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Many pet parents are familiar with their dogs getting sick because of eating chocolate.
It is the same with cats, as chocolate is also harmful to their system.
Nevertheless, it depends on the type of chocolate that the cat has consumed.
Some chocolates are more harmful than others, such as baked, semi-sweet, and dark chocolates.
On the other hand, milk and white chocolates are harmful to your feline friend when consumed in large quantities.
Regardless, the result is that chocolate is poisonous to your cat.
Back to our question – can cats eat white chocolate? The simple answer is no. Cats can’t eat white chocolate!
Even though white chocolate is less toxic than other types of chocolates, you should keep it away from your furry friend.
All chocolates are harmful as they contain cocoa. White chocolate is also inclusive, even though some pet owners consider it safe.
White chocolate is made up of cocoa butter.
The rest of the chocolates contain theobromine and caffeine, which are poisonous to your cat if consumed in large amounts.
Theobromine is a proven toxin for many animals, including cats and dogs.
So, when your cat eats a lot of chocolate, the caffeine in it will lead to vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, increased thirst, and heart rate.
These are the same symptoms that theobromine will cause to your feline when absorbed.
What Makes White Chocolate Less Toxic?
Unlike dark, semi-sweet, and baked chocolates, white chocolates do not contain caffeine and have very little theobromine in them.
White chocolates are made from cocoa butter, a blend of sugar, vanilla, milk products, and a fatty substance referred to as lecithin.
Thus, they don’t feature cocoa solids like the other types of chocolates.
Because of this, they are less toxic but not safe enough for your cat to eat in large quantities.
Note: the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is.
Baking chocolate is considered the worst and contains the highest level of theobromine.
Here is the order of theobromine toxicity in different chocolates:
- Baked chocolate – the most toxic
- Dark chocolate
- Semi-sweet chocolate
- Milk chocolate
- White chocolate – less toxic
How Much of The Chocolate Is Too Much for Your Feline Friend?
There is not too much chocolate for your cat, as any amount is poisonous.
However, the level of toxicity varies depending on how much the cat ingests, the type of chocolate, and the cat’s weight.
Even as little as 20mg of theobromine per pound of pet weight can induce symptoms and cause health issues.
For this reason, you should get in touch with your veterinarian if your 10-pound cat takes one of the following:
- 20 grams plus of dark chocolate
- One square of unsweetened baked chocolate
- 78 grams of milk chocolate candies
- 1.5 tablespoons of dry cocoa powder
- Five tablespoons of chocolate syrup
- A tiny slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
These are just examples, but the truth is that you should not allow your cat to eat even a small portion of chocolate, as any chocolate is toxic to your furry friend.
What Are the Side Effects of Your Cat Eating Chocolate?
We’ve highlighted several symptoms above, but you should be keen and see if a cat shows any of these signs:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Increased heart rate
- Restlessness
- Nausea
- Increased thirst
- Hyperactivity
- Seizures
- Muscle rigidity/tremors
- Rapid breathing
- Excessive urination
- Low blood pressure
- Heightened body temperature
- Coma
- Death
If you notice these signs, stay calm, and then call the veterinarian immediately.
Treatment Of Chocolate Toxicity in Cats
You should see a vet if you catch your cat eating chocolate or realize it has eaten it within an hour.
At such a stage, the veterinarian can induce vomit to remove the toxicity from the feline’s system before it is late.
If possible, carry a piece of the chocolate the cat consumed to the vet as it can help them know the danger’s extent.
The vet will provide medications to control symptoms, and if the case is more serious, the pet may be placed on a ventilator or monitored for cardiac activity.
The earlier you take your pet to the vet, the better.
Conclusion
Even though white chocolate is less toxic than dark or baked chocolate, it is not fit for giving to your cat as it is still harmful.
Instead of giving white chocolate as a treat to your cat, stick to treats that are not harmful to your pet.
Keep chocolates that cats can’t reach.
Cats are curious creatures and may attempt to taste them when they encounter one.
In short, no chocolate is safe for your cat, whether baked chocolate with high levels of theobromine or white chocolate with a minor level of theobromine!
Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.
