Can Cats Eat Ice Cream?
It’s not unusual to see dogs enjoying a pup cup on a hot day but what about our feline friends? While cats may be curious about ice cream, it’s not a treat that’s safe or healthy for them. In this article, we’ll explain why ice cream isn’t suitable for cats and share some fun, frozen alternatives your cat can safely enjoy instead.
Applaws UK
15/12/2025
Lots of ice cream places now serve ‘pup cups’ to dogs, but why have we never seen ‘kitty cones’? Here we’ll explore whether or not ice cream is safe for cats to eat and what other frozen treats you can give them!
Is ice cream safe for cats?
The short answer is: no.
Although cats tend to enjoy the taste of the fat content of the ice cream, it contains several ingredients that are not good for them. One of the main ingredients, sugar, can lead to several health issues in large quantities. And sugar-free or low-calorie options often contain sugar substitutes (such as xylitol) that are toxic to cats and dogs. The other main ingredients, milk and cream, are a problem for many cats as most are actually lactose intolerant. Although many cartoons show cats enjoying cream and milk, it’s actually not good to feed them either (even if the milk’s lactose free!). Check out this blog to find out why.
Beyond those three main ingredients, ice cream provides no nutritional value for cats. Cats typically need high-protein diets with little carbohydrates, so ice cream is not very good for their diet as a whole.
So what are some good frozen treats for cats?
Even though your cat can’t enjoy an ice cream cone with you, there are other ways to give them a frozen treat!
- Bone Broth ice cream cubes: freeze your cat’s favourite Applaws Bone Broth into tasty ice cubes.
- Frozen Lickables: similar to an ice lolly, you can freeze Applaws Lickable Treats for a tasty frozen treat (check out the video below!).