Can Cats Eat Chocolate?

No. Keep chocolate away from cats. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, known together as methylxanthines, and the ASPCA lists chocolate among the foods to keep away from pets. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more of these compounds it holds.

Why Chocolate Is a Problem for Cats

Methylxanthines overstimulate the nervous system and the heart. The Merck Veterinary Manual says many species are susceptible, though dogs are the ones most often treated because they eat chocolate more readily. Cats are smaller, and many cats will lick melted chocolate, frosting or a mug of cocoa even though they likely cannot taste sweetness.

Merck gives these approximate amounts of methylxanthines per ounce: white chocolate about 1.1 milligrams, milk chocolate about 64 milligrams, semisweet and sweet dark chocolate about 150 to 160 milligrams, and unsweetened baker's chocolate about 440 milligrams. Merck lists no toxic dose for cats. For dogs, it reports mild signs at about 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and heart effects at 40 to 50. A 10-pound cat weighs about 4.5 kilograms, which shows how little dark or baking chocolate it would take to reach those dog figures.

White chocolate has very little theobromine, but it is still fat, sugar and milk. Milk chocolate sits in the middle. Dark chocolate and baking chocolate are the most concentrated.

Hot chocolate brings chocolate plus milk, and the ASPCA notes that pets lack much of the enzyme that digests milk sugar. Chocolate candies may also contain nuts, raisins or xylitol, which the ASPCA lists separately. In its figures for 2020, ASPCA Poison Control reported almost 76 chocolate cases a day across all pets.

Signs to Watch For

The Merck Veterinary Manual says signs usually start 6 to 12 hours after eating. Early signs include thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, a bloated belly and restlessness. These can progress to hyperactivity, increased urination, wobbliness, stiffness, tremors and seizures, along with a fast or irregular heartbeat, high body temperature and high blood pressure. Severe cases can last up to 72 hours.

What to Do If Your Cat Ate Chocolate

Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away, even if your cat seems fine. Do not try to make your cat vomit unless a veterinarian tells you to; Merck notes that the drugs used to make cats vomit are different from those used in dogs. Bring the wrapper so the vet can see the chocolate type and weight.

If your cat has a medical condition or eats a special diet, ask your veterinarian about any food it gets into.