Can I give Ibuprofen to my cat?

The short answer: **No — ibuprofen is a veterinary emergency in cats**

Cats are even more sensitive to ibuprofen than dogs. A single 200 mg tablet is enough to cause serious kidney injury in a typical 4 kg cat, and two tablets can be fatal. There is no circumstance in which ibuprofen is an appropriate drug for a cat; any exposure is a reason to call an emergency veterinarian immediately.

Why ibuprofen is especially dangerous for cats

Cats lack several hepatic enzymes (notably glucuronyltransferase) and metabolize NSAIDs much more slowly than dogs or humans. The drug lingers in their system for days rather than hours, multiplying its toxic effects. Cats suffer from:

• Severe gastric ulceration and hemorrhage — often perforation
• Acute tubular necrosis and kidney failure — often irreversible
• Hepatic necrosis with large exposures
• CNS depression, seizures, and coma

Toxic doses in cats

• >5 mg/kg: GI ulceration likely
• >8–10 mg/kg: renal injury
• >50 mg/kg: often fatal
• A single 200 mg tablet = 50 mg/kg for a 4 kg cat — near-lethal

What to use instead for feline pain

• Meloxicam (low dose 0.05 mg/kg PO once, then 0.025 mg/kg every 24–48h — cat-specific labeling varies by country)
• Robenacoxib (Onsior) — licensed for cats in many markets
• Buprenorphine (sublingual or IM) — common for acute pain
• Gabapentin for chronic or neuropathic pain

Never give dog NSAIDs (carprofen, firocoxib) to cats either — dosing is completely different.

If a cat ingests ibuprofen

• Immediate emergency — call a vet or Pet Poison Helpline
• Do not wait, do not induce vomiting at home
• Treatment: induced emesis at clinic (if recent), activated charcoal, aggressive IV fluid therapy for 48–72h to flush kidneys, misoprostol for GI protection, anti-nausea drugs, hepatic monitoring

Clinical sources

• Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — feline NSAID toxicity.
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — ibuprofen in cats.
• ISFM Consensus Guidelines on Long-Term Use of NSAIDs in Cats.
• KuKanich B. "Outpatient oral analgesics in dogs and cats." Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract.

Bottom line

Ibuprofen and cats do not mix under any circumstance. Even a tiny dose can be lethal. If your cat ingests any human NSAID — ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin — treat it as a medical emergency.

Store all medications in closed containers out of feline reach, and never extrapolate human or canine doses to cats.