Should Cats REALLY Drink Milk?

Let’s get to the answer. Should cats be given milk? Is milk good for cats?

Sometimes I’m amazed at what kind of information gets passed around as fact. It’s usually harmless but sometimes it can actually hurt your pet.

I recently saw a kitten that had terrible diarrhea and was very dehydrated. The well-meaning owners brought the kitten into the clinic because it was so sick… and you’ll never guess why. I discovered that the kitten’s owners had been feeding it milk and nothing else. That poor kitten got nothing but 2% milk for 2 weeks.

Is it good to give a kitten milk? These owners sure thought it was. Find out our vet’s take on the subject here. Go to: Is it ok to give an outdoor cat warm milk with water?.

The bottom line is that can’t do need milk. They may like it but some cats don’t digest it properly and it can give them diarrhea. There is not enough nutrients in regular cows milk to give cats what they need which is why the kitten I mentioned was so sick.

That brings up another great question: if you find an orphaned or sick kitten, what should you feed it? Many kind-hearted people find themselves in this position each year and before kitten season hits again it’s a good time to find out.

Go to: Caring for and Feeding Orphaned Kitten. This is a really good article on how to care for a kitten that is sick or orphaned. It gives you some excellent tips on how to care for a kitten without its mother.

I hope this article gives you more information about milk. As you can see – milk isn’t necessary for cats and intact they are often lactose intolerant. If you are going to give your cat milk – stick with a cat milk supplement that you can get at your local pet store.