Milk for cats

I never heard it was bad for them, just that they don't need it. If she likes it, go ahead and give it to her. She probably won't, but you haven't lost anything.

Here's info that learned many years ago while I raised 2 cats from their kittenhood to aged 17.5 and 19.5 yrs without any milk virtually.

Cats are fairly lactose intolerant. Turns out that you can’t believe everything you see on television! Milk should not be fed to cats as a treat or a substitute for water. Cats do not possess significant amounts of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk. Feeding milk and milk-based products to cats can actually cause them to vomit or have diarrhea.

I excerpted the following info:

Q: Must kittens and cats drink milk?

A: This is one of those cat questions that confuse most new cat owners as well as the general public. Kittens need to drink THEIR MOTHER’S milk while they are nursing. It is full of the fat and protein that they need to grow rapidly and survive.

Cats and kittens can drink COW’s milk OCCASIONALLY but they do not need to drink it. A cat can easily live its whole life without ever having cow’s milk. Most feral or wild cats never have cow’s milk.

Like humans, many cats and kittens are lactose intolerant. They cannot digest cow’s milk properly and they get diarrhea or gastric upset when they drink it. Kittens that become lactose intolerant usually only become intolerant after they are about 3 months of age, so THEIR mother’s milk shouldn’t cause any gastric upset. If your cat or kitten gets diarrhea as a result of drinking cow’s milk, stop giving it milk and it should pass. Some cat owners who have lactose intolerant cats that are ‘milkaholics’ do occasionally give them lactose free milk. You can find lactose free milk in pet stores. If your cat digests milk without a problem then you can give it the occasional milk treat.

Remember – Cow’s milk should never be the primary or regular food source for any cat or kitten since it is missing many essential ingredients to keep your feline healthy.


From another source:

Pasteurized cow’s milk can cause diarrhea, flatulence and uneasiness in the less vital animal. Any processed (i.e. cottage cheese) or cultured dairy product is usually fine, like cheese, yogurt, kefir, panir, etc. Raw goat’s milk, sheep’s milk and in many cases raw cow’s milk can be well tolerated if slowly added to the diet. Many of our pets' disease and suffering can be prevented or cured with nutrition. Processed foods and drugs have seriously depleted the natural vitality and immune systems of our pets." For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild".

Does pasteurized milk really do the body good? During the 1930's, Dr. Francis M. Pottenger conducted a 10-year study on the relative effects of pasteurized and raw milk diets on 900 cats. One group received nothing but raw whole milk, while the other was fed nothing but pasteurized whole milk from the same source. The raw milk group thrived, remaining healthy, active and alert throughout their lives, but the group fed on pasteurized milk soon became listless, confused and highly vulnerable to a host of chronic degenerative ailments normally associated with humans, including heart disease, kidney failure, thyroid dysfunction, respiratory ailments, loss of teeth, brittle bones, liver inflammation, etc. But what caught Dr. Pottenger's attention most was what happened to the second and third generations ...fetrtility decreased and they stopped reproducing.

Well, Ragman, I guess that answers my question good and proper. Actually, I never had a cat that drank milk - they just didn't like it.

Thanks for the quick response.

Wow too Ragman one heck of a reply and agree.

I do give my cat milk, "Lactose intollerant" milk and maybe once a week as a treat.

I too heard along time ago that it was bad for cats, I've probably had 7 in my short 48 years All the strays, or hurt cats always seem to end up on my doorstep


Maybe I should change my name to cat lady? Na got dogs too.

Two of our cats, Dash and Cleo (Dash especially - he can smell anything dairy from twenty paces away) really like milk, yogurt or anything with a lot of milk in it. But we can't give it to 'em because they will both upchuck everything they ingest. Dash is really funny in how much he craves it - he will follow me around and beg if I have a bowl of cereal or cup of yogurt.

lol's ... That's taking AEIOU tooo seriously

Shared on facebook .....

I prefer to give my cats wine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9OwWoVx8pk

I have a Kitten with an URI , she just came from a rescue with several cats/kittens , many of which also have URI issues and colds. shes on an antibiotic but I was thinking some Probios in Raw Cows milk might help her immune system. Any thoughts ?

Cats have enjoyed milk for eons? Really? Are you talking about their mothers milk or milk from the grocery store?
" soon after cats are weaned, the enzyme that enables them to digest it, lactase, begins to disappear from the gut. When an adult cat drinks milk, the indigestible lactose in its gut may start to ferment, causing a stomach upset" found this when googled "should cats drink milk?"
A lot of people think that just because cats love to eat people food that it's OK to give it to them. Cats will just about eat anything, and suffer the consequences later. Here is a good article...http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandnutrition/f/tablescraps.htm

A lot of cats are lactose intolerant ( I know my cats are) and so it's not always advisable for those cats. If your cat isn't lactose intolerant then milk can be quite fatty for cats. If you are concerned about milk with your cat you can always switch to special milk for cats. It can be a little more expensive, but they seem to like it!