By Dial A Vet Veterinary Team
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Sorghum has moved from cattle feed and farm paddocks into Australian kitchens, sold as a gluten free whole grain, as flour, and as "popped sorghum", a mini popcorn snack. If your cat steals a little plain cooked sorghum from a salad bowl, there is no need to panic. It is not a known cat toxin. The bigger questions are whether it does a cat any good, which it mostly does not, and what has been added to it.
Key takeaways
- Sorghum is a cereal grain related to sugar cane and millet. It is not toxic to cats.
- It is mostly carbohydrate. Cats are obligate carnivores and need nutrients from animal based food.
- Plain, well cooked sorghum in small amounts is unlikely to cause problems.
- Popped sorghum with butter and salt, and sorghum syrup, add fat, salt and sugar. Skip them.
- Related reading: millet and cats, quinoa and cats, rice and cats.
What is sorghum?
The Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council explains that sorghum is related to sugar cane and to millet, grows well in poor soils with unreliable rainfall, and is the third largest crop produced in Australia, mainly in the northern growing region. Whole grain sorghum is rich in carbohydrate, gluten free, a source of fibre and contains B group vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc.
Do cats need grains?
RSPCA Australia explains that cats evolved as obligate carnivores, which means they depend on nutrients that a prey based diet provides, such as specific amino acids, the essential fatty acid arachidonic acid and preformed vitamin A. A grain such as sorghum does not supply these. Some commercial cat foods include grains as part of a complete and balanced recipe, and that is fine. Adding extra grain on top of a balanced diet just adds calories.
Plain cooked sorghum
A small spoonful of plain, well cooked sorghum is unlikely to upset a healthy adult cat. Uncooked grains are hard and difficult to digest, so keep raw sorghum and sorghum flour out of reach. Sorghum is high in fibre, and a sudden large serve could lead to soft stools or wind.
Popped sorghum
Popped sorghum looks like tiny popcorn. Plain air popped kernels are not toxic, but the hard, unpopped hulls can stick in teeth or cause gagging. Flavoured versions are often coated in butter, oil, salt, cheese powder or onion and garlic seasoning. Lort Smith Melbourne Animal Hospital lists onions and garlic as toxic to cats, and the ASPCA notes that salty foods can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, tremors and seizures.
Sorghum syrup
Sweet sorghum syrup is a molasses like sweetener made from sorghum cane. It is sugar, and research in PLOS Genetics found that cats cannot taste sweetness. There is no reason to give it to a cat.
Salads and grain bowls
Sorghum often appears in salads with onion, spring onion, garlic dressings and cheese. If your cat ate from a mixed salad, the extras are more of a concern than the grain.
If your cat ate sorghum
- Work out what form it was: plain cooked grain, raw grain or flour, popped sorghum, or a seasoned salad.
- Plain cooked sorghum: no action needed beyond watching for soft stools.
- Raw grain or flour, a large amount, seasoned popped sorghum, or a salad with onion or garlic: phone your vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738.
Signs to watch for
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Wind or a bloated belly
- Gagging or pawing at the mouth (after popped hulls)
- Excessive thirst (after salty snacks)
- Pale or yellow gums or weakness in the days after onion or garlic
When to see a vet urgently
Go to your vet or nearest emergency vet clinic straight away if your cat is choking, vomiting repeatedly, has a painful belly, pale gums or breathing trouble.
Better treat choices
Cornell Feline Health Center suggests treats should stay under 10 to 15 percent of daily calories. A small piece of plain cooked chicken or fish, or a commercial cat treat, is more useful to a cat than grain.
FAQ
Is sorghum good for cats with grain allergies?
Food allergies need a vet guided elimination diet. Do not add new grains without advice.
Is sorghum flour safe in baking for cats?
Baked goods add sugar, fat and other ingredients. They are not suitable treats.
Is gluten free sorghum better for cats than wheat?
Gluten free matters for some people, but it does not make a grain more suitable for cats. Both add little to a complete cat diet.
Talk with a vet
If your cat has eaten a seasoned grain dish or you have questions about grains in their diet, book a video consult with Dial A Vet's real vets and vet nurses. We see dogs and cats, with same-day and extended hours. For choking or breathing trouble, go to your nearest emergency vet clinic. Book a Dial A Vet consult.
References
- Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council. Sorghum.
- RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. Do cats have special nutritional requirements?.
- Lort Smith Melbourne Animal Hospital. Onions Shallots Leeks - cats.
- Lort Smith Melbourne Animal Hospital. Garlic - cats.
- ASPCA. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets.
- Li X et al. PLOS Genetics (2005). Pseudogenization of a Sweet-Receptor Gene Accounts for Cats' Indifference toward Sugar.
- Cornell Feline Health Center. Feeding Your Cat.
- Animal Poisons Helpline. Emergency Instructions.
Disclaimer: Educational only. This page does not replace an examination or advice from your own veterinarian. If you are worried about your pet right now, contact your local vet or nearest emergency vet clinic.