"Where's
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
point where it poisons them.
Chocolate contains
compound theobromine which is a diuretic as well as a cardiac stimulant. This can cause
pet's heart rate to increase or it may cause
heart to beat irregularly, both of which can be dangerous to
animal. The level of theobromine present in chocolate varies depending on
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
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
fact that chocolate contains
chemical theobromine as mentioned above. If this chemical builds up in
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.