My cat ate windshield wiper fluid—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. Windshield wiper fluid may contain a moderate to high concentration of methanol and is toxic to cats.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what, how much and when was eaten.
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

Windshield wiper fluids most often contain a moderate to high concentration of methanol.^[1] They may also be combined with isopropanol and antifreezes including ethylene glycol or propylene glycol.^[1]

Signs to watch for

Kidney failure
Low blood pressure
Incoordination

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 is dangerous?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now, even if you do not know how much was eaten.

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now.

Sources

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 →