Do cats nowadays drink cows' milk like they did in the 80s?

[PhaseFour]

Today, we have brought out 2 gorgeous rescue kittens home. I asked at the rescue shelter about what to feed them, what time, how often, and assumed that they would drink water, so didn't ask, but they won't touch it, amd seemed to shirk away from the bowl. They must be thirsty though.

Growing, in the 80s (when I last had a cat) we used to give it saucers of cows milk, but that can't be good for cats can it?

No, it's not good for them. My cat doesn't like it either. You can buy kitten milk if you want to give it to them but it's not necessary. They will drink when they need to, but cats do prefer fresh running water so you could get a fountain.

No because most cats are lactose intolerat. You can buy cat milk though - our one loves it.

PS. Erm where are the photos?!

Thanks Pumpkin.
Water then?
Maybe they just aren't thirsty.
They've been here hours though and haven't drank a drop yet.

You can try putting the water away from their food. Mine drank much more that way. I also add water to food sometimes and to the cat soup.

Apologies @Arianymor,what was I thinking?
Permission to send them later if that's OK, as I'm dashing out to pick my son up.
Would I be right in thinking that if I post photos, I will have paid my cat tax?
I've seen the odd post on The Litter Tray, and I'm a bit clueless about all the goings on, but have stumbled across said tax and was quite confused.
Photos to follow asap.
Was asking about the drinks so I would be able to buy them when I'm out if I needed to pick anything up. Water it is though!

Don't put the water bowl next to their food bowl, they don't like it! Ideally have a few dotted about the house.

Top tip, NEVER drink from a glass you have left unattended in thir vicinity.......

My cat was fed watery milk to begin with, then stopped on her own and just drunk water for the next 17 years. This included out of the tap of course. !

Ours will only drink out of a filthy bird bath. We clean it often but he’ll wait until a couple of birds have been in there. We do mix a bit of water in with his food in the winter as he doesn’t go out as much. Cats are very fussy in weird ways!

Mine is clearly an 80s cat reincarnated, because despite the water fountain and carefully chosen food, he has a certain penchant for a bit of water from a puddle, DPs leftover cornflakes, sugar and milk if DP isn't quick enough tidying up, plus mashed potato or a pringle of any flavour if he can manage to swipe these when we aren't paying enough attention.

Your kittens probably just haven't worked out the bowl of water, it's all so new to them.

@PhaseFour
Bear in mind that they will probably be frightened at the moment. Everything looks and smells very different.

I brought home my 2 rescue cats, a 4 year old and 4 month old kitten, 2 weeks ago. Its only in the last few days that they've settled into a feeding routine.

The best thing to do is make sure they are secure in one room with everything they need. Leave them alone, don't fuss, they will come out when they are ready

If you've only just had them home a few hours they will probably be feeling quite unsettled as well, so might not eat or drink for a while. Also, if they have wet food to eat, that will hydrate them to an extent. They'll drunk when they're thirsty though, so just make water available and leave them to it (also posting to see the photos!)

My cat will only drink out of glasses, I leave them around the house, dirty old puddles but is partial to oat milk.

Ours doesn't often drink from a bowl, she prefers to sit in the sink and drink from a running tap. Alternatively, from puddles in the garden, steeping saucepans and today she tried to drink water from a mug I'd been using to rinse watercolour brushes.

My cat's vet said it was OK to give her cow's milk.

DCat drinks rainwater from a dish in the garden. She goes mad for cheese.

We have a bowl of water inside away from the food which he only seems to drink when the weather is too bad to go out. We have bowls in the back garden as he seems to prefer dirty rain water with leaves in. He is 17 now so hasn't done him any harm. He also tries to drink my tea and goes mad if you are eating cereals trying to get in the bowl to get to the milk and loves a bit of cheese.

Mine likes this fountain. A lot of their water comes from wet food
https://amzn.eu/d/iLNr8N5

I see one of our cats drink from his water bowl regularly (and he also likes to splash it across the floor), whereas I've never seen the other cat drink from a bowl. As long as fresh water is available and they get wet food they will be fine.

Yes you have permission, it's day one after all! Yes then you will have paid your requisite amount of cat tax. Although as there are two that equals two photos please! 😻😻

Cats shouldn’t drink milk, they’re mostly lactose intolerant. My girls love milk but get the runs after. My one girl isn’t a big drinker, but likes a glass of water left somewhere, she doesn’t like cold water so it’s usually a few days old before she touches it. She likes to lick it off her paws 😂 My other cat likes to drink cold running water from the faucet or I leave a mug of fresh water on the bedroom window sill everyday. She probably drinks half a mug a day. I do also leave a bowl out for them in the kitchen, near their food but not next to, it’s very rarely touched. They get a lot of their water intake from wet food. In the summer I add a bit to their food as a sort of soup.

A lot of cats (but by no means all) are lactose intolerant so the giving of cows milk to them has fallen out of favour. Back in the 80s, we found out the hard way that one of our cats couldn’t digest milk! Cat milk (cows milk that has had the lactose removed) is available in most supermarkets.

I wouldn’t worry about your cats’ reluctance to drink water. If you’re feeding them wet cat food, they’ll be getting enough water for their needs. I always leave water out for my cat but he only goes anywhere near it if the weather hits about 30 degrees. Cats are desert animals are are usually not big drinkers.

My girls have all liked to drink out of glasses. And the mankiest water in the garden!

I have a 15yo cat who I have probably seen drink fewer than 10 times in the 13 years I have had her. She is perfectly healthy and must drink but doesn't do so in front of me. The times I have seen her drink has been when she has drunk out of the tap.

Try a fountain. Lots of cats don’t like still water.

It's not good for them but my mum's cat doesn't know that and drinks it, apparently without ill-effects. My mum has to hide the milk when it's not in the fridge!