My cat ate antifreeze – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 4 sources

Based on: US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine, Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS), Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Even around a teaspoon of concentrated antifreeze can cause kidney failure and death in cats.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what was eaten, how much and when.
Bring the packaging.
Remove what is left and keep your cat calm.

Don't

Do not make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do not give any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Even around a teaspoon of concentrated antifreeze can cause kidney failure and death in cats.^[2] In cats, the reported minimum lethal dose of undiluted ethylene glycol is approximately 1.4 mL/kg, and most untreated animals die within 24–72 hours after ingestion.^[4]

Signs to watch for

Kidney failure

Where it is found

Leaking vehicles
Containers in garages and storage sheds
Winterized RV plumbing, including toilets
Improperly disposed vehicular waste fluids

What the experts say

“Cats are very susceptible to ethylene glycol and even a very small amount (around a teaspoon of concentrated antifreeze) can cause kidney failure and death.”
— Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS) [2]

“In cats, the minimum lethal dose of undiluted ethylene glycol has been reported to be approximately 1.4 mL/kg, and most untreated animals die within 24–72 h after ingestion”
— Ethylene glycol poisoning in a free-roaming cat, Front Vet Sci 2026 [4]

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

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Common questions

How much antifreeze is dangerous for a cat?

Even around a teaspoon of concentrated antifreeze can cause kidney failure and death in cats.^[2]

What signs should I watch for?

Kidney failure is a reported possible outcome after antifreeze ingestion.^[2]

How soon can this become fatal?

Most untreated animals die within 24–72 hours after ingestion.^[4]

Sources

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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