Lemon — Food safety facts
Feed with care · Cats · full breakdown on the linked food page
The acid and peel oils irritate the mouth and stomach. Never give lemon juice or zest.
Dogs and cats carry the same rating (Feed with care), so the notes below hold for either pet.
Lemon 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.
Lemon 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 Lemon food facts page.