Updated
Cat food safety
Can Cats Eat Paper? No, Remove It
No, remove it
No. Paper is not food, so remove it and watch what your cat actually swallowed.
PaperAsk your vet
Call your veterinarian promptly if your cat swallowed more than a tiny piece, ate coated or adhesive paper, is gagging, vomits, stops eating, or seems painful.
Size and coating matter
A tiny plain scrap is different from a wad of paper towel, tape, ribbon, receipt paper, or food-soaked wrapper.
Repeated chewing needs a plan
If your cat seeks out paper, look for stress, boredom, nausea, dental discomfort, or pica with your veterinarian.
How to handle it
- Take away the paper, cardboard, tissues, wrappers, string, tape, and adhesive pieces.
- Check what kind of paper it was and whether any coating, ink, staples, ribbon, glue, or food residue was involved.
Avoid
- Receipts, wrappers, tape, glue, staples, string, ribbon, cardboard chunks, paper towels, napkins with food grease, scented tissues, and repeated paper chewing.
- Waiting if your cat is gagging, vomiting, straining, refusing food, or may have swallowed a large piece.
Watch
- Gagging, coughing, vomiting, drooling, belly pain, hiding, refusing food, constipation, diarrhea, or repeated attempts to vomit.
Portion
No serving. If swallowed, estimate the amount and type of paper.
Helpful food-safety supplies
Optional tools for measuring, storing, serving, and cleaning up tiny portions safely.
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