Cat owners are often given conflicting information about feeding milk and dairy products to their cat. Should your cat have milk? Let us find out!
The simple fact is that most cats are lactose intolerant. Lactose is what we call the sugars that are in milk. For a lactose intolerant cat, these sugars cause tummy problems that can be as mild as cramps or as severe as explosive diarrhea. Most cats do not produce lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose thus the lactose passes through their system, fermenting, and causing problems. This is the main reason why cats, and especially kittens should not be given cow's milk.
With young kittens it is even more important that they are not given cow's milk. Young kittens do have lactase, they need it to digest their mothers milk, however cows milk is very different from a mother cat's milk. Cows milk does not have enough fat or protein to meet a growing kitten's needs. The calcium – phosphorus ratio is very different in cow's milk than in cat's milk and diarrhea can prove deadly to a kitten.
Orphaned kittens (or kittens rejected by their mother) do need milk, but cow's milk is not good for them. Such kittens require special milk made for kitten, often called KMR, or Kitten Milk Replacer. Many gimmick milk treat replacements are available but they do not contain the proper nutrition needed by young kittens so it is important they be fed only KMR.
Facts on Milk and Cats
Some people suggest that even cats who are not lactose intolerant should not be given cow's milk because the high calcium content may contribute to urinary tract problems.
Goat's milk has less lactose than cow's milk and if an owner insists on giving their cat milk as a treat, goats milk would be a safer option, or a lactose free milk product.
Low fat milk has more lactose than other milks, so low fat milk would not be good for most cats.
Dairy products in general should not be fed to cats for the same reasons.
The milk treat replacement sold by some pet stores is purely a gimmick, it has no real health value and is a waste of money.
KMR is sold at most veterinarians, livestock feed stores, and some pet supply stores. Kittens over 6 weeks will not require KMR. New born kittens (day old) also need colostrum.
Cats need access to fresh water at all times, it is best to offer this in a stainless steel, or ceramic bowl. Cats do not like the taste of dust on their water so it should be refreshed at least twice daily.
Although dairy farmers often give milk to their cat you must remember these are barn cats, their diarrhea is often not noticed so the farmer may be unaware of how sick their cat is, as well because this milk is direct from the cow it has more fat in it, so has a lower percentage of lactose.
