Last Updated on April 9, 2026 by admin
The short answer
Arrowroot itself is non-toxic to cats. The ASPCA lists it as safe for cats, dogs, and horses. In small amounts, plain arrowroot powder is unlikely to cause any harm and has a long history of folk use as a digestive aid for animals with upset stomachs. That said, it provides no nutritional value for cats and is mostly irrelevant to their diet — and the real concern is usually what the arrowroot is mixed with, not the arrowroot itself.
What is arrowroot?
Arrowroot (botanical name Canna edulis, also known as achira) is a tropical root plant native to South America. Its starch is extracted and dried into a fine white powder, widely used as a gluten-free thickening agent in cooking — similar to cornstarch but with a neutral flavour and glossy finish. You’ll find it in gluten-free baking recipes, sauces, gravies, and baby foods.
Is arrowroot toxic to cats?
No. According to the ASPCA Poison Control database, arrowroot (Canna edulis) is explicitly listed as non-toxic to cats. It contains no compounds that interfere with feline metabolism, organ function, or blood chemistry. A cat that nibbles on an arrowroot biscuit or licks a sauce thickened with arrowroot is not in danger from the arrowroot itself.
Can arrowroot be used for cat diarrhea?
There’s a long folk tradition — going back at least a century in veterinary home remedy texts — of using a pinch of arrowroot powder to help settle diarrhea in cats. The logic is similar to why it’s used in human digestive remedies: arrowroot starch has mild binding and soothing properties in the gut.
Some cat owners report that adding a small pinch to a meal helps firm up loose stools. This is not a veterinary-approved treatment, and you should consult your vet before using it — especially if diarrhea is ongoing, as it can indicate an underlying condition that requires actual diagnosis. But if your healthy cat has a mild, one-off bout of loose stools, a pinch of plain arrowroot powder mixed into food is unlikely to cause harm.
Can cats eat arrowroot biscuits or cookies?
Plain arrowroot powder is fine, but manufactured arrowroot biscuits and cookies are a different matter. Commercial arrowroot biscuits contain sugar, butter, milk, and sometimes vanilla or other additives — ingredients that are either bad for cats or that provide no nutritional value. Some recipes include xylitol (an artificial sweetener that is toxic to cats, as it is to dogs). Always check the ingredient list of any processed food before letting your cat near it, regardless of the primary ingredient.
What to watch out for
The risk with arrowroot isn’t the arrowroot — it’s what surrounds it. Arrowroot commonly appears in recipes that also contain:
- Garlic or onion (in savoury sauces) — genuinely toxic to cats
- Chocolate (in desserts) — toxic to cats
- Xylitol (in some sugar-free baked goods) — toxic to cats
- Excessive sugar or salt — not acutely toxic but harmful over time
If your cat got into a sauce or baked good thickened with arrowroot, the question to ask is: what else was in it?
The bottom line
Arrowroot is one of the few plant-derived ingredients that’s genuinely non-toxic to cats. A tiny amount is unlikely to cause any harm and may even help with mild digestive upset. The practical caution is about context: arrowroot on its own is fine; arrowroot in a recipe that contains garlic, chocolate, or xylitol is not fine. Focus on the other ingredients, not the arrowroot itself.
Food ingredients are one category of cat hazard — but some of the most urgent emergency calls involve cats swallowing non-food materials entirely. Raffia ribbon is one of the most dangerous examples: it’s lightweight, moves like prey, and can cause life-threatening intestinal obstruction if swallowed.
📋 More cat food safety: This article is part of our complete cat food safety guide — covering every major food category, toxic foods, and what to do in an emergency.