Can Cats Eat Chocolate? - LEARN MORE

​When tending to your cat, you need to know what food they can and cannot eat. You must keep your bundle of joy away from certain food items. Although you are more likely to have come across stories about dogs getting sick after eating chocolate, you must make sure that your kitty does not eat it either.

Can Cats Eat Chocolate?

​The brief answer is no; it's not safe for your cat to consume chocolate in most cases. You will find that most chocolate contains ingredients such as theobromine or caffeine, along with Xylitol as a sugar substitute when required. All three of these ingredients can be toxic for your cat. 

​Why Is Chocolate Harmful For Felines?

​Cats can tolerate sugar and fat even though they are not suitable. However, there are three ingredients in chocolate that make it harmful to your pet's health. These include theobromine (a plant alkaloid), caffeine, and Xylitol. According to a study publicized in the Frontiers in Pharmacology Journal, you must understand that theobromine is toxic for just about every animal, including felines. The fact is that what makes chocolate delicious is what makes it dangerous to animals. Xylitol is also highly harmful to cats, and even small quantities of Xylitol can result in lethal conditions such as hypoglycemia and liver failure. In addition, Xylitol triggers the sudden release of insulin in a cat's body which is the core cause of all the problems mentioned above. Therefore, you should ensure that your cat's diet does not include these toxic elements.

​How Are These Ingredients Dangerous to Cats?

​As your vet might have told you, stimulants are harmful to animals. For example, both theobromine and caffeine are stimulants found in chocolate which is why you need to ensure that your cat never consumes chocolate. Otherwise, it would suffer from an increased heart rate, severe thirst, vomiting, restlessness, and diarrhea. In addition, Xylitol triggers the sudden release of insulin in a cat's body, resulting in low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), leading to liver damage. 

​So, Can Cats Eat Chocolate?

​It would be ideal if you remembered that just the slightest amount of chocolate might harm your cat's health. Therefore, your feline buddy must never consume any chocolate, including baking chocolate and dry cocoa powder, which are highly toxic.

Similarly, you should never feed white chocolate, chocolate milk, and just about anything that contains chocolate. The impact of chocolate depends on the size of your cat; the smaller your cat, the more harmful the consumption of chocolate.

​What Are The Symptoms That You Need To Be On The Lookout For?

​When your cat eats chocolate, it is a medical emergency that you should not take lightly. It can cause poisoning if you fail to get your adorable creature treated. Only through proper treatment would you be able to save your cat. 

Watch out for the following signs: they are the side effects of chocolate consumption that animal experts have observed.

•                     Nausea
•                     Seizures
•                     Diarrhea
•                     Vomiting
•                     Restlessness
•                     Hyperactivity
•                     Excessive thirst
•                     Increased urination
•                     Increased heart rate
•                     Rapid panting or breathing
•                     Increased body temperature
•                     Twitching or Muscle tremors

If you witness your cat suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned above, take it to the emergency room.

​What to Do Next?

​Since cats are in-tune with the emotions of their pet parents, you have to remain calm to prevent the situation from escalating. When you carry your cat to the vet, they will induce vomiting to ensure that the cat does not absorb the toxins, then your cat will be given fluids and additional care for recovery.

​Conclusion

​Since chocolate ingestion is entirely preventable, you need to keep chocolate away from your cat. Make sure that you discuss which type of treats you can offer with your vet.