Can Cats Eat Eggs?

Is It Generally Considered Safe for Cats?

Small amounts of fully cooked, plain egg — no salt, butter, onion, or garlic — are generally considered a safe occasional treat for cats, and can even offer some usable protein and amino acids. Raw eggs are a different story and aren't recommended. As obligate carnivores, cats have a genuine ability to use the animal protein in egg, but that doesn't mean raw preparation is safe just because a cat could theoretically handle animal-derived food in that form.

How It May Be Served, If Appropriate

Cornell's Catwatch newsletter describes egg as a useful source of protein and amino acids for cats when it's thoroughly cooked and unseasoned — think a small amount of plain scrambled or hard-boiled egg, with no added salt or pepper. Keep portions small and infrequent; it's a treat, not a food group.

Relevant Nutritional Context

Cats, as obligate carnivores, can efficiently use the high-quality animal protein and amino acids that egg provides, which is part of why it's tolerated well in small quantities. Egg is not a substitute for a complete, balanced diet, though — it's a supplemental treat, not a nutritional foundation.

What Parts or Preparations to Avoid

Raw or undercooked egg carries a real bacterial risk. VCA Animal Hospitals' guidance on home-prepared diets warns that raw meat, raw milk, raw eggs, raw bones, and poultry are commonly contaminated with bacteria, some of which are pathogenic — Salmonella and similar pathogens are the concern with raw egg specifically.

Raw egg white adds a second, more specific issue: it contains avidin, a protein that binds the B-vitamin biotin and can interfere with its absorption if raw egg white is fed repeatedly or in quantity. A peer-reviewed feline study has documented biotin deficiency effects in cats, confirming cats are physiologically susceptible to this mechanism the same way other species are. This is a cumulative-diet-level concern tied to a diet heavy in raw egg white, not something triggered by a single taste — and cooking egg destroys avidin's biotin-binding activity, which is exactly why cooked egg is the recommended form. Added salt, butter, or onion/garlic seasoning should also be left out entirely.

When Caution May Be Appropriate

Cats on a raw or home-prepared diet that regularly includes raw egg whites warrant extra thought, as do cats with an existing GI or immune condition where a Salmonella exposure would carry more risk.

What to Do If There Is a Concern

If a cat shows vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy after eating raw egg, or has consumed a large quantity, contact a veterinarian.