Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Why Should Your Cat NOT Drink Milk?

By Dawn Kavanaugh


We have all heard the old wives tales that cat's need milk to survive. Not true! While milk will do your human body good, it will wreak havoc on your cat's body. I always want to dip my Oreos in milk but this is disaster for kitty.

Kitten's grow up on their moms milk and they should have this for as long as they want. The nurturing process of kittens feeding from mom evokes a feeling of love, safety and comfort. Did you know that your cat's milk is totally different from a cow's? One of the main differences is that cow's milk is full of sugar in the form of lactose.

Just as many humans are lactose intolerant, the majority of cats are as well. This means that they are unable to digest the sugars that occur naturally in milk. This causes problems that include diarrhea and other unpleasant digestive problems.

It is an old wive's tale or belief that cat's need milk as a nutrient. Cow's milk has no nutritional value for a cat. In fact, if a cat was given only milk they would not live. Think of it this way- Cow's are herbivores. This means they eat plants and grains. Cats are carnivores. They only should eat meat. Since you are what you eat, giving cats only grains does not make much sense right?

As long as your cat is eating a high quality food, and has access to clean fresh water, she is getting all that she needs. Milk alone is not a sufficient diet for any cat, and should never be given in place of food OR in place of water. Replacing a cat's food or water with milk can cause your cat to become malnourished.

If the thought of never giving your cat milk just upsets you too much, consider a few of the cat treats on the market that are "cat milk". They are made specifically meant not use KMR or kitten meal replacement as that is created to meet the nutritional requirements of newborns.

Also, you can find lactose free milk at your grocer and you can give your cat a small amount as a treat. But, please do not replace your healthy cat food diet with milk. Giving you cat milk is something that is in your mind, not your cats. Kitty won't even know she missed out on milk!




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