Can Cats Have Vinegar – Is It Safe Or Toxic For Them?

Lots of people tout the benefits of drinking vinegar every day for your health, so It’s only natural for cat owners to wonder if their cats can benefit from vinegar as well, especially for cats that have digestive trouble, hairballs, or dry skin and fur.  So, can cats have vinegar?

Cats can have vinegar. Vinegar is safe for cats to ingest, but should not be given to cats regularly. Vinegar can be used to treat some issues your cat might have including hairballs, dry skin, and fur quality.

As any responsible pet owner knows, not all safe foods for people are also safe for cats. We’ll go into all the details you need to decide if vinegar might help your cat or if you might be better of skipping it. 

Is Vinegar Toxic To Cats

Vinegar isn’t toxic to cats. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for them. Vinegar is a kind of fermentation which means that it’s primarily sugars and carbs and some bacteria.

The bacteria might be slightly beneficial to your cat, but their digestive system primarily can’t handle the sugars. That means that vinegar has very little nutritional value for cats. 

Despite not being toxic, there is a chance that your cat could have diarrhea or another have another reaction to vinegar, just like it can upset some people’s digestion. Vinegar might not be a good idea for cats that are prone to having allergic reactions as well. 

It’s also usually best to dilute vinegar before giving it to your cat to help reduce the chances of having an adverse reaction. 

Is Apple Cider Vinegar Safe For Cats

Yes, apple cider vinegar is generally considered safe for cats. It is usually the most beneficial kind of vinegar if you’re using it to treat health conditions or help with skin and fur issues.

That’s because good apple cider vinegar has more active bacteria, which makes it a better probiotic. The other beneficial components in apple cider vinegar for people aren’t necessarily as beneficial for cats. 

Like other kinds of vinegar, apple cider vinegar can also cause a range of adverse reactions in some cats, especially if they have too much of it at once.

Even apple cider vinegar is going to have relatively minimal nutritional value for your cat since it’s still primarily fermented sugars that your cat’s digestive system really can’t process. 

Apple cider vinegar is also usually a milder vinegar compared with distilled white vinegar and other alternatives. That makes it a little less likely to cause adverse reactions in cats, unlike more substantial types of vinegar. 

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Kill Worms In Cats

Apple cider vinegar may be able to kill worms in cats. One of the most significant supposed advantages of apple cider vinegar for cats is that apple cider vinegar might help improve your cat’s health. But does apple cider vinegar is the best option for killing worms in cats?

Yes, apple cider vinegar seems to be an effective treatment for worms in some cats. But don’t reach for a bottle quite yet. Worms are a severe issue, and the evidence isn’t 100% clear when it comes to this home cure for your cats. 

It does look like there some scientific and a lot of anecdotal evidence for apple cider vinegar being an effective worm treatment.

That’s because the apple cider vinegar helps your cat’s digestive system become more alkaline, making it inhospitable for worms and eventually eliminating them. The vinegar itself isn’t necessarily killing the worms, but it does help your cat’s digestive system do the work. 

Most people recommend diluting the vinegar with water and giving that to your cat every day for a couple of weeks to treat worms. 

However, this isn’t a guaranteed solution, and there are some vets that caution against using vinegar this way, in part because it might not fully treat the problem.

Treating your cat with vinegar when you think they have worms may also mask other severe health conditions that vinegar can’t help, so it’s always best to consult with a vet about your cat’s symptoms and any treatments you’re considering before you start. 

Can I Give My Cat Apple Cider Vinegar Daily

You should not give cats apple cider vinegar daily. Giving your cat apple cider vinegar is usually recommended as an intermittent treatment for specific ailments, not as a long-term addition to their diet.

Still, some cat owners wonder if adding vinegar as a daily part of their cat’s diet might not be an excellent way to help improve their health and prevent worms and other ailments. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t much science available on giving your cat apple cider vinegar every day. The science on giving your cat any amount of vinegar is sparse, and there isn’t much information on long-term use. 

Advocates for giving your cat apple cider vinegar every day argue that it supports joint health. The bacteria and enzymes that are naturally occurring in the vinegar are good for their digestion.

They also think that daily apple cider vinegar can help prevent or treat worms and help to prevent urinary tract infections and other serious health issues. 

However, some veterinarians and animal health experts worry that daily apple cider vinegar might have unforeseen consequences for the cats or even be detrimental to long-term use.

Some also worry that even if the vinegar is beneficial, or at least not harmful, owners might still choose to use apple cider vinegar rather than proven treatments for their cat’s ailments. 

Ultimately, it’s your decision whether you’d like your cat to have apple cider vinegar every day or not.

We do, however, recommend consulting with a vet before starting this regimen and working with them to help address any specific health concerns you have for your cat.  

