Cats and chocolate

Question
I heard it is bad to give chocolate to a cat, even though they like it, but no-one seems to know why. Can you enlighten me?

Also, my dad says that when he was young, everyone used to give milk to their cat, yet now it's really frowned upon, so we give our cat water. Again, why the change?

Thanks,

Stuart.  

Answer
The theobromine in chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs.  It causes the heart to race and can lead to seizures and death.


Milk can cause diarrhea in cats because they don't have the enzyme to break it down.  Some cats do tolerate it in small amounts, but water is just fine.