Yes, in moderation
plain cooked pasta is safe for cats in small amounts. It is just flour, water and sometimes egg. The danger is in sauces, which often contain garlic, onion, salt and cheese.
| Can cats eat it? | In moderation |
| Calories | About 4 kcal per piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) |
| Main benefit | Plain pasta is not toxic |
| Main risk | Sauces often contain garlic and onion |
| Kittens? | In tiny amounts once on solid food; kittens have sensitive stomachs |
Free · instant · based on veterinary formulas
Vets recommend keeping all treats under 10% of daily calories. One piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) has about 4 kcal. The chart shows the most a typical spayed or neutered adult cat could have in a day if pasta were the only treat.
| Cat weight | Daily treat budget | Max pasta per day |
|---|---|---|
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 18 kcal | 4 × piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) |
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 22 kcal | 5.5 × piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 26 kcal | 6.5 × piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) |
| 12 lb (5.4 kg) | 30 kcal | 7 × piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) |
| 14 lb (6.4 kg) | 34 kcal | 8 × piece of plain cooked pasta (penne) |
Eating more than the recommended amount usually causes nothing worse than an upset stomach: soft stool, gas or vomiting. Skip treats for the rest of the day, keep fresh water available and call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than 24 hours or your cat seems unwell.
Check your cat's full daily needs with the cat food calculator.
Yes, plain cooked pasta is safe for cats in small amounts. It is just flour, water and sometimes egg. The danger is in sauces, which often contain garlic, onion, salt and cheese.
No. Tomato sauces usually contain garlic and onion, which are toxic to cats.
Yes, in very small amounts once they are eating solid food. Kittens have sensitive stomachs, so offer a tiny piece and stop if you see loose stool. Most of their calories should come from a complete kitten food.
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This guide is general information for healthy adult cats. Cats with medical conditions (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or food allergies) may need different advice from their vet.
In moderation
Yes, plain cooked pasta is safe for cats in small amounts. It is just flour, water and sometimes egg.