Can Cats Eat Cashew Nuts? Cashews, Almonds & More

Nuts safety at a glance

Here is the quick reference before the detail. Note that even the “not toxic” nuts are not recommended, since none of them are a good idea for a cat.

Can cats eat cashew nuts?

Cashews are worth answering first, since they are the nut people most often ask about, usually after a cat helped itself to one.

A plain cashew is not toxic to a cat, so a single one that gets licked, chewed, or swallowed is very unlikely to cause real harm, and there is no need to panic if it happens. That is the reassuring part. The less reassuring part is that a cashew is still a poor thing to give a cat on purpose. Cashews are rich and high in fat, and a cat’s small digestive system does not handle a load of fat well, so a cashew or two can cause an upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea in a sensitive cat. They are often salted, which adds a separate problem, since cats need very little sodium and salty snacks are not good for them. And a whole cashew is a hard, awkwardly sized object for a small mouth and throat, which makes it a genuine choking or blockage risk, more so for a kitten or a small cat than for a person picturing a harmless little nut. Set against all that, a cashew offers a cat nothing it needs, so the sensible position is that cashews are not toxic but are firmly in the “no reason to give them” category. This is a useful mental model for the whole topic: with nuts, “will it poison my cat” and “should I give it to my cat” are two different questions, and a food can be a clear no on the second even when the answer to the first is reassuring. If your cat clearly loves the idea of a cashew, that is a preference worth redirecting to a proper cat treat rather than indulging with nuts.

It is worth saying why cats bother with cashews at all, since they cannot taste sweetness and are not natural nut eaters. Usually the interest is about fat and texture rather than the nut itself: a cashew is oily and rich, and a cat drawn to it is responding to the fattiness in the same way it would to a scrap of meat, not to any nutty flavor. Some cats also just like to play with a cashew, batting it across the floor, and end up chewing it out of curiosity rather than hunger. None of that changes the advice, but it does explain why an animal built for meat will sometimes show real enthusiasm for a nut, and why that enthusiasm is not a sign the nut is doing any good.

Why nuts are wrong for cats

To make sense of every nut on this page, it helps to understand the one fact that sits underneath all of them: a cat is built to eat meat, not plants.

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means their bodies are designed to get everything they need from animal protein and fat, and they are not equipped to make good use of plant foods. A nut is essentially a package of plant fat, fiber, and protein of a kind a cat cannot turn into much, so even setting aside the specific hazards, a nut is nutritionally pointless for a cat. It fills no gap, provides no benefit a complete cat food does not already cover, and simply adds fat and calories a small indoor animal does not need, which over time can nudge an already sedentary house cat toward the weight gain that brings its own health problems. This is the key difference from thinking about nuts for people or even for dogs, which are more omnivorous: for a cat, the question is not really “is this nut healthy” but “why give it at all,” since the answer to the second question is that there is no good reason. Once you see nuts as calories with no upside and several possible downsides, the whole topic gets simpler, and the recommendation to keep nuts away becomes easy rather than restrictive. The cat is not missing out on anything by never eating a nut.

This is also why comparisons to human or dog diets can mislead. People eat nuts as a healthy source of fats and protein, and dogs, being more omnivorous, can handle some plant foods reasonably well, so it is natural to assume nuts occupy a similar “healthy in moderation” spot for cats. They do not. A cat’s metabolism is specialized for animal tissue to a degree that dogs and people are not, which is why cats need certain nutrients preformed from meat that other animals can make for themselves. Judged by that standard, a nut is not a health food that happens to be risky; it is simply the wrong kind of food for the animal, which is a cleaner way to think about it than trying to weigh tiny nutritional pros against the cons.

Macadamia nuts: the one to fear

If there is one nut to treat as genuinely dangerous rather than merely unnecessary, it is the macadamia, and it deserves its own clear warning.

