Can Cats Eat Chocolate Easter Eggs + Other Easter Treats?

If you’ve been wishing for a little downtime to spruce up your home, try out some new recipes or get into a good book, Easter is the perfect time. Easter brings not just chocolate but public holidays, hooray! It’s the ideal time for a staycation with pets and chocolate – but hang on… Can cats eat chocolate Easter eggs? Or dogs for that matter?

This isn’t the only important Easter FAQ, but it’s certainly near (or at) the top of the list for pet lovers. PD Insurance is all about sharing top pet parenting tips so we’ve included the answers to it and other important questions in this article.

Be sure to bookmark our read then share it with your pet parenting friends and family too (not just for Easter, but also Christmas and any other festive holiday).

Can dogs and cats eat chocolate?

While most of us already know chocolate is toxic to dogs (thanks to the Oreo ad), clearly not as many of us know if it’s safe for cats. Google search results show that close to 300 New Zealanders ask the internet ‘can cats eat chocolate?’ every month.

By comparison, there are only 170 monthly searches for ‘can dogs eat chocolate?’ That’s far fewer than cats (clearly we all love Oreos).

Back to cats, that means more than 3,000 Kiwis research online for whether ‘cats cat eat chocolate’ each year. That’s a lot of pet parents asking a very important question. In fact it might have saved more than 3,000 Kiwi cats from chocolate poisoning. Because yes, just like it is for dogs, chocolate is poisonous for cats too.

The active ingredient in chocolate: theobromine

The active ingredient in chocolate is theobromine. Theobromine is a natural stimulant – it’s why humans love chocolate. Literally. It releases love chemicals and stimulates blood flow.

That’s fine for us because humans can metabolise it. Cats and dogs, on the other hand, can’t.

Ultimately it’s the very same substance that makes humans love chocolate that makes it potentially fatal to pets. Pets can’t process theobromine so it stays in their system for much longer than it stays in ours. And in their bodies, this natural compound is highly toxic.

How much is too much?

According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, there is 26000 mg/kg in cocoa and only 140 mg/kg in cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is the natural cocoa solid used to emulsify – or bind – chocolate ingredients together. BTW, chocolate is surprisingly easy to make (easier than pancakes!).

To sum it up, milk and dark chocolate do have more theobromine than white chocolate. But white chocolate nevertheless still has some. Ultimately – you should keep your Easter eggs and chocolate bars out of your pet cat or dog’s reach.

Also know that if you’re a ‘sugar-free’ consumer, xylitol toxicity can be fatal to dogs.

🐱 Cats vs dogs 🐶

Cats are generally smaller than dogs. For example, the ratio of one chocolate bar to one Siamese cat is much higher than the same chocolate bar in a Saint Bernard‘s belly. Then again, Siamese cats generally are fussy eaters and prone to food allergies so far less likely to eat chocolate in the first place.

Be aware that little dogs are also going to be affected more easily by eating the same quantities of chocolate. And in both cats and dogs, the effects can be fatal. It’s something to consider when planning your Easter egg hunt.

Because you don’t want to deprive your kids, maybe one adult looks after the pets until all the Easter eggs are extracted from their hiding places. And be sure to keep count of all the eggs so none get left abandoned under some bush.

Watch this video where Dr Cath shares reasons why chocolate can be so dangerous for pets:

Why the mystery of whether cats can eat chocolate?

Why do people generally know that dogs can’t eat chocolate, but fewer of us know about cats? One of the answers is that dogs are big eaters. For example, if cats and dogs both go to a high tea, dogs will taste every item indiscriminately.

Cats on the other hand are more likely to pinpoint a few tasty items and stick to those parameters. Essentially cats are generally fussier eaters and far less likely (though not immune) to eating the wrong things.

Initially this led to more research on chocolate toxicity in dogs. However, that’s changing and it’s not just pet owners asking whether cats can eat chocolate. Vets and animal specialists are asking and answering these questions too.

Other Easter dangers for pets

Now that we’ve looked at whether dogs and cats can eat chocolate and know the answer is NO let’s look at other typical Easter hazards for pets. Know in advance that cats and dogs love sniffing and feeling with their mouths. As a result accidental ingestion is always a danger.

However, around Easter and other holidays, there are usually more foods, treats, decorations and toys around to entice pets. The verdict: be aware of what your cats and dogs get up to, especially when the holiday spirit strikes them.

Here are some items cats and dogs commonly end up ingesting over Easter (and possible reasons why):

Cats

Bones	Cooked bones and any easily splintered bones from holiday dishes (and oversharing)
Wool	Erm… maybe we all love woolly jumpers when it’s Easter and wear them more?
Rubber bands	This has got to be something to do with the kitchen… or maybe gift wrapping…
Toys	Especially small toys that are given as holiday pressies and end up lying on the ground
Prey	Toxic prey (e.g. rats that have eaten poison), dead or ill birds and other animals that are active year-round

Dogs

Paper	There’s a lot of this about, from cards to gift wrap
Clothing	Trying on a million Easter outfits and can’t find your socks… don’t let the dog eat them!
Bones	Cooked and easily splintered bones from holiday dishes must be kept away from perky pooches
Wrappers	From gift wrap to food and sweet wrappers, there are lots of these items around full of smells…
Toys	Toys that can be chewed and swallowed could cause choking or intestinal blockage

You might think the items above aren’t likely targets for pets. But read about the ‘cheekiest ways our pets love us’ from our Love Your Pet Day survey. Let’s just say we’re not sure if the fart, the poop or the sock will surprise you more…

In fact, plenty of common household items are harmful to pets so we’ve put together a ‘things that can poison your pet‘ guide.

And since we’ve spent so much time on cats, be sure to also read can dogs eat … [just insert all your popular search words here]!

Easter treats for pets: safe alternatives

Feeling sorry your dog and cat can’t eat chocolate Easter eggs and other holiday treats? Worry no more. We’ve rounded up some sumptuous homemade cat treats and dog birthday cake ideas you can augment to suit the occasion.

Also read our National Pet Obesity Day piece for healthy any time treats to replace fat-heavy doggo or catto treats. Who knows, this could be the best and tastiest Easter staycation for the whole family! Just make sure to give your pets a soft landing with…

Pet insurance for a carefree Easter staycation

Our fluffy friends are more than besties – they’re family. And just as you or I would have health insurance, pet insurance safeguards your pets when the unexpected happens. Now we know dogs and cats can’t eat chocolate hopefully that’s one less danger off their plate. However, accidents and illness can happen any time.

Read Harvey’s the Miniature Schnauzer’s story, or Boogie the Rottweiler’s story about cruciate disease. Steve the Russian Blue cat has a story to tell too. Each of these pets has a story of trial and tribulation. With these furry tails come details of the mounting medical bills for surgery and overnight stays in vet care.

Bills like these can flatline most of our savings in no time. However, with pet insurance you don’t have to choose between your pet and your purse strings. You can act quickly and confidently knowing you’re covered with a great pet plan.

When you sign up online with us you’ll score one or more months of free pet insurance. Click below to start today.