Kitchen · cat safety
Can cats drink chai or coffee?
Moderate
Not safe: caffeine in chai, coffee, cola and energy drinks can cause vomiting, hyperactivity and an abnormal heart rhythm. A lick of weak milky chai is unlikely to be serious; coffee grounds, tea leaves and caffeine tablets are worse.
Why moderate: Caffeine. A lick of weak chai is unlikely to be serious; grounds, tea leaves and caffeine tablets are worse.
- Name
- Chai and coffeealso Tea, Coffee, Cola, Energy drinks
- Hindi
- चाय / कॉफ़ी · chai / coffee
What's in it
Methylxanthines (caffeine).
Where it hides
- Cups of chai on low tables
- Used tea leaves and coffee grounds in the bin
- Cola and energy drinks
- Caffeine tablets
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting, diarrhoea
- Panting, hyperactivity
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Tremors, seizures in severe cases
What to do
A lick of chai: just watch your cat. Grounds, tea leaves, energy drinks or caffeine tablets: call your vet now.
- Don't make your cat vomit at home unless a vet tells you to.
Where Indian cats meet it
Cups of chai on low tables and the floor — cats love lapping the milky top.
Sources
Facts last checked
General information for cat parents, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. The facts come from ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual and the other sources listed on every page — and we say so when the evidence comes from dogs or people. If your cat may have eaten something harmful, call your vet.