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My 4 kg indoor cat got into a bowl of cherry tomatoes I left on the end table during a dinner party — how worried should I be?

Cats · Food safety

Last reviewed: 2026-09-05 · Reference ranges: ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline & Merck Veterinary Manual

Short answer

She is likely fine if the tomatoes were fully red and she ate only a couple pieces. Ripe tomato fruit is low-risk for cats; the concern would be green stems or leaves mixed in, which contain solanine. Watch her over the next few hours for any vomiting, drooling, or unusual sluggishness, and call your own vet if anything seems off.

Tomato — Food safety facts

Feed with care · Cats · full breakdown on the linked food page

Ripe red fruit is fine in small pieces. Green parts (leaves, stem, unripe fruit) contain solanine, which is toxic.

Dogs and cats carry the same rating (Feed with care), so the notes below hold for either pet.

Tomato is not poisonous to cats, but it is easy to over-feed. Rich fat, salt or seasoning can bring on vomiting or diarrhoea within a day, and repeated large portions are a recognised trigger for pancreatitis.

If it ate some before you noticed, watch for vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness or a painful, swollen abdomen over the next 24 hours. A one-off small amount in a healthy adult usually passes with water and rest; repeated exposure, a puppy or kitten, a senior, or a pet with an ongoing illness is a reason to call your vet the same day.

Tomato can turn up now and then, but not as a daily habit: keep the rest of the day's food unchanged and watch the litter box and how quickly they finish the next meal.

The full verdict, portion guidance and serving notes are collected on the Tomato food facts page.

Open the full food page: Tomato food facts →