"Where's the harm?
My cat seems to enjoy chocolate
and it's only a small piece."
Just because certain foods,
such as chocolate, are enjoyed
by us
humans and are perfectly safe
for us, it does not mean they
are suitable for cats. Chocolate
contains chemicals which rarely
cause problems for humans,
but for cats and other domestic
pets, these chemicals can,
in rare cases, be deadly.
One problem is that cats
in general find chocolate
very tasty and so, it is important
not to feed it to them, otherwise
they will eat what you give
them up to the point where
it poisons them.
Chocolate contains the compound
theobromine which is a diuretic
as well as a cardiac stimulant.
This can cause the pet's heart
rate to increase or it may
cause the heart to beat irregularly,
both of which can be dangerous
to the animal. The level of
theobromine present in chocolate
varies depending on the type
of chocolate. For example,
dark chocolate contains higher
levels than milk chocolate
and so could pose a greater
risk to your pet.
There are many problems that
can result from feeding a
cat chocolate. Chocolate is
relatively high in calories
so it can contribute to the
development of obesity in
your cat. A cat can lose its
appetite for it's normal food
if it eats chocolate. The
largest problem is though
the fact that chocolate contains
the chemical theobromine as
mentioned above. If this chemical
builds up in the cats system,
it can be potentially lethal,
and one reason for this is
that cats cannot clear theobromine
from their bodies as quickly
as people can.
Many cat owners would simply
expect their pet to develop
an upset stomach after eating
a large amount of chocolate
but few realize its lethal
potential.
Further problems which can
arise from chocolate poisoning
are Diuresis (increased urine
production), diarrhea, lethargy,
vomiting, depression, and
muscle tremors. These are
signs which must be recognized
by any cat owner so that the
cat is not fed too much chocolate.
Treatment for chocolate poisoning
in its advanced stage can
be very unpleasant for both
the cat and the owner of the
cat, so it is much better
to be safe and to cut down
chocolate consumption
of your cat to a minimum.
If you do have worries that
your cat has consumed large
quantities of human chocolate
it would be wise to consult
your vet - pronto. Spotting
the symptoms early on
can be very beneficial and
can give the cat a much better
chance of surviving any poisoning
which may have occurred.
If you wish to feed your
cat chocolate, there are alternate
"chocolate" treats
for cats which are produced
by some pet food manufacturers.
They will either use a vegetable
substitute made to taste and
look like chocolate, or they
will take out the theobromine,
or use greatly reduced, safe
levels in the chocolate treats
they produce. While a very
small amount of chocolate
may not be harmful to some
cats, it is always safest
to avoid giving any to them
at all.
copyright 2004http://www.best-cat-art.com
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