Pet owners know very well that cats love food. These adorable creatures are constant eaters; even if you feed them well, they will still want something to nibble on. Some naughty cats may swipe food directly off our plates. Cats are more finicky than dogs but can also eat something they shouldn’t. Knowing what cats can and cannot eat is worth careful consideration to keep our pets free from any health problems. For example, can cats eat chocolate?
Is Chocolate Safe For Cats?
Plant-based product ingredients are minimal with cats. To compensate for fiber shortfalls, they typically graze on grasses or leaves. Plants are not necessary on their menu. But most cats also love to eat other products than meat food. Curiosity can get them to human food, which usually does not end well. What if a cat eats a square chocolate? Let’s find out.
Cats can’t eat chocolate, so don’t feed your cats any chocolate products. Also, ensure that your animals are not mistakenly eating away any chocolate, such as nibbling on crumbs under the table. Chocolate is toxic to felines. It has some substances which are harmful to cats. There have been instances of food poisoning where pets accidentally ate chocolate or a product that contained chocolate.
Why Is Chocolate Toxic For Cats?
A substance called methylxanthines is found in high amounts in cocoa beans, which work effectively on cats. Those compounds speed up the heart, tighten the blood vessels, and have some diuretic properties. Any of these reactions can be life-threatening to your cat. Clinical signs typically begin increasing 2-4 hours after ingestion and include urinary incontinence, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Different chocolates will have different quantities of these ingredients, too. Milk chocolate has fewer toxic ingredients than unsweetened baking chocolate and cocoa powder. White chocolate, on the other hand, is a trivial source of methylxanthines.
Why can’t cats eat chocolate? Although their metabolic rates are higher than those of humans, these toxins can remain in their bodies for a much longer period of time, which is why chocolate is toxic to pets. Chocolate can cause dehydration and even more dire health issues. In some instances, the only thing that happens is mild symptoms of exposure to the substance itself; not every case is severe.
But cats should always be kept away from eating chocolate since it can be lethal to them. It can be due to lethal arrhythmia of the heart, or it can be due to respiratory failure causing death. So, by all means, if you suspect any of these worrying symptoms in your feline companion, make sure to take them to the vet asap. In cases of high consumption of chocolate, cats may need urgent treatment with gastric lavage.
Summary
Can cats eat chocolate? Definitely not. While chocolate poisoning in cats is less common than in dogs, this problem should not be overlooked. The small number of poisonings can largely be explained by the fact that cats are more selective and consume far less non-meat food, generally not preferring hard and sweet food such as chocolate.
Still, monitoring your cats and not allowing chocolate into their mouth is advisable. Certain chocolates may be more appealing to cats. Foods such as ice cream, yogurt, or pudding have a very easy and pleasant consistency for a cat to eat. Because such products may contain dangerous chocolate, be careful that cats do not lick the containers.
Sources
- Kim Gugler, Christopher Piscitelli, Jeffrey Dennis (2013). Hidden dangers in the kitchen: common foods toxic to dogs and cats.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23677840/ - Cristina Cortinovis, Francesca Caloni (2016). Household Food Items Toxic to Dogs and Cats.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4801869/
