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 (April 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) · April 2026 Each food is classified safe / caution / unsafe / toxic per species from ASPCA toxicity references and veterinary toxicology consensus.
Every figure on PlainPetFood is rendered directly from federal and industry source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal and industry source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.