Mice are omnivores so they can eat almost anything given to them! But have you ever wondered if mice can eat chocolates?
Here’s what I found out –
A little amount of chocolate will not harm your mice. But for a long time, it is not healthy.
Surprisingly, a very little academic experiment has been carried out on the topic of the connection between mice and chocolate.
If you have mice in your home as pets, you might be curious about whether or not it is healthy for them to eat chocolate.
So, let’s look into what will happen if they eat too many chocolates.
Table of Contents
The Effect Of Chocolate On Mice
The effect of chocolate on mice can be very severe. In fact, they can have the following:
- Digestion problems
- Diarrhea
- Respiratory and neurological problems
- Death
Chocolates contain theobromine. It is poisonous to not only mice but also virtually every other species of animal.
It can have an effect on the respiratory system. It can also damage their neurological system.
So, even though they have strong livers, they will die in a few days if they consume a huge amount.
In the beginning, the mice may start vomiting. If you give a mouse an excessive amount of chocolate, it can develop diarrhea and indigestion. And this may lead to their death.
Also, consuming excessive sugary food causes their coats to become oily and itchy. Furthermore, too much protein is bad for their kidneys.
A small amount of chocolate once in a while will not affect mice immediately. But as a pet owner, if you think long-term, it can cause harm to your pet.
And if these signs are not treated properly, the mice may die.
Can Mice Die From Eating Chocolate?
Feeding chocolate once in a while in small amounts will not kill the mice.
But, yes, they can die if they eat an excessive amount of chocolate. Therefore, anyone who gives their mouse a piece of chocolate runs the risk of its quick death.
The answer to this question is, ultimately, going to rely on what it is that makes you feel the most at ease.
Do not feed any chocolate to your mouse if you wish your pet mice to live long.
As a pet owner, you can provide several other delicious foods like cabbage, carrots, fruits, etc. So, you should provide those instead.
But in spite of these risk factors, if you wish to give your mouse chocolate, it should not be more than twice a month. And the amount needs to be half a chocolate chip.
If more than that, you are increasing the theobromine-related side effects which may lead to its death.
How Much Chocolate Can A Mouse Eat?
You can give a small amount of chocolate to your mouse. For example, you can give them one-half of a chocolate chip or just little shreds from a chocolate candy bar. This probably won’t hurt your mouse.
Your little companion can enjoy a sweet treat of chocolate twice or three times a month. Although it won’t add much to his nutritional value, this amount will not harm them.
Did you know:
An experiment done by the Rentokil blog tracked mice eating different chocolates.
This study showed that they ate 11.81g of milk chocolate and 5.67g of white chocolate in a whole day.
Now that you know the amount and if willing to feed your mice chocolates, let’s see what the types are.
What Types Of Chocolate Can Mice Eat?
A study was carried out by the operator of the Rentokil blog, which is a pest control company.
According to them, mice are more likely to be drawn to and favor chocolates that include a lot of added sugar.
During the experiment, a variety of chocolates, including milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, and extremely dark chocolate, were used.
They spent almost the same time on white chocolate and milk chocolate. But they ate more milk chocolate.
Both milk chocolate and white chocolate have equal amounts of sugar. Thus, the difference could have been due to their liking for a cocoa flavor that is not strong.
And the result was pretty obvious that mice don’t care for dark chocolate.
Despite making over 100 trips to each kind, they did not eat any amount of dark chocolate.
Can Mice Eat Milk Chocolate?
Yes, mice can eat milk chocolate. They, in fact, like milk chocolate the most.
Milk chocolate has 30% cocoa butter which is less than other chocolates. So, it will consist of a small amount of theobromine.
When consumed occasionally, milk chocolate is not harmful to mice to consume since it includes less cocoa.
But, don’t overdo it! Too much consumption of sugary foods can lead to health issues such as tooth decay and obesity. Furthermore, excessive amounts of theobromine might be poisonous.
Now that you know they like eating milk chocolate, what about chocolate with nuts?
Can Mice Eat Dark Chocolate?
Mice can eat a very small amount of dark chocolate once in a while. It is because they do not quite like dark chocolates since they are high in cocoa.
Dark chocolate is also not very safe for your pet mice. In fact, It consists of 85% cocoa solids and 15% sugar.
The more the amount of cocoa, the more theobromine it will have. And theobromine is very toxic for a small animal like a mouse.
So, even if you plan to give your pet friend a dark chocolate treat, do not give it every day.
Can Mice Eat Chocolate With Nuts?
Yes, mice can eat chocolate with nuts.
Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts are just some of the nuts that mice enjoy munching on.
Mice already like sweet foods like chocolate. So, if it includes nuts, it would be a perfect sweet treat for mice.
However, it is harmful to them if given in large amounts.
Besides, have you ever thought that they might like Nutella as well?
Do Mice Eat Nutella?
Yes, if they get it, they will more likely eat Nutella.
Cacao butter, sugar, and nuts are typically the only ingredients in Nutella. Although it consists of 7.4% cacao in it, which is very low, still it is a sugary food.
Too many sugary foods are high in calories which can lead to obesity and heart problems.
So, even though it is less poisonous for mice than other forms of cocoa, you should not feed your pet mice Nutella.
Do Mice Like Chocolate More Than Cheese?
Yes, several studies show that mice like chocolate more than cheese.
It is a common misconception that mice enjoy cheese more than anything else. This is not the case.
It was discovered by Dr. David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University that mice have absolutely no interest in cheese.
According to Sorex Ltd in the UK, contrary to common belief, the aroma of chocolate is more attractive to mice than cheese. This information comes from the company’s research on the subject.
Final Thought
The relationship between mice and chocolate is quite complicated. Mice like to eat chocolate, but chocolate is harmful to them.
In spite of this, people have reached the conclusion that a small amount of chocolate does not kill mice quickly.
But it should not be forgotten that the theobromine in chocolate has more capability than to make it just ill.
So, if you are a mouse pet owner and want your pet to live long, do not feed them chocolate. There are several other foods and treats that they can eat and lead a healthy life.
