Are Chives & Herbs Bad for Cats?

Cat lovers need to be aware that herbs in the onion family, including chives, onions and garlic, pose health risks to their pets and may even result in death.

  1. Unsafe Herbs

    • MessyBeast.com includes onions, shallots, spring onions and garlic in a list of foods that are bad for cats. Other unsafe herbs for cats include Pennyroyal, Tea Tree oil, Comfrey, White Willow Bark and Wormwood.

    Chives

    • Chive leaves are toxic to cats. Chives have been used as a seasoning in some commercial cat foods, but in very small quantities that are not a threat to a cat's health.

    Heinz Body Anemia

    • Our-Pets.net tells readers that onions of all kinds, including chives, may cause a condition called Heinz Body Anemia in cats, which destroys red blood cells in the cat's body.

    Bottled Herbs

    • Dr. Christianne Schelling advises readers of her column on Mewsletter.com that onion powder used in cooking and in some processed foods such as baby foods is also toxic to cats.

    Chives and GI Issues

    • Animal nutritionist Kymythy Schultze tells readers of her website Catpert.com that chives and other onions can cause gastrointestinal upset in cats.