Chocolat deadly for cats?

I'm just reading Pam Johnson-Bennett's book "Think like a cat" and I think it's very interesting and informative.
But I've noticed something that's confusing me a bit. She mentioned several times that chocolat would be deadly for cats.
Does anyone know why? Well, it's obvious that it wouldn't be good for cats because of the sugar in it, but deadly? Never heard about that before...

Kirsten

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http://home.t-online.de/home/0554132997/kitty1.gif
www.lunas-little-world.de.vu
www.cats-in-the-net.de.vu
www.pet-cemetery.de.vu

Thanks for the info and the links, Spencer, this was interesting. Never heard about theobromine before.
I have to admit that my Katz sometimes ate chocolate and it doesn't seem to harm her in any way, but the article is saying that some cats or dogs can tolerate it better than others. So I better try to keep my Luna away from the yummy things before I have to find out the hard way if she can tolerate it or not!

Kirsten

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http://home.t-online.de/home/0554132997/kitty1.gif
www.lunas-little-world.de.vu
www.cats-in-the-net.de.vu
www.pet-cemetery.de.vu

Years ago I had a toy poodle named Pumpkin. I also had a box of chocolate-covered salt water taffy on the coffee table in a box. One day I came home and the box was open and the salt water taffys clearly had been very much enjoyed by Pumpkin....at least for a time. There were various piles of "throw up" all over the house http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif which wasn't pleasant but when I found out later how deadly chocolate could be I was happy to clean it up. Being sick probably saved his life. He only weighed about 8 lbs.

Theobromines are what makes you shake and sweat when you drink too much coffee - not the caffeine that most people think. Theobromines were often used as asthma treatment - still are to some extent but not as much since safer drugs have been developed.

Thanks for that info, 4 feline house, haven't known that! Of course I know this "coffee-effect" very well, http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif but I thought it comes from the coffein...

Pam, I really think that Pumpkin was very lucky that he got sick!

Kirsten

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http://home.t-online.de/home/0554132997/kitty1.gif
www.lunas-little-world.de.vu
www.cats-in-the-net.de.vu
www.pet-cemetery.de.vu

Eek! I didn't know all that either! Samson (my dog) once ate a tiny brownie crumb, but that's all the chocolate he's ever had. He once drank beer though http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif....

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