No, cats cannot eat milk chocolate. All kinds of chocolate products are lethal to any cat. While it may be tempting to give them chocolate as a treat, it can harm your cat. Chocolate may be quite a treat for us humans. However, for cats, it’s something they shouldn’t even eat.
But how can chocolates harm cats? What happens when a cat eats chocolates?
Let’s find out more about it!
Contents
Is milk chocolate bad for cats?
All kinds of chocolate are bad for felines. Of course, the list includes milk chocolates.
All chocolates have theobromine in them. While this agent is beneficial for us humans, it can be quite toxic for our pets.
Theobromine and its effect on cats
Since chocolates are lethal to felines if consumed, what is in it that makes them harmful to cats and not to humans?
Aston Veterinary Hospital says theobromine is a substance that is poisonous to animals.
Theobromine works as a toxin by diminishing the blood flow to the brain. Thus, causing heaty attacks and other life-threatening problems.
The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. It doesn’t mean white chocolate is safe for our pets.
As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid feeding your feline friend any chocolate, even milk chocolate.
Further, if you have felines roaming around your house, never leave chocolates out in the open. While they won’t get attracted to it, they may eat it out of curiosity.
Now, since chocolates are dangerous to any kitty, how much chocolate is enough to put their lives in danger?
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How much chocolate can kill a cat?
For both cats and dogs, a small amount can cause mild and severe symptoms.
Theobromine amounting to 20mg per kg can cause mild symptoms. Further, 40 mg per kg can cause more severe symptoms.
Thus, let’s say your kitty weighs an average of 5 kilograms. A single bar of chocolate, which is approximately 40 grams, can be lethal.
The small amount can lead to extreme symptoms. Worse, it is also enough to cause death.
Can cats drink milk?
Many people think that milk chocolate is okay for cats because of their milk content. However, even milk is lethal for them if consumed.
As mammals, felines in their early years as kittens take milk from their mother. They are born with the ability to digest the sugar found in milk, that is, lactose.
Still, as they grow older, most kitties become lactose-intolerant. It means that their digestive system cannot process dairy products.
Thus, taking milk usually gets their stomach upset, especially cow’s milk.
For this reason, the milk in milk chocolate products only adds up to the toxic the chocolate already has.
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How much milk chocolate is toxic to cats?
To make it easier to understand, I’ve calculated it in the milk chocolate.
Twenty-eight grams of milk chocolate contains 60 milligrams of theobromine. In a simple measuring size, two tablespoons of milk chocolate can be quite lethal to your cat.
Two tablespoons of milk chocolate are already enough to kill your pet. That’ll be much worse if your feline friend takes a higher amount.
What are the symptoms of a cat eating chocolate?
If your cat ate milk chocolate or any chocolate, it would cause symptoms to show immediately. It usually takes up to 2-4 hours; the longest can occur within 24 hours.
Among the symptoms you should look out for include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Rapid breathing
- Elevated temperature
- Muscle rigidity
- Increased reflex response
- Seizures
- Cardiac arrest
- Coma
Chocolate poisoning may also show low blood pressure and a rapid heartbeat. However, these symptoms are only discoverable by a veterinarian.
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What should you do if your cat eats chocolate?
If you have seen your cat eating chocolate, or if you wish to prevent it from doing so, here are some things you can do.
Keep watch over your cat
The best way to prevent cats from eating chocolates is to keep an eye on them. Felines are curious creatures, and they tend to eat what they see.
It’s not likely that any kitty will eat chocolate, though, as they are usually not attracted to it.
Still, it’s best to watch out if they pay attention to any chocolate they can access.
Keep chocolates out of reach
If your cat stays indoors, it’s best to hide all chocolates and all food containing chocolates.
This way, you’ll be sure that your pet cannot lay its tongue on any chocolate.
Further, be mindful of feeding it anything. Be on the lookout for any content that may be harmful.
Determine the amount of chocolate intake
If you caught your cat eating chocolate, it’s best to note all the information about it.
This information can help in identifying how severe the damage that can happen to your pet.
Also, keep yourself informed of the weight of your feline pet. It will again come in handy as you try to diagnose how much chocolate can affect your kitty friend.
Consult a vet immediately
Take your cat to the vet immediately after you saw it eating chocolate.
Bring any information that can help your vet diagnose the problem. The report includes the chocolate’s brand and the weight of it.
If you still have the wrapper, bring it as well.
Visiting a vet may perform various tests on your feline pet. Thus, the sooner you bring it, the better it will be.
Chocolate poisoning doesn’t have a specific treatment. Instead, the only remedy is to aid the symptoms.
For this reason, taking your cat to the vet is the surest way to save it from chocolate poisoning.
In Summary
Both cats and milk chocolates offer quite the pleasure to humans. However, putting them together isn’t a good idea. Instead, it can even cause great harm.
Unlike humans, felinescannot tolerate chocolates of all kinds. While for us humans, the agents in chocolate are beneficial; it is poison for them.
The best way to prevent such dangers from happening is never to let your pet eat chocolates.
If your cat accidentally does, know the proper measures, and respond with haste to save your pet.
Resources
Aston Veterinary Hospital study about cats and chocolate.
Image credits – Photos by fotografierende and American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash
