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My cat ate pine needles. Are they toxic? What symptoms to look for?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 7 years and 4 months old | 7 lbs

Reading that pineneedles are toxic. My cat tried to eat this one... or she may have actually eatten another.... do i need to rush her to the vet? Whats the signs i need to watch her for as far as toxicity goes? I seen her trying to eat it and grabbed it before she could but she did have it in her mouth... it doesnt look like she bit through it and broke it so im not sure if she wouldve gotten any of the toxic sap, but im not sure if it was the only one. Please help. :(

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2 Answers

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 20th, 2017

Yes, you are correct that pine needles do cause toxicity in cats but it's not serious side effects such as death. I would not rush her into a vet now, I would monitor her for signs of toxicity. The oils from the needle can be irritating to the mouth, causing excessive drooling or vomiting. You can try flushing Mirz's mouth with cool water. Pine needles are also difficult to digest, and they can cause GI irritation, vomiting, and possible GI obstruction or puncture if enough are eaten. If you do see vomiting, you can try withholding food for 12-24 hours, then feeding a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomits the bland diet, she refuses to eat the bland diet, you see blood in her feces or vomit, she has diarrhea, and/or she becomes very lethargic, then I would rush her into a vet. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on October 20th, 2017

    I can't find any reliable resources that mention liver failure associated with ingestion of pine needles in cats. They can certainly cause irritation to the GI tract, either from the sharp parts or from pine sap.

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