SHOULD MY CAT DRINK MILK?

We’ve all seen stories with a picture-perfect illustration of a kitten happily lapping up a bowl of milk. As with many things in stories, this picture doesn’t tell the whole story. While most cats like milk, milk doesn’t always like them. So should your cat have milk or not?

Cats can be lactose intolerant just like us.  This is because the supply of the enzyme Lactase which is abundant in babies’/kittens’ systems because it’s needed to digest the sugar in breast milk dwindles after weaning until it stops being produced altogether. It’s at this point that milk can cause digestive problems like vomiting, cramps and diarrhea … and the result is one unhappy cat.

Cats are individuals and unfortunately the only way to find out if your cat can tolerate milk or not is to give her a small amount and watch for symptoms over the next 24 hours. If you don’t want to risk experimenting like this, remember that your cat or kitten doesn’t NEED milk. She should be getting everything she needs from her nutritious complete diet and anything extra should be regarded as a treat.

Your cat or kitten NEEDS water to drink but cow’s milk, ice cream, chocolate, yoghurt, cheese …. well, she might want it but she definitely doesn’t need it.

I know, I know … good luck explaining that to your milk-oholic kitty cat!! As you can see, I’m still working on a few of my own cats who are adamant that yoghurt, ice cream and Coke Zero are essential components of a healthy diet for the modern urban kitty!

Gracie can hear the foil being peeled off a yoghurt tub even if she is at the bottom on the garden!

“I know there’s another lick of ice cream in this tub, if only I can get to it!!”

Share a Coke ….