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Is Bromethalin (rat Poison) safe for Cats?
✓ Sources checked by the Eaoae Safety Review · 2026-10-28 · Based on 3 sources
No, bromethalin rat poison is extremely unsafe for cats. It causes brain swelling leading to tremors, seizures, paralysis, coma, and death, with NO antidote available. Cats encounter it in baits or by eating poisoned rodents.
🚨 Emergency: Yes — contact your veterinarian immediately.
💡 Why
Bromethalin kills by swelling the brain -- there is no reversal agent. Cats are exposed through bait stations or by hunting rodents that ate the poison (secondary poisoning). Signs include agitation progressing to tremors and seizures, weakness or paralysis, and coma, sometimes days after exposure. Because vitamin K -- the antidote for other rat poisons -- is useless against bromethalin, identifying the bait type is life-or-death information for the vet.
🩺 What to do
- Emergency vet visit at once -- mention bromethalin specifically.
- Bring bait packaging if available.
- Keep cats indoors away from baited areas.
❓ Common questions
Can my cat be poisoned by eating a poisoned mouse?
Yes -- a cat that eats a mouse killed by bromethalin can be poisoned. Keep cats away from areas with bait stations.
What does it look like in cats?
Tremors, seizures, wobbliness, hind-leg weakness, and collapse, possibly delayed several days.
What's the safest rodent control?
Avoid bromethalin baits entirely in homes with cats; use mechanical traps instead.
📚 Sources
- Bromethalin Poisoning in Animals
- Rodenticide and Your Pet: What You Need to Know
- Pet Poison Helpline: Bromethalin
- Pet Poison Helpline: Rat Poisoning in Dogs
🔎 How the sources compare
What each authority says about Bromethalin (rat poison) \u2014 compiled 2026-10-28. Eaoae’s verdict summarizes these sources; it is not our own diagnosis.
| Source | Dogs | Cats | Dose info |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASPCA Animal Poison Control | When ingested, bromethalin rodenticide can lead to swelling within the nerves in the brain, leading to signs of weakness, tremors and seizures depending on the amount ingested. | When ingested, bromethalin rodenticide can lead to swelling within the nerves in the brain, leading to signs of weakness, tremors and seizures depending on the amount ingested. | — |
| Pet Poison Helpline | Bromethalin rat and mouse poison causes brain swelling and neurological signs (lethargy, weakness, ataxia, tremors, seizures, paralysis, death). It does not cause bleeding, is not treated with vitamin K1, and has no antidote. | Cats are more sensitive to bromethalin than dogs. It causes brain swelling and neurological signs and has no antidote; it does not cause bleeding and is not treated with vitamin K1. | — |
| Merck Veterinary Manual | Bromethalin is a neurotoxin causing cerebral edema. Dogs at about 3.54 mg/kg or more may show a convulsant syndrome within 4-36 hours, while lower doses produce a paralytic syndrome over 1-5 days. There is no antidote. | Cats are exquisitely sensitive to bromethalin and typically develop the paralytic syndrome regardless of dose. There is no antidote. | LD50: cats 0.4-0.71 mg/kg, dogs 2.38-5.6 mg/kg; toxic doses are widely accepted at one-tenth of the lowest reported LD50 |
| VCA Hospitals | Bromethalin targets the central nervous system, causing cerebral edema and severe neurologic signs. Depending on dose, dogs develop either an acute convulsant syndrome (within 24 hours) or a delayed paralytic syndrome (one to seven days). There is no antidote. | In VCA's mole and gopher bait article, which covers cats and dogs, bromethalin bait can cause brain swelling and subsequent neurological signs; clinical signs of bromethalin poisoning can develop any time within seven days of ingestion and may include vomiting, weakness, paralysis, walking off-balance, tremors and seizures. There is no antidote. | — |
| Eaoae summary (cats) | ⛔ Unsafe \u2014 Known to be harmful or toxic. Keep it away from your pet. | ||
🔗 Related checks for cats
- lilies ⛔ Unsafe
- onion ⛔ Unsafe
- milk ⚠️ Caution
- Peruvian lily / Alstroemeria ⚠️ Caution
- Tulips (bulbs) ⛔ Unsafe
- acetaminophen ⛔ Unsafe
Checked with Eaoae’s safety lookup. Answers are generated for reference and may be incomplete — always confirm with your vet for your individual pet. Spotted an error? Let us know.
