Research · by the numbers
Pet Food Safety: By the Numbers
How many of the 160 most-asked-about human foods are actually safe for dogs and cats? A plain-language summary of the PlainPetFood safety database, with every figure linkable and sourced.
- Safe for dogs
- 33%
- Safe for cats
- 21%
- Foods analyzed
- 160
- Safe for both
- 21%
Of the 160 common human foods in the PlainPetFood database, just 33% are safe for dogs and 21% are safe for cats - only 21% are safe for both species. Cats, as obligate carnivores, have measurably fewer safe foods than dogs. The single most dangerous category is processed foods (100% unsafe or toxic), while the safest is seafood (54% safe).
Key statistics
Safety breakdown: dogs vs cats
How the catalogued foods rate for each species
Dogs: 53 safe, 62 caution, 45 unsafe/toxic. Cats: 33 safe, 74 caution, 53 unsafe/toxic.
Which food categories are most dangerous?
| Category | Foods | % safe | % unsafe / toxic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍕 Processed Foods | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| 🍬 Sweets & Desserts | 18 | 0% | 78% |
| 🥛 Beverages | 16 | 13% | 75% |
| 🥘 Other Foods | 22 | 23% | 36% |
| 🥜 Nuts & Seeds | 26 | 23% | 35% |
| 🍎 Fruits | 56 | 13% | 34% |
| 🥚 Dairy & Eggs | 18 | 11% | 33% |
| 🌿 Herbs & Spices | 26 | 35% | 27% |
| 🍗 Meat & Poultry | 34 | 53% | 24% |
| 🥦 Vegetables | 50 | 34% | 18% |
| 🌾 Grains & Legumes | 26 | 23% | 15% |
| 🐟 Seafood | 26 | 54% | 0% |
Combined dog + cat ratings per category, ordered by share unsafe or toxic.
Cite this page
These figures are free to cite with attribution to PlainPetFood. Suggested citation:
“Pet Food Safety: By the Numbers,” PlainPetFood (August 2026). 33% of 160 common human foods are safe for dogs; 21% for cats. https://plainpetfood.com/research/pet-food-safety-statistics
Read our methodology - how each food is classified and how these figures are computed.
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center + veterinary toxicology consensus + AAFCO PlainPetFood pet-food safety classification (toxicity level per food × species) · August 2026 Each food is classified safe / caution / unsafe / toxic per species from ASPCA toxicity references and veterinary toxicology consensus.
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. These statistics are computed from the food-safety archive; the page identifies where a named FDA or ASPCA source supports a food-level hazard. 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.