My cat ate rodenticide – what should I do?
Call a vet nowCall your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. This poison can cause life-threatening bleeding.
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
Long-acting anticoagulants are active ingredients in specific rat, mouse and gopher poisons.[3] An overdose of long-acting anticoagulants can lead to a severe blood-clotting disorder and life-threatening hemorrhage in animals.[3] Bleeding caused by these preparations usually occurs 1–3 days after ingestion.[1]
Signs to watch for
Bleeding usually occurs 1–3 days after ingestion.
Where it is found
What the experts say
“The strengths of the anticoagulants are usually 0.005% or 0.05mg/g”
Not sure how serious it is?
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Common questions
How much is dangerous?
Reported single oral LD50 doses in cats are 0.25–25 mg/kg for brodifacoum, 25 mg/kg for bromadiolone and 100 mg/kg for difenacoum.[4]
Which signs should I watch for?
Bleeding can occur, and an overdose can cause a severe blood-clotting disorder and life-threatening hemorrhage.[3]
How soon can signs start?
Bleeding usually occurs 1–3 days after ingestion.[1]
Sources
- Giftinformationscentralen (Swedish Poison Information Centre)
- Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS)
- Pet Poison Helpline
- Exposure of domestic cats to rodenticidal compounds, Toxics 2025
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
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)
Antihistamines