diff --git a/slim_trees/compression_utils.py b/slim_trees/compression_utils.py
index 89f7042..8499760 100644
--- a/slim_trees/compression_utils.py
+++ b/slim_trees/compression_utils.py
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 
+def safe_cast(arr: np.array, dtype):
+    if np.can_cast(arr.max(), dtype) and np.can_cast(arr.min(), dtype):
+        return arr.astype(dtype)
+    raise ValueError(f"Cannot cast array to {dtype}.")
+
+
 def _is_in_neighborhood_of_int(arr, iinfo, eps=1e-12):
     """
     Checks if the numbers are around an integer.
diff --git a/slim_trees/lgbm_booster.py b/slim_trees/lgbm_booster.py
index 9cb3101..8847c83 100644
--- a/slim_trees/lgbm_booster.py
+++ b/slim_trees/lgbm_booster.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from slim_trees.compression_utils import (
     compress_half_int_float_array,
     decompress_half_int_float_array,
+    safe_cast,
 )
 from slim_trees.utils import check_version
 
@@ -102,6 +103,10 @@ def _extract_feature(feature_line):
         feats_map = dict(_extract_feature(fl) for fl in features)
 
         def parse(str_list, dtype):
+            if np.can_cast(dtype, np.int64):
+                int64_array = np.array(str_list, dtype=np.int64)
+                return safe_cast(int64_array, dtype)
+            assert np.can_cast(dtype, np.float64)
             return np.array(str_list, dtype=dtype)
 
         split_feature_dtype = np.int16
diff --git a/slim_trees/sklearn_tree.py b/slim_trees/sklearn_tree.py
index 21c7a1b..54bf0f1 100644
--- a/slim_trees/sklearn_tree.py
+++ b/slim_trees/sklearn_tree.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from slim_trees.compression_utils import (
     compress_half_int_float_array,
     decompress_half_int_float_array,
+    safe_cast,
 )
 from slim_trees.utils import check_version
 
@@ -70,11 +71,12 @@ def _compress_tree_state(state: dict):
     assert np.array_equal(is_leaf, children_right == -1)
 
     # feature, threshold and children are irrelevant when leaf
-    children_left = children_left[~is_leaf].astype(dtype_child)
-    children_right = children_right[~is_leaf].astype(dtype_child)
-    features = nodes["feature"][~is_leaf].astype(dtype_feature)
+
+    children_left = safe_cast(children_left[~is_leaf], dtype_child)
+    children_right = safe_cast(children_right[~is_leaf], dtype_child)
+    features = safe_cast(nodes["feature"][~is_leaf], dtype_feature)
     # value is irrelevant when node not a leaf
-    values = state["values"][is_leaf].astype(dtype_value)
+    values = safe_cast(state["values"][is_leaf], dtype_value)
     # do lossless compression for thresholds by downcasting half ints (e.g. 5.5, 10.5, ...) to int8
     thresholds = nodes["threshold"][~is_leaf].astype(dtype_threshold)
     thresholds = compress_half_int_float_array(thresholds)
diff --git a/tests/test_compression_utils.py b/tests/test_compression_utils.py
index fac5da2..82bf26d 100644
--- a/tests/test_compression_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_compression_utils.py
@@ -1,12 +1,39 @@
 import numpy as np
+import pytest
 
 from slim_trees.compression_utils import (
     _is_in_neighborhood_of_int,
     compress_half_int_float_array,
     decompress_half_int_float_array,
+    safe_cast,
 )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "arr,dtype",
+    [
+        (np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5]), np.int8),
+        (np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5]), np.uint8),
+        (np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5]), np.int16),
+        (np.array([200]), np.uint16),
+    ],
+)
+def test_safe_cast(arr, dtype):
+    safe_cast(arr, dtype)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "arr,dtype",
+    [
+        (np.array([1, 2, 3, 555555]), np.int16),
+        (np.array([-1, 4, 6]), np.uint32),
+    ],
+)
+def test_safe_cast_error(arr, dtype):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        safe_cast(arr, dtype)
+
+
 def test_compress_half_int_float_array():
     a1 = np.array([0, 1, 2.5, np.pi, -np.pi, 1e5, 35.5, 2.50000000001])
     state = compress_half_int_float_array(a1)