Cats and Chocolate Ice Cream: Risks, Symptoms, and Alternatives

Chocolate Ice Cream Toxicity in Cats: can cats eat chocolate ice cream? My cat ate chocolate ice cream What should I do if my cat ate chocolate ice cream? All these are valid questions from cat owners who value their cat’s health.

There are foods and junk we humans consume that could hurt our cats if they partook; onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, Takis, buffalo wings, chocolate, and even dairy products. If you are not aware of what your cat should eat or not, you’re likely to give fluffy a bad treat which could lead to a vet visit.

Some ice creams are made with artificial sweeteners which contain xylitol, xylitol can cause low blood sugar as they cause the cat’s body to release insulin suddenly–leading to low blood sugar. Xylitol can also cause kidney failure in cats which is why your cat shouldn’t eat chocolate ice cream.

In this article, you will understand why chocolate bars and chocolate ice cream are bad for your cats, and you’ll learn about tastier treats that you could offer them instead.

Can cats eat chocolate?

Caffeine and theobromine in chocolate are toxic to cats in large concentrations. Humans absorb theobromine faster than cats. Every bite is deadly, and coffee stimulates cats more than people, making it dangerous.

Canines are more sensitive to chocolate poisoning than cats. Out of 100 chocolate poisoning vet calls, 95% are dogs. This doesn’t protect cats against chocolate poisoning.

Chocolate can kill your cat if untreated and trigger other significant problems. Your cat may have eaten chocolate. Call your vet immediately. You may miss signs.

Can cats eat chocolate ice cream?

No, chocolate ice cream in small quantities will only make your cat ill for a short while, but it is generally bad for your cat. Asides from caffeine and theobromine, it also contains lactose, sugar, and propylene glycol–which are bad for your cat.

If your cat ate mint chocolate chip ice cream, they will experience the same symptoms of theobromine and caffeine poisoning, but the mint available is almost like catnip to the cat, and won’t hurt your cat, except consumed in a large quantity.

Signs of chocolate poisoning in cats include:

• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Seizures
• Coma
• Tremors
• Restlessness
• Loss of appetite
• Heightened urination and thirst
• Increased heart rates

Can my cat die from eating chocolate ice cream? Yes, your cat could die from eating chocolate ice cream, but this is dependent on the amount of chocolate consumed and the size of your cat. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning advance quickly if left unattended.

My Cat ate chocolate ice cream – Is it Safe?

I am a die-hard fan of chocolate ice creams, I learned how to make different varieties of this irresistible ice cream. Chocolate ice cream is a mixture of cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla cream, and sugar, depending on the taste you want to achieve, cocoa liquor can be added.

Vanilla extract is great for making cats stop fighting, but they are not good for cats in large quantities, since they contain ethanol–which is bad for cats. Also, chocolate ice cream contains cocoa powder which has the main ingredient we are trying to avoid.

It is not safe if your cat ate chocolate ice cream–chocolate ice cream and all ice creams contain propylene glycol, which is used as a safe anti-freeze in ice cream, it prevents the ice cream from forming crystals. Although safe for humans, it is not safe for your cat, propylene glycol has since been Discontinued from cat foods, as cats have high sensitivity to it. Poisoning can occur if consumed in large quantities.

What should I do if my cat licks chocolate ice cream?

If your cat ate mint chocolate chip or chocolate ice cream Do not act heroically at home; call pros. Cats are usually fed vomit-inducing foods to vomit. Only follow your vet’s advice to avoid aggravating the cat. Call the vet!

Get the following information ready

• How long ago your cat ate chocolate ice cream
• The name(having the wrappers comes in handy) of the ice cream ingested by your cat
• If your cat ate chocolate ice cream, what amount did he consume?
• Also, give in detail, all symptoms you have noticed.

To help your cat get rid of these chocolate ice cream,  administering hydrogen peroxide can make the cat throw up, getting a cat to take some hydrogen peroxide can be such a task–which means; you may be needing to make use of a syringe–which you may not know how to use, this is why it’s best to leave it for the vets.

