Why?
Beets provide fiber, but also more sugar than most vegetables, and oxalates, which are even more concentrated in the greens. For a cat prone to calcium oxalate stones or living with kidney disease, it's best to avoid them. Their red pigment, betanin, can turn urine and stools pink or red: harmless, but alarming, and easy to mistake for blood.
How much?
One or two small cubes of cooked, plain, peeled beet once in a while, and only for a cat with no urinary or kidney problems. No pickled beets, beet salad with dressing or beet chips.
The risks
- Calcium oxalate stones in cats prone to them
- Red urine or stools that can hide real blood
- Diarrhea if the portion is too big
- Pickled beets or salads with vinegar, salt or shallots
- Sugar that diabetic cats should avoid
Your cat ate some: what now?
A small piece of beet isn't serious, and pinkish urine or stools over the next 24 to 48 hours are normal. Call your vet if the color lasts longer, if your cat strains to pee, or keeps going to the litter box with little result. If the beets were dressed with shallot or onion, call your vet right away.
Better options
Cooked pumpkin and zucchini are much lower in oxalates. For a cat prone to stones, ask your vet about a suitable urinary diet.
Common questions
My cat's pee is red after eating beets, is that normal?
It can be: beet pigment can tint urine. But blood in the urine is also a sign of cystitis or stones, so if you're unsure or it lasts, call your vet.
Can cats eat beet greens?
Best to skip them: the greens are even richer in oxalates than the root.
This information is general and does not replace advice from a veterinarian. If your cat has swallowed something toxic, call your vet or an animal poison control center right away, without waiting for symptoms.