Can Cats Eat Chocolate?

One of the questions we hear more than any other on this site is Can Cats Eat Chocolate? The same question is asked about dogs. It seems that many of you have heard that it’s bad for them, but you’re either not really sure if that is true or not, or you’re just wondering why chocolate is bad for cats.

So, let’s clear up those issues.

Is Chocolate Bad for Cats?

To begin with, ket’s make it clear: chocolate is poisonous for cats. This treat is essentially a mixture of strange and wonderful chemicals. Some of these produce unique smells and tastes, others stimulate feel-good chemicals in the body and produce minor euphoria. One of the chemicals that does this in humans, theobromine, is the chemical that is incredibly dangerous for cats.

This chemical is present in all forms of chocolate, even white chocolate. It is at its most potent in unsweetened, dark chocolate that has a high level of cocoa. But no amount of any form of chocolate should be given to you cat.

How Dangerous is Chocolate to Cats?

Your cat may be okay if they consume a small amount. That does no mean that they should though. It is poison, and while a small amount of poison will not always kill, it won’t do them any favors either. It can also take ver little chocolate to cause serious issues in cats.

The most common issues are changes in the rhythm of the heart, tremors and seizures, but in high doses and under certain circumstances, it can result i instant death. It’s scary, and it’s why you should never let your feline near any chocolate.

Will Cats Eat Chocolate?

The good news is that most cats will not actually try to eat chocolate. There is some self preservation there and many of them will simply not see chocolate as a food, especially if it’s strong, dark chocolate. However, if it is presented a s treat then they may eat it, especially if it is sweet. After all, they are used to humans giving them sweet treats and will likely see this as an offering that needs to be sampled.

That’s why it is important for human to know how deadly chocolate can be, because in reality they are the ones likely to lead their cats to this foodstuff. It’s also very important to keep anything that contains chocolate out of reach, just incase they have a taste for that substance and eat it despite of the chocolate.

This may be a problem with chocolate-milk drinks such as hot cocoa and chocolate milkshakes. It may also be a serious problem with chocolate yoghurts, ice cream and chocolate cream toppings. Cats typically love all things dairy related, even though they can be very unhealthy for them.

They will likely tuck into these if they see them. If they do, they will have a double whammy, with the dairy causing distress and the chocolate putting their life on the line. Be extra careful when you have food like this in the house and make sure your cat doesn’t get near it.

So, just to be on the safe side and make sure the message is clear:

Can Cats Eat Chocolate: No!