Walnuts are best kept away from cats. Fresh walnut meat is fatty and hard to digest, but the bigger worry is mold: walnuts, especially old or damp ones, can grow fungi that produce tremorgenic mycotoxins capable of causing tremors and seizures. Combined with the choking risk, walnuts are not worth sharing.
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Caution — mold makes them dangerousAmount, form, or frequency matters
Can cats eat walnuts? 🌰
Walnuts are best kept away from cats. Fresh walnut meat is fatty and hard to digest, but the bigger worry is mold: walnuts, especially old or damp ones, can grow fungi that produce tremorgenic mycotoxins capable of causing tremors and seizures. Combined with the choking risk, walnuts are not worth sharing.
Source-linked record · Last reviewed July 17, 2026 · Not veterinary advice
Why this answer
Walnuts carry a double concern. The nut is very high in fat that upsets a carnivore's stomach, and walnuts are especially prone to Aspergillus and Penicillium molds that produce tremorgenic mycotoxins such as penitrem A. Those toxins act on the nervous system and can cause muscle tremors and seizures, so a moldy walnut is far more than a digestive nuisance.
Watch for
Vomiting or diarrhea from the fat
Muscle tremors or twitching from moldy nuts
Unsteadiness, agitation, or seizures with mycotoxin exposure
How much is okay
None recommended; do not offer walnuts, and be especially strict about discarded or moldy ones.
Serve it safely
Keep walnuts, walnut shells, and baking walnuts out of reach.
Throw away old or damp walnuts where a cat cannot scavenge them.
Sweep up dropped walnut pieces promptly, since mold is the main danger.
Sources and evidence notes (3)
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.
Poison List
Pet Poison Helpline — Veterinarian-maintained toxin database for dogs and cats, reachable at (855) 764-7661, with per-substance toxicity levels, signs, and species notes.
Food Hazards
Merck Veterinary Manual — Veterinary toxicology reference section on human-food hazards in companion animals, including bread dough, chocolate, ethanol, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, xylitol, and Allium species.
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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