Many people love their pets so much that they will feed them anything, including chocolate. “It is just a small piece of chocolate. What is the harm? The cat loves it” some people are saying.
Just because chocolate is something your cat loves, that doesn’t mean it is good for it. Chocolate has many chemicals that can cause problems for humans and for cats those substances can even be deadly.
You will notice that your cat likes a small piece of chocolate and you can feel tempted to give it more chocolate. But you should stop doing it because chocolate can poison your cat. Chocolate has a substance called theobromine. This substance is a diuretic and also stimulates the heart. If the cat has chocolate, the heart rate can increase a lot and begin to beat in an irregular manner. This can be very dangerous for your feline. The level of this diuretic substance is different form chocolate type to chocolate type. Usually the dark chocolate has higher levels of theobromine.
If you are giving your pet chocolate, you can cause it some serious problems. Also, the chocolate pieces have a lot of calories and your cat can develop obesity issues. If there is too much theobromine build up in the cat’s system then it can be lethal. After eating the chocolate there are some cats that will vomit. The owners usually think the cat has a simple upset stomach but they do not realize the cat’s system is filled with theobromine.
Other problems that can come from too much chocolate are an increased production of urine, lethargy, vomiting, depression, diarrhea and also tremors in the muscles. If these signs appear in your cat it can be because you have gave the feline some chocolate.
The treatment for chocolate poisoning is a bit brutal and can be very unpleasant for the cat and also for the owner. So that you do not get there, stop giving your feline chocolate. If you have seen some symptoms of chocolate poisoning, then take the cat to the vet immediately. If you have spotted the poisoning issue early, the cat has much better chances of survival so pay attention to all the symptoms.
If you still want to give your feline some sweet treats, then you can buy some chocolate form the local vet store. There are many pet chocolate manufactures that have a lot of chocolate based sweet treats. They use a vegetable substitute for the theobromine. This way that specific chocolate is perfect for the cat. This chocolate substitute is quite cheap and it comes in many shapes and sizes and it perfectly mimics the real chocolate.
There are also some other types of sweet treats specially created for pets like bonbons and jelly candies. So visit the local pet store and ask the sales people for some pet sweet treats for your companion. They will recommend you the best treat for your pet and you will keep your animal safe and healthy.