Can cats eat chocolate is one of the most asked questions I receive with perspective of cat diet.
In a previous post I covered whether it was safe to let your cat eat bananas based on your requests. In the same pool of requests I also received can cats eat chocolate question a lot more times than I expected.
So let’s go ahead and look into can cats eat chocolate in a comprehensive sense with the domain of cat diet in mind.
Can Cats Eat Chocolate ? : The Short Answer
No. Cats should not eat chocolates under any circumstances. Most of the times they themselves won’t touch it and move away from it.
But sometimes due to ignorance cat owners may trick them into having some in the form of treats which is not good at all.
Chocolates can very well be lethal for your cats.
Now don’t satisfy yourselves with the short answer. Fragmentary answer is as bad as having no knowledge at all. So stick around and learn the mechanics behind your cat’s diet so that you are aware of how conscious you must be if you have cats or pets around.
Reasons Why Chocolates Are Bad For Cats
If you read our previous post on can cats eat bananas, we highlighted a cat’s anatomy and how a cat’s digestive system isn’t evolved to digest sugars the way we do.
High Sugar Content
So the main reason there is one off the reasons here as to why chocolates are bad for your cat.
Chocolates contain a high percentage of sugar. Since cats cannot break down sugar the way human bodies can, the presence of sugar may lead to your cat developing diabetes and obesity.
So foods containing sugar, fat, and xylitol (a sugar substitute) content as a general rule are a no no for cats.
It’s pretty logical if you think about it. Cats are designed by nature to be sleek and agile. And therefore the inherent capacity of a cats body needs to be respected.
Caffeine & Theobromine
While sugar is bad enough, there are two other ingredients in chocolate that will be harmful for you cat’s body.
Caffeine is of course most of us are familiar with. Theobromine is an alkaloid find in its natural state in cacao.
Theobromine as per a research published is particularly toxic for animals, cats included.
While a combination of cocoa and roasted beans is an incredible combination for us humans. The combination because of the reasons stated is not too good for our pets.
What To These Ingredients Do To Cats ?
Caffeine and theobromine are stimulants. Caffeine when absorbed by a cat’s body via chocolate or some other means leads to disorders like vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth, unease and heart problems.
Theobromine also results in similar symptoms and can lead your cat into developing breathing problems.
My Cat Just Swallowed Some Chocolate !!. What To Do ?.
First off, when someone you care about doesn’t feel well, it very important that you don’t feel unwell.
Don’t freak out. Like everything else everything and every problem has a solution.
Here are the symptoms you need to be aware of.
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth and increased thirst.
- Increased urination.
- Restlessness
- Elevated body temperatures
- Elevated breathing.
- Hyperactivity
If you happen to observe any of these symptoms immediately make proper arrangement to bring your cat to the vet.
It is very important that you maintain a certain level of poise while helping treat your cat to her well being because animals are very sensitive to their owners reactions.
So be very aware of that.
Once treated continue to pay a certain level of attention to your cat’s activities for any residual symptoms and till she gets back to her normal self.
Not Prevention But Conscious Living Is The Key To Well Being
Now here is the thing. Most people believe that prevention is better than cure. But if you live with a preventive mentality you will develop a fearful attitude which is a big problem in itself.
Instead start being conscious of how you are living. Getting a pet is like having a kid and we need to respond to that in a similar sense.
So it’s important that chocolates be kept out of reach of cat’s paws. We know how curious cats are.
They want to know everything that is there in your house and as such eatables like chocolates must be kept at a safe distance in air sealed containers.
Especially around holiday times like Halloween when there are not just chocolates but chocolate based dishes all over the house.
So my lovely cat lovers that was my answer to your query can cats eat chocolates. I hope I was able to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge on the subject.
Don’t shy away if you have any queries and ask them in the comments section. I will answer every single one of them.
If the query deserves a detailed answer I will make a separate post for it.
Take great care of yourselves and your kitty. And I am going to see you in the next one.
Namaskaram _/\_ 🙂
