Many of us love chocolate ice cream. But when your furry friend comes sniffing it, you wonder if they can eat it. Well, it’s a pity but they can’t, it is like a disguised poison to them.
Cats drink milk after being born, so it’s not weird that they are attracted to every dairy product. They can easily smell the milk within anything— Even if it is something that will harm them. Cats are peculiar creatures who love to explore, and curiosity kills the cat!
They sniff around to know what is the smell, if they find the smell pleasant, they start devouring it. Chocolate Ice-Cream is an alluring dairy product, and cats can sense the egg and milk in it, they don’t care what else is in it.
Truth to be known, it has caffeine and theobromine. Eating chocolate can cause abnormal heartbeat, seizures, tumors, liver failure, or even death. In humans, it is metabolized, but in cats, it becomes a toxic substance. Caffeine causes tumors, diarrhea, and even heart and lung diseases in cats. So, it is wrong to feed your cat chocolate ice cream.
There are some things to know about Cats and Chocolate Ice Cream, let’s dive into it, shall we?
Give Your Cat the Perfect Day
Get the Free Ebook!
Chocolate Ice-Cream And Cats: Things To Know
Is Chocolate Ice Cream Bad For Cats
Yes, without a doubt.
What are the ingredients of a basic chocolate ice cream?
Cocoa Powder, eggs, whipped cream, vanilla, and sugar. Cocoa powder is the main ingredient, and it itself contains two toxic substances—caffeine and theobromine.
Eggs (Scrambled or boiled) are not particularly harmful to them, it is one of the ingredients attracting your furry friend to the ice cream.
Whipped cream is fairly safe as a treat for them, it is even another thing that lures cats to a dairy product such as ice cream.
But remember that adult cats are usually lactose intolerant and may have diarrhea after consuming milk or cream.
A little bit of sugar is okay but remember cats are carnivores and are supposed to eat meat instead of plants, but you can provide them with some carbohydrates sometimes.
But chocolate ice cream is nothing without the Cocoa Powder, meaning you can’t even feed it as a treat.
Check out more details about can cats have whipped cream
Saving A Cat Who Has Consumed Some Chocolate
Cats don’t know if it’s harmful to them, and you didn’t know if your cat could lick everything they find.
Making the things poisonous to cats out of reach for them prevents them from getting in trouble, but if your feline friend has already licked chocolate, what do you do?
Any amount of Cocoa(which contains theobromine and caffeine) can be harmful to cats. While some cats have low sensitivity to theobromine and caffeine, it’s best to take the cat to a vet immediately.
Get your cat to vomit so it vomits the chocolate out. Hydrogen peroxide is often used to induce vomiting, but it’s not very safe for cats as stomach bleeding may occur.
So before trying anything yourself, it’s better to not take a risk and get your cat to the vet.
Also, chek out can cats have ice cream
Saving A Cat Who Licked Chocolate Ice Cream
Your cats were being sneaky once again and might have killed themselves by consuming chocolate ice cream or in general, anything with caffeine and theobromine.
If it licked a large portion, the cat might have faced a brain freeze. And trust me, brain freeze is not very comfortable. Cats don’t even know what occurred and why it did.
The first thing you have to do is take your cat right away to a vet. The doctor will tell the rest.
Watch for rapid and/or labored breathing, hyperactivity, rapid heart rate, tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and general symptoms of illness like decreased appetite and/or lethargy.
If your cat begins to exhibit any serious symptoms, have him evaluated in person by a vet, immediately, for supportive care.
Food Alternatives
So cats cannot eat ice cream, especially chocolate ice cream. Something not too cold, no caffeine, no theobromine, and no artificial sweeteners. Cats are picky and you need time to understand what it likes and what it doesn’t.
- Cat Specific Ice Cream. It’s nutritional and tasty, and a cat enjoys it as a treat. While you are enjoying your summer treats, there will now be something your cat can enjoy too!
- Ice Cubes. It is hydrating and fascinating. They lick to lick it, and the coldness gives something to be fascinated about. Or your cat might just roll the cube around the house and not eat it, but it still hydrates them. You can give them a huge ice cube in a tray or put down a few in her water bowl.
- Ice Cubes With Catnip. Almost every feline goes crazy. And when it’s hot, freeze catnip with water and see your cat go high on catnip, live!
- Frozen wet food. Another easy way is to just freeze their usual wet food. Not milk, wet food. Adult cats are usually lactose intolerant as mentioned earlier.
Also, check out Can Cats Drink Chocolate Milk? Is Chocolate Milk Bad For Cats?
Symptoms If Your Cat Has Consumed Chocolate Ice Cream
Hyperactivity.
Restlessness.
Vomiting.
Diarrhea.
More thirst.
Tremors.
High reflex responses.
At worst, death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are cats lactose intolerant?
The sugar in milk is valuable for kittens, but soon after they are weaned, the enzyme that enables them to digest disappears from the gut. When an adult so drinks milk, the indigestible lactose in its gut may start to ferment, causing a stomach upset and diarrhea.
Can cats eat cream?
Vets say that whipped cream itself is basically safe for cats, it should be given in moderation. The high-fat content in whipped cream, along with the lactose it normally contains can cause obesity and stomach issues in cats if given large amounts often. Cats should never take cow’s milk and its products.
Can cats eat other ice cream flavors?
Never chocolate ice cream. The vanilla flavor is a great choice. You can try feeding a small amount of different flavors and if you notice health issues, it’s best to avoid feeding it and take the cat to the vet.
When should I give treats to my cat?
Offer them treats no more than two to three times a week. If you are training them, offer treats when they do the particular thing properly.
My cat steals sweets and dairy products, what to do?
See the ingredients in it, if it’s something toxic to them, take them to the vet if already consumed. Put the product far away from their reach.
How much chocolate ice cream is too much for cats?
Every cat has a different amount of sensitivity against caffeine and theobromine. Even 1mg or 20mg is too much.
Final Words
That’s it for today, cat lovers.
While it’s a pity they cannot taste your human treats, it’s the same as you cannot taste their cat treats—it’s for their own good.
It freaks us out when we see them sneaking in our treats, usually because it will harm them not because we can’t eat them anymore.
Have you ever experienced the tension when you discover your chocolate ice cream bowl empty and your cat right beside it, licking her paw? What did you do?
Share your ameowzing stories with me in the comment section!
