Depends on the ingredients. Plain homemade chicken broth with no salt, onion, or garlic can be a hydrating treat, but most store-bought broths contain onion, garlic, and high sodium that are unsafe for cats. Read the label, and when in doubt make it plain yourself.
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Caution — watch for onion and garlicAmount, form, or frequency matters
Can cats eat chicken broth? 🍲
Depends on the ingredients. Plain homemade chicken broth with no salt, onion, or garlic can be a hydrating treat, but most store-bought broths contain onion, garlic, and high sodium that are unsafe for cats. Read the label, and when in doubt make it plain yourself.
Source-linked record · Last reviewed July 17, 2026 · Not veterinary advice
Why this answer
Broth itself is mostly water and can help tempt a sick cat to drink, but commercial chicken broths and bouillon are typically simmered with onion and garlic and are high in sodium. Onion and garlic damage a cat's red blood cells even in cooked or powdered form, and the salt burdens a small body, so the safety of chicken broth comes down entirely to what is in it.
Watch for
Vomiting or diarrhea
Increased thirst and urination from sodium
Lethargy, weakness, or pale gums if onion or garlic was present
Reduced appetite
How much is okay
A tablespoon or two of plain, unsalted, onion- and garlic-free broth as an occasional treat or food topper; none of the seasoned commercial kind.
Serve it safely
Use homemade broth made with only water and plain cooked chicken — no onion, garlic, or salt.
Check commercial labels and avoid any with onion, garlic, or added sodium.
Cool it before offering a small amount.
Sources and evidence notes (3)
Allium spp Toxicosis in Animals
Merck Veterinary Manual — Onion, garlic, leek, and chive toxicosis: organosulfur oxidants cause Heinz-body hemolytic anemia; cats are notably more sensitive than dogs; raw, cooked, and powdered forms are all hazardous.
People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — Multi-species veterinary toxicology list covering alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, citrus, coconut, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, milk and dairy, nuts, onions, garlic and chives, raw meat and eggs, salty snacks, xylitol, and yeast dough.
Feeding Your Cat
Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Feline nutrition fundamentals: cats are obligate carnivores; complete balanced cat food should be the diet base; treats should stay a small share of daily calories.
Answer card
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Remove access. Take the food away and move your cat to another room.
Note the facts. What was it, roughly how much is missing, and when? Keep the packaging.
Call before symptoms. For chocolate, onion, garlic, grapes, raisins, alcohol, or anything sugar-free (xylitol), call a hotline or your veterinarian now — early treatment is easier and cheaper.
Never do this
Do not induce vomiting, feed milk, salt, or oil, or wait overnight to "see how it goes". Signs of chocolate or Allium poisoning can take hours to days to appear.
Go to an emergency vet immediately if
Your cat is collapsing, twitching or seizing, struggling to breathe, drooling heavily, vomiting repeatedly, or wobbly on their feet.
Outside the US? Call your local emergency veterinary clinic — keep the number saved in your phone.
Effective: July 17, 2026
Can Cats Eat It? provides general educational information for cat owners. It is not veterinary, diagnostic, treatment, or emergency advice.
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