What are the effects of chocolate on cats?

The cat chocolate toxicity calculator is the easiest way to check whether the amount of chocolate devoured by your cat poses any danger to its health or life. 🐈

"So, can cats eat chocolate?" — one may ask.

The article below will answer this and many other questions — you'll find out how much chocolate is toxic to cats, how to recognize the symptoms of chocolate poisoning, and what to do if you spot them. 🍫

Yes, it is. As simple as that. Chocolate may contain theobromine and caffeine, substances that may bear serious consequences, to a variety of animals — effects of chocolate on cats may include even death.

What other foods might be dangerous for cats?

Watch out for meals containing coffee, desserts with chocolate or coffee flavor. ☕

Crazy about cats? Check our wonderful CATculator and find out your cat's real age. 🙀

We can't give you a straightforward answer — the deadliness depends on a given type of sweets and the individual weight of your cat. 🍩

Check the Omni chocolate poison calculator on your left to compute the specific numbers.

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• Dog size
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Your cat ate chocolate — you need to act quickly!

Evaluate your pet's condition first — if anything worries you, call for help immediately. Find out exactly how much chocolate is gone, and open our cat chocolate calculator.

1. Insert your cat's weight, chocolate type, and the eaten amount, using a unit of your choice.

💡 This tool serves as the cat chocolate calculator — if you're looking for the dog version, try our canine chocolate tool.

1. Your results are here — copy them carefully, your vet may need them!

   • Total methylxanthine dose — The added doses of theobromine and caffeine, per 1 kilogram or 1 pound of the body weight
   • Total methylxanthine received — Total of harmful substances received in the entire body.
   • Dose of theobromine/caffeine — Amount of substance received, per 1 kilogram or 1 pound of the body weight.
   • Prognosis — Expected state of your pet.

We all adore it when the prognosis is good! Would you like to find out more about the best of them?

Chocolate contains methylxanthines — substances that may be deadly for cats. Smaller amounts of chocolate may cause symptoms that include:

• Vomiting and diarrhea;
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat; and
• Tremors or seizures.

Signs and symptoms of chocolate poisoning in cats usually start within 4 hours of chocolate consumption. However, your cat should be closely monitored for at least 24 h to make sure that it's entirely ok.

Chocolate poisoning symptoms may last for up to 72 h.

1. Step one: gather data.

   • Find out your cat's weight.
   • Measure exactly how much chocolate is missing.
   • Ask Google about the amount of methylxanthines present in your type of chocolate (look for sites with nutritional information).

2. Step two: calculations.

Our cat chocolate toxicity calculator uses the following equations:

Theobromine dose = (Chocolate type * Amount eaten) / Weight

Caffeine dose = (Chocolate type * Amount eaten) / Weight

Total dose = Caffeine dose + Theobromine dose

where:

• Theobromine dose and Caffeine dose are given in mg/kg.
• Chocolate type means the concentration of theobromine/caffeine in 1 g of a given chocolate product.
• Amount eaten — Given in grams (g).
• Weight of the pet is given in kilograms (kg).

To evaluate the total toxicity, we need to use the Total dose that we've already calculated:

• A total dose of <15.01 mg/kg — your cat's going to be ok.
• A dose between 15.01-34.02 mg/kg — your pet may suffer from diarrhea and vomiting.
• A dose between 34.02-45 mg/kg — your feline may also suffer from tachyarrhythmia (possibly dangerous, rapid heartbeat).
• A dose between 45-55.01 mg/kg will cause seizures and tremors.
• A total dose larger than 55.01 mg/kg may kill your cat.

Chocolate might be extremely dangerous to cats — it all depends on a specific kind of chocolate. Lethal dose for a typical, 8.8 lb (4 kg) cat is equal to:

Can cats eat chocolate? What about chocolate-flavored foods like ice cream? Is a little chocolate okay? There are many delicious foods that humans enjoy that can be poisonous to cats. In the realm of pet poisonings, you hear more about dogs and food toxicity because they comprise the majority of the cases. But there are several food-related poisonings that occur with our cat companions each year. 

Your friends at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services take a closer look at the foods that are off limits to cats and answer the question, can my cat eat chocolate?

Most pet owners know that chocolate is toxic to dogs, but the same is true for cats. Chocolate contains the ingredients caffeine and theobromine, both of which are harmful to cats. In large amounts, it can cause death. Dark and baker’s quality chocolate are more toxic because they contain a higher level of cocoa, which includes those toxic compounds.

Can cats eat chocolate ice cream? Although chocolate ice cream is unlikely to kill your cat, it isn’t good for them and may make them ill for a few hours. It contains not only the harmful ingredients in chocolate but sugar and lactose from the milk as well–neither of which are good for cats. 

Signs of chocolate toxicity in cats include:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Increased thirst and urination
• Lack of appetite
• Increased heart rate
• Restlessness
• Panting
• Tremors
• Seizure
• Coma

If your cat ate chocolate, call us right away, since symptoms can progress rapidly.

Toxic Foods

There are other favorite foods that can harm cats when ingested. Since the holidays are on the horizon, it’s a good time to discuss pet food toxicity. Even if your pet isn’t all that interested in what you eat, never leave a pet alone with food they can access. 

Here are some foods that are toxic or unhealthy to cats.

• Grapes and raisins
• Alcohol
• Onions, garlic, leeks
• Avocado
• Raw dough
• Raw meat and bones
• Uncooked eggs
• Milk

Healthier Food Choices for Your Cat

While it is never a good idea to overindulge your cat in your own food choices, you may wish to give them a small amount of appropriate foods. This is especially true during the holidays when you want to give your fur friend something special. 

Try the following:

• A small amount of tuna
• Diced, cooked chicken or turkey (without the skin)
• Berries
• Unseasoned rice
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Bananas
• Catnip or broth frozen into an ice cube

Can cats eat chocolate? The bottom line is they shouldn’t have chocolate or foods that contain chocolate, especially foods with sugar, artificial sweeteners and dairy. If you have any questions about food toxicity in cats, or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us.