The reason macadamias stand apart is that, unlike cashews or peanuts, they are not just a fatty, pointless snack but a nut with a documented toxic effect in a closely related pet. In dogs, even a small number can cause weakness in the back legs, tremors, a raised temperature, and vomiting, and while the exact mechanism is still not fully understood, the effect is well recorded. Cats are not dogs, and there is less data on macadamia poisoning in cats specifically, but that lack of data is a reason for caution rather than comfort: it would be a mistake to assume a nut that reliably poisons dogs is fine for cats simply because no one has proven otherwise. The safe and simple rule is to put macadamia nuts firmly on the do-not-give list, watch for them in baked goods and snack mixes where they are easy to overlook, and treat any cat that has eaten one as a reason to call the vet for advice, especially if the cat then seems weak, wobbly, or unwell.

Macadamias hide in more places than people expect, which is part of the risk. They show up in premium cookies, in white-chocolate-and-macadamia baked goods, in some cereals and granolas, and in gift tins of mixed nuts, so a cat does not need to find a bag of raw macadamias to be exposed. The double hazard of a white-chocolate macadamia cookie is a good example of why coatings matter, since it pairs a questionable nut with chocolate, which is itself toxic to cats. If you keep macadamia products in the house, storing them in closed containers well out of a cat’s reach is the simplest safeguard, and it is worth mentioning to anyone who might offer your cat a nibble of a cookie without realizing what is in it.

Almonds, sweet and bitter

Almonds are worth splitting in two, because the almonds people eat and the bitter almonds that turn up in some products are very different in how dangerous they are.

Sweet almonds, the ordinary snacking and baking almonds, are not classically toxic to cats, so a small piece is unlikely to poison one. As with cashews, though, they are hard, high in fat, a choking risk, and completely unnecessary for a cat, so they belong in the “avoid, no reason to give” group rather than the panic group. Bitter almonds are a genuinely different and more serious matter, and the distinction is not just pedantry, since bitter almonds are a real ingredient in some imported products and traditional recipes. They contain compounds that release cyanide, which is why bitter almonds are not sold as a casual snack in the way sweet almonds are, and they should never be given to a cat under any circumstances. Almond products can also blur the line: almond milk is not a good drink for a cat, though it is not usually acutely toxic in a lick, and marzipan or almond-flavored sweets bring sugar and sometimes other problem ingredients. The practical takeaway is that a stray sweet almond is a “watch and don’t repeat” situation, bitter almonds are a hard no, and there is no version of almond that a cat actually benefits from eating.

Almond milk is worth a separate word because it turns up in so many homes now and cats are curious about it. A lick of plain unsweetened almond milk is not usually a poisoning risk, but it is not a good drink for a cat: it offers nothing a cat needs, and the sweetened or flavored versions add sugar and sometimes other problem ingredients. It is not a substitute for water and not a treat worth encouraging, so the sensible line is the same as with the nuts themselves, that there is no reason to give it. If a cat seems drawn to your almond milk, plain fresh water and a proper cat treat cover the same ground far more safely.

Peanuts and peanut butter

Peanuts feel harmless and peanut butter feels like a classic treat, which is exactly why this pair is worth a careful look, since peanut butter in particular hides a real risk.

Plain peanuts, which are technically a legume rather than a true nut, are not toxic to cats, so a crumb of one will not poison a cat, but they are fatty and often salty and, like every nut here, give a cat nothing it needs. The fact that they are so common in the house, in shells, in snack bowls, and as an ingredient, makes them one of the nuts a cat is most likely to encounter, which is a reason to be a little more mindful of where they are left rather than a reason to worry about the odd crumb. The bigger issue is peanut butter, because it is the form most likely to end up in front of a cat, whether as a treat or as a way to hide a pill. Peanut butter is very high in fat, is frequently salted, is sticky enough to be awkward for a cat to swallow, and, most importantly, some brands contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is dangerous to pets even in small amounts. That last point is the one that turns peanut butter from merely unhealthy into potentially serious, since a sugar-free or “no added sugar” peanut butter is exactly the kind most likely to contain xylitol. For all these reasons, peanut butter is best kept away from cats, and if you have been using it to give medication, it is worth switching to a purpose-made pill treat or asking your vet for a safer technique. A cat that gets into ordinary peanut butter is usually a watch-and-monitor situation, but one that eats a xylitol-containing product is a call-the-vet situation.

