It's movie night, and your cat is eyeing your bowl of popcorn. Can you toss them a kernel?
Air-Popped is Safe
Plain, air-popped popcorn is safe for cats in small quantities. It's essentially just corn starch. However, it offers very little nutritional value for a carnivore.
The Dangers: Toppings
The problem is rarely the popcorn itself, but what we put on it. Butter, salt, caramel, cheese, and garlic powder are all unhealthy or toxic to cats. High sodium can lead to dehydration or salt poisoning.
Choking Hazard
Unpopped or partially popped kernels are hard and can break a cat's tooth or pose a serious choking hazard. Only feed the fully fluffy pieces.
Advertisement
Conclusion
If you have plain, fluffy popcorn, sharing one or two pieces is fine. But keep your buttery movie theater bucket to yourself!