The sacred bond shared between cat and milk is from time immemorial. From cartoons to movies, we have all seen how much cats love milk. If I say that all these tales have only added up to the fiction of cats loving milk, will you be surprised? If yes, then there are more surprises awaiting you ahead.
Can your cat or kitten drink cow milk? Or better, can you feed her with almond milk? How about giving your cat goat milk?
But your cat cannot drink milk. To be precise, she cannot digest any animal milk!
Spilling the beans of science on this...
The prime sugar content in a cow’s milk is lactose. To digest this sugar content, the feline digestive system must produce an enzyme called ‘lactase’. But they are not capable of doing so. As this is the case with most kinds of animal milk, cats are “Lactose Intolerant” according to veterinarians and cat experts.
If your cat consumes milk by any chance, there is a large possibility that she gets diarrhea, stomach upset, and vomiting. In case you notice such symptoms, take her to your vet. Coz these signs are shown typically six to twelve hours after they have sneaked into a milk bowl.
So, do cats never drink milk at all?
Nope. As kittens, they have had their share of mama’s milk, yay :). Because, during their early period of life, her body is tuned to produce enough lactase enzyme to digest her mom’s milk. Therefore, cats can drink milk only while weaning.
After which, the feline system declines the amount of lactase produced, making her unfriendly to milk. Cats are born this way to naturally feed off their mommy’s milk :D
What is the milky way then? Not the galaxy she belongs to, but the milk she can drink…:P
Well, if your kittens are finding it hard to give up on their milk love, there are reliable substitutes. They are cow milk but with reduced lactose content. So, you need not worry about giving her any synthetic spoiler that may cost her health.
Happy cat feeding, the milky meowy way….. :)