Can Cats Eat Walnut?
Food-safety reference.
Short answer
No, walnut 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: Neurological signs. 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. Walnut is toxic to cats.
Food-safety rating slip
Cats can-eat rating TOXIC Walnut
TOXIC · Nuts & Seeds · 38.5% cat-haz
- LEVEL toxic
- DOG toxic
- SHARE 38.5% haz
- RISK 2 risks
- BEN 0 benefits
- SYMP listed
- SRC ASPCA Animal Po…
- PHOTO Almonds
Category photo peer: Almonds (caution)
Cat rating for walnut is toxic. Dogs: toxic. Nuts & Seeds 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 Walnut. Inside nuts & seeds, 2 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
- ⚠ Juglone toxic
- ⚠ Mold risk
Warning Signs
Neurological signs
If your cat shows these symptoms, contact your vet or call ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435
Also Safe for Dogs?
Any walnut can be moldy; black walnuts specifically contain juglone; avoid all varieties
Full dog safety guide for Walnut →🚨 Pet Poison Emergency
ASPCA Animal Poison Control
888-426-4435
24/7, consultation fee may apply
Other Nuts & Seeds for Cats
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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.