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Cats should not eat mustard. The condiment can irritate their mouth and digestive tract, and some recipes contain onion or garlic, which are toxic to cats. A tiny lick of plain mustard is often less concerning than a larger amount, but the ingredients, quantity, and your cat’s condition determine what to do next. Finding mustard on your cat’s whiskers can send you straight to your phone. Before throwing away the food or rinsing the plate, keep the jar or packet. The label will help your veterinarian assess what your cat actually swallowed. My Cat Ate Mustard. What Should I Do? Start by moving the food out of reach. Then work through these steps. Do not try to make your cat vomit. Hydrogen peroxide is unsafe for cats, and salt or mustard is not an appropriate home treatment. A veterinarian can decide whether treatment is needed and provide it safely. For U.S. poison advice, call ASPCA Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. Consultation fees may apply. Trouble breathing, collapse, or severe weakness requires immediate emergency veterinary care. Why Mustard Can Make Cats Sick The concern involves both mustard’s own ingredients and anything added to the recipe. Mustard

Cats can eat a small amount of plain arugula. This peppery salad green, also called rocket, is generally considered non-toxic to cats. A small nibble is unlikely to harm a healthy adult cat, but larger amounts may cause an upset stomach. Dressing, garlic, and onion can change the risk. Arugula is an optional snack. Your cat does not need leafy greens added to a complete and balanced diet, and there is no reason to persuade a reluctant cat to try them. For a cat that has already stolen a bite, start by checking what was on the leaf. My Cat Ate Arugula. What Should I Do? Move the food out of reach, then look at the ingredients. A loose leaf from a bag of greens is a different situation from arugula taken off a dressed salad or a slice of pizza. What your cat ate What to do next A small piece of fresh, plain arugula An otherwise healthy cat can generally be monitored at home. Watch for vomiting, loose stool, or changes in appetite and behavior. Much more than a small nibble, or an uncertain amount Contact your veterinarian for advice, especially for a kitten or a cat with

Cats can eat a small amount of clean common dandelion, including its leaves and flowers. The plant itself is generally considered non-toxic to cats. A nibble may still cause stomach upset. Call your vet promptly if lawn chemicals may be involved. Dandelions are optional; cats do not need them to stay healthy. Before deciding what to do, check what your cat actually ate. A fresh leaf from an untreated plant, a flower picked beside a public sidewalk, and a bottle of dandelion extract involve different questions. The plant’s identity, its source, and the form your cat swallowed all matter. Are Dandelions Poisonous to Cats? Common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, appears in the safe category of Cats Protection’s plant guide. That is reassuring when a healthy cat takes a little bite from a correctly identified, untreated plant. Stomach upset remains possible. Even plants classified as non-toxic can cause vomiting or other digestive problems when eaten. Stop access to the plant and contact your vet if your cat becomes unwell. Identification deserves a moment of attention. Common dandelions have a cluster of leaves at ground level and individual flower heads on hollow, unbranched stalks. Those features are useful clues, but a yellow flower

The crinkle of a seaweed snack bag can bring a curious cat into the kitchen almost as quickly as opening a can of tuna. Before you hand over a piece, look at the ingredient list. Most healthy adult cats can eat a tiny piece of plain, unseasoned, food-grade nori once in a while. That does not make every seaweed product cat-safe. Roasted snack sheets may contain salt and flavorings, seaweed salad comes dressed, and kelp can contain far more iodine than you might expect. Seaweed also offers no nutrient that a cat needs to get from a snack. A complete and balanced cat food should already supply the right amounts of iodine, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Not All Seaweed Is the Same “Seaweed” is a casual name for many kinds of marine algae. Nori, wakame, kombu, dulse, and kelp differ in texture, mineral content, and preparation. The answer changes again once salt, garlic, sauce, or oil is added. Seaweed product Should cats eat it? What matters Plain nori sheet A tiny piece occasionally Check that seaweed is the only ingredient Salted or flavored seaweed snack No May contain excess salt, garlic, onion, chili, or added oil Kombu or kelp