In dogs, grapes and raisins can cause acute kidney injury, and recent veterinary work points to naturally occurring tartaric acid as the likely culprit. Documented cases in cats are far fewer — cats rarely choose to eat fruit — but the ASPCA's poison-control guidance explicitly extends the caution to cats until more is known. With a toxin whose effect is this unpredictable between individuals, the absence of many feline cases is thin comfort.
If a cat does eat grapes or raisins, the concern is the same pattern seen in dogs: vomiting and lethargy within the first day, followed over one to two days by declining kidney function — increased thirst at first, then less and less urine. Raisins deserve special mention because they are concentrated and hide in baked goods, cereals, and trail mix left on counters.
Sources
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Grape, Raisin, and Currant Poisoning in Dogs — VCA Animal Hospitals
This page is informational and is not veterinary advice. If your pet has eaten something risky, contact your vet or an animal poison control line right away.