Is chocolate poisonous for cats?

Answer 1

Yes!! It could kill them -too much caffeine in there, they can have a heart attack! Also can give them worms.

Answer 2

Chocolate contains the compound theobromine which is a diuretic as well as a cardiac stimulant. This can cause the pet's heart rate to increase or it may cause the heart to beat irregularly, both of which can be dangerous to the animal. The level of theobromine present in chocolate varies depending on the type of chocolate. For example, dark chocolate contains higher levels than milk chocolate and so could pose a greater risk to your pet.

There are many problems that can result from feeding a cat chocolate. Chocolate is relatively high in calories so it can contribute to the development of obesity in your cat. A cat can lose its appetite for it's normal food if it eats chocolate. The largest problem is though the fact that chocolate contains the chemical theobromine as mentioned above. If this chemical builds up in the cats system, it can be potentially lethal, and one reason for this is that cats cannot clear theobromine from their bodies as quickly as people can.

Many cat owners would simply expect their pet to develop an upset stomach after eating a large amount of chocolate but few realize its lethal potential.

Further problems which can arise from chocolate poisoning are Diuresis (increased urine production), diarrhea, lethargy, vomiting, depression, and muscle tremors. These are signs which must be recognized by any cat owner so that the cat is not fed too much chocolate.

Treatment for chocolate poisoning in its advanced stage can be very unpleasant for both the cat and the owner of the cat, so it is much better to be safe and to cut down chocolate consumption of your cat to a minimum. If you do have worries that your cat has consumed large quantities of human chocolate it would be wise to consult your vet - pronto. Spotting the symptoms early on can be very beneficial and can give the cat a much better chance of surviving any poisoning which may have occurred.

If you wish to feed your cat chocolate, there are alternate "chocolate" treats for cats which are produced by some pet food manufacturers. They will either use a vegetable substitute made to taste and look like chocolate, or they will take out the theobromine, or use greatly reduced, safe levels in the chocolate treats they produce. While a very small amount of chocolate may not be harmful to some cats, it is always safest to avoid giving any to them at all.

Answer 3

Technically, yes. Cats are unusually sensitive to theobromine, a caffeine-like substance found in chocolate. However the chance of actual poisoning is pretty small, because only dark and baking chocolate have high levels of theobromine and cats won't usually touch these because of their bitter edge. (Cats don't taste sweet flavors as well as we do, so bitter flavors are more noticeable to them.)

Most 'chocolate' foods (such as chocolate milk or chocolate pudding) are simply chocolate flavored and have little actual theobromine in them. Even milk chocolate has relatively little, especially crappy brands like Palmer; the cat may eat it because of the milk, but the sugar and fat will give it an upset stomach long before they eat enough theobromine to do any serious damage.

You'd pretty much have to force-feed dark chocolate to the cat to get an actual chocolate toxicity; but all the same, keep cats out of chocolate foods for other reasons.

Answer 4

Yes because chocolate can cause an animal's heart rate to beat irregularly. CHocolate is even poisonous to rabbits!

Answer 5

specific! Chocolate between different issues is very poisonous to cats (and canine too!) Onions and any human nutrients with onion powder is likewise poisonous to cats. stick to only unique cat nutrients out of your community puppy shops! Or that pronounced with the aid of your vet. examine with your vet for a complete checklist of ingredients that are poisonous to cats.

Answer 6

No! I used to think so but then saw that big cat trainers give them chocolate milk as a treat... I re-looked at the sources I had and lo and behold only dogs were mentioned!!! Still, it's best not to give them much as it's not exactly health food for them...

Answer 7

Probably - I wouldn't feed anything to a cat that I wouldn't feed to a dog.
I know for sure it's poisonous for dogs, because a friend's father accidentally killed the family dog by sharing his M & M's. Stop laughing! It's not funny!

Answer 8

No. But the caffeine in chocolate is enough to put a cat into cardiac arrest. Don't let him have it!

Answer 9

Apparently. See the following link.

Answer 10

yes it is,...

But I used to have a little kitty that liked chocolate ice cream. she was my favorite cat, and she lived to be 24 years old.
My vet couldn't figure it out either.

But better to be safe than sorry - no chocolate for your cat, of any kind.

okay?

Answer 11

Yes
For more info go here:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/9414
and
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1418&articleid=242