Is Vinegar Safe For Cats Fur

Yes, most mild or diluted forms of vinegar are safe for your cat’s fur, just like it safe to be ingested. Vinegar must be safe to be ingested since your cat will likely groom some of the vinegar off their fur. 

Vinegar is a great way to help treat a variety of dermal issues in cats. It can help distribute oils across their skin and fur more efficiently, helping keep everything moisturized without greasiness. It’s also a natural conditioner that can help prevent some matting when used regularly. 

The scent of vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar, can help treat fleas on cats and help prevent other insect pests from making your cat’s fur home.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that apple cider vinegar replaces other flea and tick treatments, but it can be a mild preventative. It can help boost other treatments if your cat does get infected with insect pests. 

What Does Vinegar Do To Cats

Vinegar has a range of effects depending on how you use it. Internally, a good vinegar can act as a probiotic and a prebiotic, helping support their digestive system. Certain kinds of vinegar may also include helpful enzymes that directly aid digestion, though not all vinegar does. 

Topically vinegar acts as a conditioner and skin treatment. It can help keep their fur and skin healthy while discouraging fleas and ticks from getting into your cat’s fur.

Vinegar can also help manage oily fur in cats since the vinegar picks up some of the oil and helps to distribute it a little more evenly.

Vinegar can also be a good treatment for some kinds of irritation and inflammation, but you should always consult with a vet before using it for those kinds of problems. 

However, like any at-home treatment, there is a risk of vinegar irritating no matter how you use it. Cats who take vinegar internally may have diarrhea or other signs of gastric distress.

There is also a slight chance of your cat having an allergic reaction to the vinegar, which can be a medical emergency and may need urgent treatment. 

Vinegar on your cat’s skin and fur is usually beneficial, but they will also likely ingest a small amount of it when they groom themselves after the treatment. Hence, it’s essential not to use a topical vinegar treatment on cats with negative interactions with vinegar before. 

Why Does My Cat Like Vinegar

There are a few different reasons your cat might like vinegar, though they would be in the minority. Don’t feel bad if you were surprised that your cat seemed interested in vinegar; most cats aren’t interested in the stuff. Vinegar is too acidic for most cats and doesn’t contain nutrients that are generally appealing for cats to eat. 

If your cat shows some passing interest in vinegar but doesn’t lick any up, chances are they were just curious. A little bit of interest doesn’t necessarily mean that your cat wants to eat or drink vinegar; they may just be seeing what smells odd or paying attention to the vinegar because you are. 

If your cat is showing more interest in vinegar or even laps it up, chances are they are smelling something they want in the vinegar.

It could be that that vinegar has healthy bacteria that will help their digestion or that it’s exceptionally high in enzymes that will help digest a difficult meal. They may even want vinegar because it can help improve joint health. 

Over time your cat may also develop a taste of vinegar even if they didn’t like it the first time you gave them some. That’s because your cat may start to recognize that the vinegar helps them feel better. Over time your cat may also start to crave that vinegar because of the digestive and joint benefits. 

Other Factors

There is a wide range of reasons people consider using vinegar with their cats. They mix it into water or mush it into food, and some even use a syringe to feed their cats diluted vinegar-like medicine directly.

Remember, if you choose to include vinegar in your cat’s diet, you have a range of options for how to get it in their diets. If one option doesn’t work, consider trying a different one rather than trying to force your cat to eat something they don’t like. 

It’s also important to remember that the quality of the vinegar you use does seem to make a significant difference. Proponents of vinegar for cats recommend apple cider vinegar bottled ‘with the mother,’ which means that the vinegar still contains active live bacteria.

You can usually see the bacterial culture looking a bit like slimy sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Brands that bottle vinegar this way also usually say that it’s ‘with the mother’ on the label. 

Suppose you notice any changes in your cat’s energy, weight, or other health markers after using apple cider vinegar. In that case, it’s essential to talk with your vet about the changes, even if they’re positive.

That’s because your vet needs all the information they can get about your cat’s health history in case of future problems. Your vet might also be able to offer other supports for your cat; if vinegar has helped, that will help your cat even more. 

It’s also possible that your cat might have adverse reactions. We’ve already talked about gastric upset and rashes, and skin issues from vinegar. Other reactions could include lethargy, agitation, or your cat might seem more irritable than usual. All of those reactions are signs that the vinegar is affecting your cat negatively. 

Rather than continuing with vinegar and hoping that your cat will get used to it, it’s important to stop giving your cat vinegar and consult with your vet about the reaction and whether you can continue.

Remember that your cat doesn’t necessarily understand the long-term benefits of short-term discomfort, so they won’t know that what you’re doing is for their good. Persisting when they dislike vinegar, or it causes other problems can damage your relationship. 

More importantly, your cat can’t tell you how severe their discomfort is, and even mild symptoms can be signs of more severe problems that need to be treated by your vet rather than with vinegar at home.