My cat ate coins – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Coins can cause zinc poisoning in cats.

What to do now

What to do right now

  1. Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
  2. Note what, how much and when.
  3. Bring the packaging.
  4. Keep your cat calm.
  5. Remove any coins left.

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

Coins can cause zinc poisoning in cats.[1] Some coins can be safely ingested and passed out in the stool a few days later.[1]

Signs to watch for

  • vomiting
  • weakness
  • collapse
  • kidney failure
  • anemia
  • pale gums
  • jaundice
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.

Get it on Google Play

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Common questions

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now; note what, how much and when, bring the packaging, and keep your cat calm.

Sources

  1. Pet Poison Helpline

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

The same page for dogs →

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