Isit true cats can't drink milk?

[littlemissM92]

Just got a kitten recently and he doesn't drink much water.
When I was growing up we had a family cat that lived til 16 from a kitten with us and mum said she always had regular green top milk like we did but apparently it's not good for them ?!

I am not sure if this is right but I think some cats can't digest milk. Is he on dried food? If it's wet food he will get quite a lot of moisture from that.

Ordinary milk is not recommended for cats anymore, you can get special cat or kitten milk.

Cows milk is typically too high in lactose for them to digest. You can buy special cat milk or if you really want to offer them cows milk, water it down about 50/50.

it's true. DOn't give your cat milk. She will drink as much water as she needs. Maybe experiment with different sources that she might prefer. My cat weirdly preferred to drink from the running tap of the bathroom sink . Considered getting her a drinking fountain.

If it's eating wet food, it'll probably be getting enough water from that. Once it's going outside it may drink rain water from containers - my two prefer that to water left down for them.

Presumably you'll be taking it to the vet to be neutered soon, so you could ask the vet then.

Cats don't need or should drink milk. They're lactose intolerant to the levels in cows milk. Humans are the only animals that continue to drink milk once weaned. Cows don't even drink it.

A teaspoon of heavy cream is a good occasional treat as it's nice and rich in fat and low in lactose.

I got a drinking fountain, cat ignored it. Preferred to drink from icky puddles, the shower tray, glasses of bedside water. Basically everywhere apart from a bowl.

Try placing the water bowl away from the food and try a rectangle shape, a plastic food container for example. Cat's whiskers are sensitive and touching the edges of a round bowl with them may not be to your cat's liking.

Leroy doesn't drink much. Vet recommended mostly wet food diet and a drinking fountain. He'll also drink out of a dripping tap. Vet also recommended NOT to give cat milk as it stops them drinking water completely which isn't good for them. It's fine as a treat sometimes, but not as a replacement.

Leroy's fountain cost about £15 from Amazon.

Also, where is the photo? It's MN law to post pictures of kittens.

I give my cat lactose free milk or the specific cat milk. He drinks water as well.

Move the water away from the food. Instinctively they don't like water near food- water near a carcass could be infected.

TroysMammy has a very good point littlemiss...

Yep. Cats shouldn't have cows milk, it's not good for them, as a PP said way to much lactose. It's not good for humans either for that matter. Cows milk is for cows, cat milk is for kittens until weaned too. Humans have decided to drink the milk of another species in adulthood and it's very odd really.

Ha pictures! Thanks everyone may try the watering it down 50/50 he shamefully got his head in my empty cereal bowl and went mad for it (bit of milk) and like I said our cat had it every day for 16 years she didn't go to the vets once but obviously over time there are more facts and research on it yes he had wet food didn't think about the moisture in that x

I boiubht a fountain for my overlord, he gave it a glance and a judgey lick or two, then looked at me with that,
"And the point of this is?" Type of look.
I try not to worry, wet food, proper cat milk as a ttreat occasionally and it should be fine.

Ours ignores water bowl, preferring toilet water...

Oh how adorable! I have a big black scary panfa too 😻.

Good luck with wrapping presents with him though....

Cats lose the ability to digest cow's milk after weaning, some less than others but why risk it when the resulting diarrhoea can cause dangerous dehydration very quickly in a kitten?

Milk is also surprisingly calorific so you'd have to cut back on the food to compensate.

Currently, I have one cat who never touches her water at all, she gets all her hydration from wet food. The other one only drinks water in hot weather or when she has been sick (IBD cat so a whole story of its own, this) I do still offer it at all times, away from their food as others have mentioned, but they don't really touch it. Both very healthy.

Milk isn't very good for cats as they can't digest it properly though. In practise though, many people give their cats a drop of milk now and again as a treat, and the cats don't seem to come to any harm (and certainly enjoy it!).

Thank you, what a cutie.

Lactose. It's the lactose.

Cat milk as a treat now and again won't hurt.

Every cat I have known has been mad for it.

Ozzy has a saucer of warmed kitten milk every evening. He's such a spoilt baby. He sits on his stool by the microwave and howls if he doesn't get it.
He's got me wrapped round his little paw...

Oh warm milk,bet Pucinni would like that!

Try putting a couple of small stones in the water bowl, apparently keeps the water fresher tasting...Pina def drinks more water when there are stones in it! Here she is

Most kittens can't digest lactose after the age of weaning. Humans have evolved to be able to drink milk in adulthood. Interestingly a large proportion of adults in some South East Asian countries are lactose intolerant as they have never been dairy consuming societies. It causes a lot of problems as their diet becomes more westernised.