Medicines & remedies · cat safety
Can I give my cat paracetamol (पैरासिटामोल)?
Deadly
No — never give a cat paracetamol (Crocin, Dolo, Calpol). Cats can't break it down, so even a small part of one tablet can wreck red blood cells and the liver. Signs start within hours: go to a vet now with the strip.
Why deadly: Even part of one tablet can kill a cat — cats can't break it down safely.
- Name
- Paracetamolalso Crocin, Dolo, Calpol, Combiflam, Cold and flu tablets, Acetaminophen
- Hindi
- पैरासिटामोल
What counts
Every paracetamol product — tablets, syrups, cold and flu combinations, Combiflam.
What's in it
Paracetamol turns into a toxic by-product (NAPQI) that cats can't clear: it ruins red blood cells (methaemoglobinaemia) and damages the liver.
Where it hides
- Crocin, Dolo, Calpol — anything that says paracetamol
- Combiflam and cold or flu tablets (they contain paracetamol)
Symptoms to watch for
- Brown or 'muddy' gums, a blue-grey tongue
- Swollen face or paws
- Laboured breathing
- Vomiting, lethargy, low body temperature
- Later: yellow eyes and gums (liver damage)
Within a few hours (Merck); liver signs follow after larger amounts.
What to do — now
Go to a vet now — this is an emergency. Vets have an antidote (N-acetylcysteine) that works best early.
- Take the strip or bottle.
- Don't make your cat vomit at home unless a vet tells you to.
- Never give any human fever or pain medicine to a cat — a feverish cat needs a vet.
Where Indian cats meet it
In practically every medicine box — and given by kind owners for 'bukhaar' (fever) or pain. A Madras Veterinary College case report describes a cat poisoned this way.
Myth or fact
Myth“Give the cat a Crocin for fever”
FactParacetamol is highly toxic to cats: even a small dose can cause severe illness or death (International Cat Care). A feverish cat needs a vet, never a human tablet.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Analgesics toxicity
- International Cat Care: Cats and poisons
- IJVASR 2014: paracetamol poisoning in a cat, Madras Veterinary College
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.