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My 6 kg cat sneaked into the kitchen and ate chunks of dried apricot from my overnight oats jar — is that dangerous?

Cats · Food safety

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

Short answer

Small pieces of plain dried apricot flesh won't poison a 6 kg cat. Watch her tonight — look for vomiting, drooling, or unusual sleepiness. The real danger is the pit: cyanide compounds live there, along with the leaves and stem. Most overnight oats jars won't have pits in them, but check carefully before you let her near any whole fruit. Offer fresh water, keep an eye on her for the next 24 hours, and call your vet if anything looks off.

Apricots (pitted) — Food safety facts

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

The flesh is safe in small pieces. The pit, leaves and stem contain cyanide compounds — never allow a whole apricot.

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

Apricots (pitted) 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.

Why these cautions matter

Stone-fruit pits and some seeds release cyanide when crushed, and quite apart from that they are a choking and blockage hazard.

Apricots (pitted) 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 Apricots (pitted) food facts page.

Open the full food page: Apricots (pitted) food facts →