its cat rating, portion, preparation notes and warning signs are rendered from the food-safety archive; a named FDA or ASPCA source is linked above when that authority names this food. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, report a correction, the methodology behind these numbers, or contact the editorial team. Data current as of August 29, 2026.