Cats can eat spinach, and it’s included in some commercial cat foods, but it isn’t necessary since a complete, high-quality diet already meets their nutritional needs. While spinach provides useful vitamins and minerals, it can pose risks for cats with kidney or urinary issues due to calcium oxalate, so only small, occasional amounts should be offered and a veterinarian consulted if there are concerns. If given, serve spinach plain and cooked (such as steamed) without seasonings, and keep treats to under 10% of daily calorie intake, noting many cats may not be interested in vegetables.
Can Cats Eat Spinach?
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30 October 2025
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Spinach is widely regarded as a ‘superfood’ for humans. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, and we tend to enjoy this leafy green vegetable in a great deal of different dishes – from salads to curries.
Can cats eat spinach?
Yes, cats can eat spinach! In fact, there are even commercial cat food diets that include spinach as one of their ingredients. However, although spinach is safe for cats to eat, there’s no need to supplement their diet with this food, as a high-quality cat food should contain everything they need to meet their nutritional requirements.
Is spinach good for cats?
As mentioned previously, cats don’t need spinach in their diet, as a good quality cat food will normally contain all the nutrients they need. With that being said, even a small amount of spinach contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, K, B6, B2 and E and it’s a great source of magnesium, folate, calcium and potassium too.
However, there are some occasions where spinach is not so good for cats, for example, if they have kidney or urinary problems. This is because spinach contains calcium oxalate which may cause cats to develop harmful crystals in their urinary tract and cause further issues. Because of this, it’s important to only feed a small amount of spinach to your cat as a treat, and always speak to your vet first. Good quality feline diets containing spinach should also only contain amounts of this ingredient that are safe for your cat.
How to feed spinach to cats
Preparing spinach for your cat to have as a small snack is relatively easy. We recommend just steaming it and not adding any salt, spices or seasoning, as these aren’t good for your feline. Offer your cat a small amount of cooked, plain spinach to see if they like it, but don’t be surprised if they don’t! Many cats aren’t so keen on vegetables or fruits, and would rather snack on some tasty, cat-specific treats or a nice piece of lean meat instead.
If your cat does want to eat the spinach you offer them, only ever feed them a small amount of this food on the odd occasion as a treat. When feeding your cat treats, always remember to follow the rule of 10%, making sure that treats don’t make up more than 10% of your cat’s daily calorie intake, with the other 90% coming from a complete and balanced cat food.
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