My cat ate nicotine—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. Nicotine is a rapidly acting toxin with a narrow safety margin for pet animals.

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

Fatal doses in dogs and cats have been reported at 20 to 100 mg.^[1] One regular cigarette can contain 9 to 30 mg of nicotine, one cigar can contain 15 to 40 mg, and one cigarette butt typically has 5 to 7 mg.^[1] The maximum quantity of nicotine allowed in every millilitre of liquid is 20 mg.^[2] Nicotine poisoning in pets can include vomiting, unsteadiness, drooling, tiredness, fast heart rate, shaking, weakness, seizures, and death.^[1]

Signs to watch for

Vomiting
Unsteadiness
Drooling
Tiredness
Fast heart rate
Shaking
Weakness
Seizures

Where it is found

Cigarettes
Cigars
Cigarette butts
E-liquid
Snus
Tobacco

What the experts say

“Signs of nicotine poisoning in pets include: vomiting unsteadiness drooling tiredness fast heart rate shaking weakness seizures death.”
— US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine [1]

“the maximum quantity of nicotine allowed is 20mg in every ml of liquid”
— Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS) [2]

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

How much nicotine can be fatal?

Fatal doses in dogs and cats have been reported at 20 to 100 mg.^[1]

What signs can nicotine cause?

Signs can include vomiting, unsteadiness, drooling, tiredness, fast heart rate, shaking, weakness, and seizures.^[1]

How soon can signs start?

Nicotine is a rapidly acting toxin with a narrow safety margin for pet animals.^[3]

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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