The pill-hiding habit deserves a little more attention, because it is such a common and well-meaning reason cats end up eating peanut butter at all. It seems harmless to tuck a tablet into a dab of peanut butter, and for a single dose it usually is, but as a routine it exposes a cat to fat and salt daily and runs the xylitol risk if the jar ever gets swapped for a sugar-free one. There are purpose-made soft pill treats designed exactly for this, with a pocket to hide a tablet, and they are built to be safe for cats and appealing enough that most take them readily. A vet can also show you techniques for giving a pill directly, or dispense medication in a more palatable form. Any of these is a better long-term answer than peanut butter for a cat that needs regular medication.

Walnuts, pecans, and pistachios

The larger, oilier nuts like walnuts and pecans, along with pistachios, round out the list, and they lean toward the riskier end for a couple of specific reasons.

Walnuts are best avoided outright. They are very high in fat and large and hard enough to be a real choking and blockage hazard, and moldy walnuts in particular can carry mold toxins that affect the nervous system and cause tremors or worse. Black walnuts and the outer casings of walnuts are additional hazards to keep away from any pet. Pecans sit in much the same place, being fatty, hard, and prone to the same mold toxins when they go off, and like walnuts they are large enough to be a real obstruction risk if a cat swallows one whole. Pistachios add their own wrinkles: they are usually sold heavily salted and often still in a shell, and the shell is a choking and obstruction risk on top of the salt, so a salted pistachio is a clear no. Across this whole group the message is consistent, that these are fatty, hard, easily moldy nuts that offer a cat nothing and carry more risk than the softer nuts, so the sensible approach is simply to keep all of them away from cats and not treat any of them as a snack to share.

Mold deserves a specific mention because it is a risk that has nothing to do with the nut being a nut. Tree nuts like walnuts and pecans are prone to a mold that produces tremorgenic mycotoxins, compounds that can cause muscle tremors and seizures in pets, and these are found in nuts and other moldy foods rather than being unique to any one nut. A nut that looks or smells slightly off should never be given to a cat, and compost bins or bowls of nuts left out are worth keeping away from a cat for exactly this reason. It is another argument for the simple blanket rule with this group: keep them out of reach, and do not rely on being able to judge which individual nut is safe.

Salted, chocolate, and flavored nuts

Whatever the nut, the coating often matters more than the nut itself, and this is where an “avoid” food can tip over into a genuinely toxic one.

Most nuts people eat are not plain. They come salted, roasted in oil, coated in chocolate or yogurt, dusted with flavorings, or mixed into snacks with other ingredients, and several of those additions are worse for a cat than the nut underneath. Salt is the most common problem, since heavily salted nuts deliver far more sodium than a cat should have. Chocolate-covered nuts are outright dangerous, because chocolate is toxic to cats, so a chocolate-coated almond or peanut is a real hazard regardless of the nut inside it. Flavored nuts can carry garlic or onion powder, both toxic to cats, and sweetened or “sugar-free” coatings can contain xylitol. Nut mixes and trail mixes compound the problem by combining several of these risks, and by often including raisins, which are toxic to cats, alongside the nuts. The practical rule is that if a nut is anything other than plain and unsalted, you should assume the coating adds a danger, and treat coated, seasoned, or chocolate nuts as things to keep well away rather than as a slightly worse version of a plain nut.

Trail mix is the classic trap here, and it is worth calling out on its own because it looks so innocent sitting in a bowl. A typical mix combines nuts with raisins or other dried fruit, chocolate pieces, and salt, which means a single handful can bring together several distinct hazards for a cat at once: the fat and choking risk of the nuts, the toxicity of chocolate, the danger of raisins, which are toxic to cats, and a heavy dose of salt. A cat that raids a bowl of trail mix is therefore a more concerning situation than one that eats a single plain nut, and it is worth knowing roughly what was in the mix if you need to call the vet. The safest habit is to keep snack mixes covered and out of reach rather than left in an open bowl where a cat can help itself.

