Is it ok to give cat milk everyday?

[QueenStromba]

I was a bit worried that Rice might be a tiny bit dehydrated so I got her some cat milk to try and get some extra fluid into her. She really likes it and it doesn't seem to stop her eating her food or drinking water. I'd like to give her 50ml every day since it seems like a good way to get some extra fluid and calories into her - she's 15, a bit underweight and I'm not convinced that she drinks much. Is this a good idea or a bad one?

It's not a bad idea, as long as it doesn't cause her to have the squits (can't spell the d word :) - and of course cat milk shouldn't do that and as she's an indoor cat it's something you can keep an eye on.

If you want to build her up have you tried the a/d food? (I think we might have talked about that before). Cats love it and of course you can make it into a sort of warm, runny soup by adding hot water.

It's working for my old cat, she's underweight and lacking some of her teeth.

They are dessert animals though, they don't really need a lot of water. They get most of their fluids from their food.

She has put on about 0.2kg since we got her so I'm not concerned enough about her weight to put her on a special diet but I'll keep the a/d food in mind in case that changes in the future. Besides, she likes the Butchers and it took me ages to wean her onto it!

Glad to hear it's working for you GoblinGranny. My girl's actually missing nearly half her teeth but it doesn't seem to hinder her much. I mash her food up with a fork to make it easier to digest though.

I know they get most of the moisture from food Fluffy but they can also get dehydrated quite easily, especially if they're pukey cats.

It's great that's she put on weight despite the puking. And she does sound like a lovely cat - and one that's got you completely under her paw :)

Desert animals perhaps, but a lot of selective breeding has gone on since then, and having access to clean water at all times is now considered a necessity by most responsible owners.
My cat has dodgy kidneys, but with the right food and enough liquids, she is stable and happy. I have to monitor that she's getting enough fluids.

She is a sweetie and definitely has me under the paw. The difference in her once she got her reserves back up was amazing. She had no interest in chasing dangly toys when we got her and now she loves them.

DP thinks I'm spoiling her but it feels mean to not give her a bit of meat if we're having a roast or whatever and I normally give her a few dreamies if we're eating something nice that has onions or garlic in it. She likes the milk, it might do her some good and it would cost us about £4 a month to give it to her every day (Sainsbury's cat milk is only 55p for four servings) - that's about the same as one drink in the pub which we wouldn't think twice about.

I'm glad you brought that up Goblin - it is a long time since cats were domesticated and selective breeding works a lot quicker than natural selection. Wheat is almost a completely different plant to the one we ate 40 years ago and that's just with breeding.