Can cats eat pork?
Pork is only okay fully cooked and lean, never raw. Raw pork can carry Toxoplasma (iCatCare), and raw wild boar can carry Aujeszky’s disease virus, which is always fatal in cats (FLI). Fatty meat can predispose cats to pancreatitis (Cornell).
How to serve it: fully cooked, lean, unseasoned, boneless; just a small piece
Good to know: Aujeszky’s disease: according to Germany’s FLI, domestic pigs in Germany have been free of it since 2003, so there’s no transmission risk from them there. Wild boar still carry the virus – never give raw wild boar (FLI).
Questions
Can dogs eat pork?
Yes, but only a little. AKC says fully cooked, lean pork is fine in moderation; trim the fat and remove all bones. Don't feed it raw: raw meat can carry Salmonella and E. coli (ASPCA).
Sources
- International Cat Care – Toxoplasmosis and cats
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut – FAQ Aujeszkysche Krankheit
- Merck Veterinary Manual – Pseudorabies in Pigs (incl. incidental hosts dogs/cats)
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Beware of Holiday Hazards
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Feeding Your Cat
Last checked: October 2026