Choking and blockage risks

One risk runs through every nut on this page regardless of toxicity, and it is easy to underestimate because it has nothing to do with poisoning: the physical hazard of the nut itself.

A cat is a small animal with a small mouth and throat, and a whole nut is a hard, rounded object of roughly the wrong size and shape to be safe if a cat tries to gulp it. That makes any whole nut a choking risk, and if one is swallowed it can also lodge further down and cause a blockage in the gut, which is a serious problem that can need veterinary treatment. Kittens and smaller cats are at greater risk simply because of their size, since a nut that an adult cat might manage can be genuinely dangerous in a much smaller mouth and throat. Shells make this worse, which is part of why shelled pistachios and the casings of walnuts are singled out, since a fragment of shell is sharp as well as hard. This physical danger is a big part of why even the non-toxic nuts are not worth giving: you are risking a choke or a blockage for a treat the cat does not need and cannot use. If you ever see a cat pawing at its mouth, retching, drooling, or struggling to swallow after getting hold of a nut, treat it as an urgent problem and contact your vet straight away.

The blockage risk is worth understanding as distinct from choking, because it can show up later rather than straight away. A nut that goes down without choking the cat can still be too much for the gut to pass, particularly in a small cat or a kitten, and the signs of an obstruction, repeated vomiting, a loss of appetite, straining, or a tender belly, may develop over a day or two rather than immediately. That delay is one reason not to shrug off a cat that swallowed a whole nut just because it seemed fine in the moment. Keeping an eye on the cat over the following days, and watching that it is eating, drinking, and passing stool normally, is a sensible precaution, and any of those obstruction signs is a reason to call the vet promptly.

What to do if your cat ate a nut

Because most nut incidents are accidental rather than deliberate, it helps to know exactly how to respond, since the right reaction depends on which nut and how much.

For a single plain nut like a cashew, peanut, or sweet almond, the usual situation is mild: keep an eye on your cat for the next day for any vomiting, diarrhea, or signs of stomach upset, make sure fresh water is available, and simply do not offer nuts again. Most cats that snaffle one plain nut are completely fine, and a single nut is far more likely to cause a bit of stomach upset than anything serious. The picture changes and warrants a call to the vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if the nut was a macadamia, if it was chocolate-covered or came from a xylitol-containing product like some peanut butters, if the cat ate a large quantity, or if the cat shows worrying signs such as weakness, tremors, repeated vomiting, or trouble breathing. A separate reason to seek help is the physical one: if the cat is retching, drooling, pawing at its mouth, or seems unable to swallow, a nut may be stuck, and that is urgent regardless of whether the nut was toxic. When you are unsure which category you are in, a quick phone call for advice is always the safer choice, and having the packet to hand helps the vet know exactly what the cat ate.

Better treats than nuts

Since the appeal of sharing a nut is usually just wanting to give the cat a little something, it is worth ending on what to give instead, because the alternatives are both safer and far more appealing to a cat.

A cat is a meat eater, so the treats it actually wants and can use are meat-based ones. A small piece of plain cooked chicken or turkey, a little plain cooked fish, or a purpose-made cat treat gives the cat something it genuinely enjoys and can digest, without any of the fat, salt, choking, or toxicity worries that come with nuts. Lickable meat or fish treats are another good option, especially if part of the appeal of peanut butter was the sticky, lickable texture, since a meaty lickable treat scratches the same itch in a form built for cats. If you like the ritual of sharing your snack, keeping a few cat treats nearby to offer at the same time is a simple swap that keeps everyone happy, so the cat gets its treat while you have your nuts, and nobody is at risk. The underlying point is that a cat never needs a nut for anything, so redirecting that impulse to a proper treat costs you nothing and takes every nut risk off the table. And because cats thrive on routine, a cat that is offered a small meat treat at the moment you reach for your own snack quickly learns to expect that instead, and stops showing any interest in the nuts at all. Nuts can stay firmly in the human snack bowl, and the cat loses nothing at all.

Frequently asked questions