How vets treat chocolate ice cream toxicity in cats

If your cat ate chocolate ice cream, the vet would carry out the following treatments:

• Induce vomit

It’s hard to make your cat puke chocolate ice cream, but your vet will try.

For speedy results, the vet pumps a little hydrogen peroxide into the cat’s mouth, making it sick and puke the chocolate ice cream.

• Activated charcoal

This charcoal is only used when the vet failed to get the cat to vomit, activated charcoal will be given to your cat to bind the toxins. The lesser the toxins absorbed, the better for your cat.

• Hospitalize the cat

Cats with severe chocolate ice cream poisoning need hospitalization for anti-seizure treatment of heart rhythms and tremors. Fluid treatment helps cats remove toxins and maintain heart and blood pressure.

How much chocolate is toxic to cats?

If the theobromine is about 200mg/ kilogram of your cat, toxicity is said to have occurred. White chocolate poses no threat to your cat,  but baking, dark, semisweet, and milk in varying portions can cause toxicity to cats.

Chart of chocolate poisoning in cats

What Are Some Alternative Foods to Chocolate Ice Cream for Cats?

In deciding the best treatment for your feline friend, you shouldn’t be looking out for sweet treats– even when you feel better if you provide a sweet alternative. You should know that; your cat doesn’t taste sugar, because of their physiological makeup as meat eaters.

Ice cubes: ice cubes are one of the best play buddies for your cat. Just add some cubes from your fridge into his water bowl and watch how your cat sizzles in pure ecstasy. Although it’s not ice cream, it still has ice in it right? Yeah! It’s also cost-effective and doesn’t cost you an extra fee.

Pumpkin treats:  if you’re like me who likes to know what ingredients are present in my pet’s foods, you may want to prepare some delicious homemade pumpkin treats for your lovely cat.

Making a roasted pumpkin treat

Roasted pumpkin is one of the best treats you can use as a substitute for chocolate ice cream for your cat. The great thing is you can serve them an unlimited number of times.

• Get a cup of pumpkin
• Preheat your oven to 325°
• Oil your baking sheet, pour your pumpkin seeds on it and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, make sure you flip every 7 minutes.
• When it’s ready, allow it to cool down, then you and your cat can enjoy some Netflix(salt yours if you want, don’t salt the cat’s own).

What other foods are toxic to cats?

If you’re not sure about what to feed your cat or not, you should invest in cat-specific foods. Being a pet owner is not just about forking out money and paying for its adoption, it indulges your responsibility in taking care of your cat’s coat, teeth, and bodily health in general. What you feed your cat is the first defense to sickness and also the first loophole to sickness.

Some human-grade foods and some foods laying around in our homes and pantry are not good for your pet. Let’s analyze those:

• Tuna

Tuna and all fish, in general, are cats’ favorites. I have seen situations where cats made their owners feed them only chicken or fish diet–this is a bad idea, as your cat needs taurine which may be sufficient in a chicken-only diet, but it shows you how much cats love fish.

Tuna is bad for cats when served in little quantities. However, continuous and increased quantities can lead to mercury poisoning.

• Raw dough

If you bake cookies, treats, or junk every week, raise your hand. I know you love to bake like me and know the ritual of tasting dough to make sure the ingredients are good.

These may be fun until you let your cat eat raw dough, which rises in its stomach and causes bloating and intestinal blockage. As bad as giving your cat ice cream.

• Grapes and raisins

It is not certain the particular content in grapes and raisins that causes so much lethal damage to our cats, just like chocolates, grapes cause death to cats, especially the dried fruits found in cakes. Within 24 – 78 hours of consuming grapes, a cat can suffer kidney failure. Ensure you don’t give your cats grapes or raising, or chocolate ice creams.

Conclusion

Ensure you feed your cat in the most healthy way you can, there are numerous healthy treats you can provide your cat instead of giving the kitten chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate ice cream will send your cat to the vet, take all precautionary measures to ensure they do not consume chocolate bars or ice cream.

Have questions? We want to hear from you below.