Some of the best treats – like smores – wouldn’t be what they are without marshmallows. They may be one of your favorite treats! Since marshmallows come in so many shapes and flavors, you might be tempted to give your cat a marshmallow. Before you give your cat one, stop and ask: can cats eat marshmallows?
Cats cannot eat marshmallows. Marshmallows contain sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin which are harmful to cats and cause sickness. Marshmallows offer little to no nutritional value to cats and are also a choking hazard.
Marshmallows aren’t the best thing for humans to eat, and they’re not suitable for your cat either. There are several reasons why your cat shouldn’t be eating marshmallows. If you want to learn more about why you should skip the marshmallows, keep on reading.

What Is In Marshmallows
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the effects of marshmallows, let’s first discuss the ingredients in marshmallows.
Marshmallows aren’t a complex food, so there isn’t a long list of ingredients in marshmallows.
Here are the most common ingredients in marshmallows:
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Egg whites, depending on the recipe you’re using
- Gelatin
- Air, which is whipped into the marshmallows
Marshmallows are easy enough to make because all of the ingredients are boiled together, and then gelatin is added to the boiling mixture.
Once everything is combined, the marshmallows mixture is whipped together, which gives the marshmallow texture we all know and love.
A typical marshmallow has around 23 calories in it; much of that due to the sugar content. That’s significantly more than a cat should consume in any period. Cats that eat too many of these will begin to display signs of obesity.
On top of that, the 4 grams of sugar in most marshmallows are too high for cats to consume. Just imagine your feline getting hold of an entire bag of these. That would cause severe sickness without question.
Because cats typically have a low tolerance for sodium, they should also avoid marshmallows. Most marshmallows contain around 5 – 6mg of sodium which is too much for most cats.
Are Marshmallows Bad For Animals
Yes, marshmallows are bad for animals, especially your cat.
Sure, marshmallows are full of sugar, and that’s not good for your cat. That’s easy enough to figure out.
One of the most important reasons, though, is that your cat can choke on a marshmallow.
Even large marshmallows that your cat can’t eat in one piece are sticky and chewy. That’s not a texture that your cat is used to eating.
Marshmallows melt in your mouth, but your cat doesn’t know or understand that.
If your cat tries to chew the marshmallow and swallow like he would with his dry cat food, your cat can quickly start to choke.
Are Marshmallows Safe For Cats
As we covered above, marshmallows are not safe for cats because they pose a choking hazard.
Marshmallows are scary because it will be difficult to dislodge a marshmallow from your cat’s throat.
If your cat is choking on something hard, it is easy enough to use established methods to dislodge the object from your cat’s throat.
Marshmallows are trickier because they are not solid; the marshmallows are soft and sticky.
You can try to dislodge the marshmallow as you would anything else, but there is no guarantee that it will work.
If your cat is choking on a marshmallow, you should try to pat your cat firmly on the back. You need to encourage your cat to either swallow the marshmallow or hack it up like a hairball.
As long as some air can get through the marshmallow, it will quickly start to disintegrate into a smaller piece.
It is a scary situation to be in, so if nothing else, that is the #1 reason why you shouldn’t give your cat marshmallows.
Are Marshmallows Toxic To Cats
No, marshmallows aren’t toxic to cats.
Since we’ve already figured out that marshmallows are bad for cats, you might be tempted to think that marshmallows are toxic to cats.
That isn’t true. Marshmallows aren’t toxic to cats.
Toxic foods are foods that can poison your cat or, at least, make them severely sick.
Marshmallows don’t make that list. However, in high consumption, they can cause severe issues that put it in the range of toxicity.
Just because marshmallows aren’t toxic to your cat, that doesn’t mean that they should start eating them!
Marshmallows may not be toxic to cats, but they’re still bad for cats. You don’t have to worry about your cat dying or getting severely sick from eating marshmallows.
Are Cats Allowed To Eat Sweets
You’ll be the one allowing your cat to eat sweets or not, but you shouldn’t allow your cat to eat sweets.
Let’s circle back to the idea of sugar in marshmallows and any other sweets you may give your cat.
Cats shouldn’t eat sugar, and it isn’t a necessary part of their diet.
Sugar will do much more to hurt your cat than it will help your cat in any way.
If your cat starts eating sugar, there are a few things you can expect:
- Your cat will start to gain weight.
- Your cat may get sick more often.
- Increased weight could lead to your cat having heart issues.
Do Cats Like Sugar
You can make the choice of whether to give your cat sugar, but your cat may not even like sugar.
It could be hard to think that anyone could dislike sugar, but it’s possible that your cat doesn’t like sugar at all.
Cats can eat sugar, but they do not taste it because their taste buds aren’t adapted to taste it.
Let’s use marshmallows as an example here. When your cat starts to munch on a marshmallow, they aren’t tasting the sugar.
But if they’re not tasting the sugary goodness of marshmallows, what’s the point of eating them?
It could be a few different things. Your cat may eat the marshmallow because he saw you eating the marshmallow or because the marshmallow is an engaging, new texture for your cat.
Don’t worry about thinking that your cat isn’t living an optimal life because he isn’t eating sugar; he can’t taste it anyway!
Things To Consider
Ultimately, cats should not eat marshmallows for any reason. Aside from the harmful ingredients in them, the choking hazard is enough of a concern. They are not particularly easy for cats to chew and if they get a hold of a large one, they may have a hard time getting it down in the first place.
Also, be aware that while marshmallows are not entirely toxic, they can still cause tons of issues due to their ingredients. Cats who consume a ton of marshmallows could end up suffering from sodium or sugar poisoning. Issues like vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy are just a few of the many side effects your cat may end up dealing with.

My name is James, and welcome to FAQCats!
Along with our team of cat owners, expert pet enthusiasts, and pet professionals, we aim to write engaging helpful, engaging content about cats. At FAQCats we strive to provide content that’s accurate and fun to read. Our team writes about everything related to cats; even the most complex of topics. Through extensive research and caring for our own fur-pals, we’re able to provide something cat owners worldwide will love. Have a look around, and leave us feedback anytime!