Can cats eat chocolate? Even though it’s more common to hear about dogs getting sick after eating chocolate, cats can also get very sick from it, and if they eat too much, it can even kill them.
Can cats eat chocolate?
You should not feed your cats with chocolate. Chocolate is not the natural food of your Felidae friend. Offering too much chocolate to your cat can make it so sick. So, you should refrain your cat from eating chocolate.
Why Is Chocolate Bad for Cats?
After knowing can cats have chocolate, let’s understand why it is bad for cats. Even though sugar, fat, and xylitol, a sugar substitute, are also bad for cats, chocolate has two ingredients that are bad for an animal’s health: caffeine and theobromine, a plant alkaloid that is naturally present in cacao. Most animals, including cats, get seriously ill by consuming theobromine.
Theobroma cacao is the Latin name for the cocoa plant, which means “food for the gods.” The roasted cocoa beans are a tasty treat, but the same thing that makes chocolate so tasty for people is what makes it so dangerous and bad for pets.
Why are these substances not good for animals?
The 2 main stimulants to blame are caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine is present in many drinks & foods besides chocolate. When your cat eats or drinks something with caffeine in it, it becomes toxic and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, irritability, and a faster heart rate. Thus, when theobromine is eaten, it causes similar effects.
How Much Chocolate Is Too Much?
So, you know, can a cat eat chocolate by now? Your cat can’t handle any amount of chocolate. Your furry friend shouldn’t eat any kind of chocolate. This includes dry cocoa powder and baking chocolate, which are the most dangerous. Because they have a lot of theobromine. Other questions that arise are whether can cats eat white chocolate or can cats eat chocolate ice cream. Dark, semi-sweet, milk, and even white chocolate, which has a small amount of cocoa.
But how much harmful it is will depend on how much and what kind they eat. One square of unsweetened baking chocolate can hurt a 10-pound cat just as much as 23 wrapped milk chocolate drops. Even small bits of chocolate can make your cat sick, so you shouldn’t let it eat any.
What Symptoms Should I Watch For? Can Cats Eat Chocolate?
You should always remember that can cat eat chocolate to avoid complications. Bring your pet cat to the veterinarian right away, just like you would for any other medical emergency, to find out how bad the poisoning is and get treatment. After treatment, keep an eye on your cat for any other signs of sickness to make sure it’s out of her system for good. Some of the symptoms of chocolate poisoning are listed above, but there are many more that can be mild to severe:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Increased heart rate
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urination
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid breathing or panting
- Muscle tremors or twitching
- Seizures
- Coma
- Hyperactivity
- Restlessness
- Increased body temperature
Bring your pet cat to the veterinarian right away, just like you would for any other medical emergency, to find out how bad the poisoning is and get treatment. After treatment, keep an eye on your cat for any other signs of sickness to make sure it’s out of her system for good. So, again can cats have chocolate? No, they cannot.
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What to do if your cat eats chocolate?
Stay as calm as you can because cats are very sensitive to how their owners feel. Try to keep them calm and cool & in a quiet place to stop the chocolate poisoning symptoms from worsening.
When you get to the office, the vet will look at your cat and figure out how much and what kind of chocolate it has eaten. So, depending on how much chocolate your cat ate and what signs it is showing, the vet may want to make it throw up to stop the poison from being absorbed. They may also give your cat fluids and more care.
How Do I Prevent my cat from having chocolate?
So, you know, are cats allowed to have chocolate? The only way to make sure paw doesn’t eat chocolate is to keep it out of his reach. Cats are curious, unpredictable animals that love to check out what’s going on in the kitchen. Keep all chocolate in a container with a tight lid.
Think of all the things that might contain chocolate, like brownies, donuts, cookies, candies, etc., because it’s not just the chocolate bars that can make them sick. This is especially true around Halloween and other holidays. If you’re having people over, put candy dishes where your cat can’t get to them, & place them away safely as soon as the party is over. If a guest asks, “Can cats eat chocolate?” you can now answer with a resounding “no.”
Pet owners do like to give their cats treats, and you can do this safely if you only give your cat treats that are made to keep it happy and healthy. Then you can have all the chocolate for yourself.
Can cats eat chocolate: FAQs
How Much Chocolate is Toxic to Cats? Can Cats Eat Chocolate?
A cat only needs to bite off 0.2 oz of a bar of baking chocolate for it to be dangerous. Moreover, it takes a little more semi-sweet or dark chocolate for a cat to get sick, but it still only takes 0.5 oz of these kinds of chocolate for a cat to get sick.
What happens if a cat eats chocolate?
Not only does it have the bad things in chocolate, but it also has sugar and lactose from the milk, which is both bad for cats. Vomiting and diarrhea are signs that a cat has eaten too much chocolate. More thirst and need to urinate.
Will a tiny bit of chocolate hurt my cat?
Your cat can’t handle any amount of chocolate. All kinds of chocolate are bad for your dog or cat.
What happens if a cat licks chocolate ice cream?
There isn’t much chocolate in these ice creams, so he should be fine if he just licks a little bit. He might throw up a little and might get diarrhea later.
Can cats recover from chocolate poisoning?
If your cat ate chocolate, it could take several days for it to feel better. Unfortunately, not all pets can recover from eating too much chocolate. This is why you should take your cat to the vet as soon as you notice any signs.
Parvaiz Yousuf is a senior SEO writer and editor with an experience of over 6 years, who also doubles up as a researcher. With an MSc zoology degree under his belt and possessing complete Search Engine Optimization (SEO) knowledge, he works as a science journalist for a US-based website and Asian Scientist (A Singapore-based magazine). He also works as Director of Wetland Research Centre, Wildlife Conservation Fund YPJK since 2018. Besides, he has several publications to his name on cancer biology and biochemistry in some reputed journals such as Nature & International Journal of Molecular Sciences, & magazines such as Science Reporter, BUCEROS BNHS, and has an abiding interest in ornithology. He also worked as a Research Associate for JK Policy Institute.
