My cat ate fruit pits—what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 2 sources

Based on: US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine, Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. The main risk for cats is a gastrointestinal obstruction.

What to do now

What to do right now

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

The bigger risk for cats that eat these fruit pits is a gastrointestinal obstruction.^[1] Thoroughly chewed peach pits can release cyanide and trigger cyanide poisoning.^[2]

Signs to watch for

Vomiting
Drooling
Collapse
Death

What the experts say

“A gastrointestinal obstruction is the bigger risk for dogs and cats that eat these fruit pits.”
— US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine [1]

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.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

What is the main risk?

The bigger risk for cats that eat these fruit pits is a gastrointestinal obstruction.^[1]

What should I do now?

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

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

The same page for dogs →