Is milk good for cats?

The first thing people always give a cat is a saucer of milk. This is because we have seen Tom and Jerry fighting to drink a bowl of milk or read about it in popular children books. Cat’s association with milk may not necessarily be a good one simply because of the dangerous case of lactose intolerance.

Just like humans our feline companions can be lactose intolerant. The only time humans and animals are exposed to lactose is when they are babies drinking their mother’s milk. To digest this milk sugar, also known as lactose, our digestive system must have an enzyme known as lactase. The presence of this enzyme in our body helps us to digest mother’s milk.

As we begin to grow our body produces less of this enzyme. So, the lesser the lactase produced in the human and cat body the lower becomes our ability to digest lactose, thereby leading to lactose intolerance. This could be seen in the form of vomiting or diarrhea.  

Cats need not more than 30 calories per day. If your pet is on a high quality cat food they will not be gaining much from drinking milk since the food has the essential nutritional requirements. Milk has more than 150 calories. Due to its high calorie content, milk must always be given as an occasional treat. That is if only your pet is able to digest it.   

Some cats can easily digest milk while some others cannot. In this case you can offer safe treats like cooked meat, fish or other commercial cat treats as a reward. You can also try giving them other dairy products like yogurt or cheese as an occasional treat as they would not harm your pet’s sensitive stomach. Since it contains varying amount of lactose it can be digested easily as they are diluted with water, added fats or cultured.

It is always a good idea to contact your vet if you feel that your pet is lactose intolerant, for their professional advice and guidance.

Happy parenting!