Can cats drink milk? Are dairy products compatible with cat food? Is goat milk good for cats?

Very often you can see a picture of how a cat is poured milk into a bowl. And for some reason there is an opinion that he loves him very much and cannot do without him. But really, can cats give milk? What is more from it: benefit or harm? What does it contain and can it be replaced with something? Is it possible to give milk to kittens or is their mother's enough?

Milk is white gold

Milk is the secret of the mammary glands of female mammals, which is formed under the action of the hormone oxytocin. It is not for nothing that the family is called mammals: literally, you can decipher those who feed (nursing) milk. And all newborns from this family will not be able to survive without this most valuable and useful product, because it contains all the necessary immunoglobulins (antibodies), proteins, fats, vitamins. Babies get full of it very quickly.

Milk is called white gold because it is one of the most valuable products obtained from animals. Most often on sale you can see cow. But can you give it to cats?

Cats and milk: can I give or not?

Almost all scientists and veterinary specialists unanimously say that it is not recommended to give milk to adult cats. What is it connected with? Everything is simple. While the kitten is small (somewhere up to three months of age), he has special enzymes in his gastrointestinal tract that allow him to curdle and break down milk. As we grow older, the enzymes become less and less, and then they completely disappear. After all, in the wild, cats do not eat milk.

Therefore, we can say with confidence that cats should not be given milk. They simply will not digest it, it will turn sour right in the digestive tract. And this will lead to dysbacteriosis, followed by diarrhea.

But is it possible to give cow's milk to kittens, replacing the mother's cat's milk with them? Actually, this is not recommended, since cow's is still much fatter. If the kittens are already left without mother's milk, then you need to try to either find a mother-nurse, or purchase a cat's milk substitute at a veterinary pharmacy, which, after breeding, will be as similar in composition to a real mother as possible.

Why else can't cow's milk be given to kittens? It is more high-calorie (the calorie content of the cow is almost 5 times higher than that of the cat), “heavy” due to the large amount of fat. And the intestines that have not yet settled with microflora simply cannot cope with digestion. The baby will have diarrhea, maybe even vomiting. In addition, such milk may contain residual amounts of antibiotics, hormones, inhibitors or detergents (in case the technology was violated during the preparation of raw materials). And such substances will harm the kitten.

Separation, pasteurization/ultra-pasteurization or sterilization are obligatory at the plant during the procurement of dairy raw materials according to the technology. The amount of nutrients, including calcium, is noticeably reduced.

Even if you take milk from a trusted person (he keeps his own cow in his personal subsidiary plot), then even if the animal is absolutely healthy, there is a risk for the kitten. Usually, after growing up, the cow is inseminated after 2-3 months, but continues to be milked until the pregnancy period is 7 months. And milk will contain hormones (estrogen, progesterone), which will harm the growing mustache.

What to replace milk

Since you can’t give milk to cats, how can you feed and pamper your pet? It is best to give her dairy products. The same low-fat kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, you can low-fat cheese (there are such gourmets).

Surprisingly, dairy products are absorbed much better. They contain bacteria that help the digestive tract of an adult cat and a growing kitten. Only newborn babies should not be given them, it is still better to purchase a cat's milk substitute. Do not give sweet foods (condensed milk, cheese and others).

Milk is especially dangerous for cats with lactose (milk sugar) intolerance. Such animals should not have any dairy products at all, even kefir, cottage cheese.

The opinions of experts about milk as a component of cat nutrition are rather contradictory. There are both statements about the uselessness and even the dangers of this product, as well as recommendations to give it to your pet every day. In what cases milk is harmful, and in what cases it is useful for a cat - this article is about this.

Kittens up to 2 months

The only food a kitten needs during the first 2 weeks of life is the secret of his mother's mammary glands. For the next 6 weeks, the milk in the baby's diet is smoothly replaced by other products.

Sometimes it happens that the kitten was left without a cat-mother, or, eating mother's milk, he receives it in insufficient quantities. Malnutrition can be identified by thinness and restless behavior of the baby. In both cases, it must be fed with something as close as possible in chemical composition to mother's milk. Natural cow's milk is not nutritionally sufficient for this purpose. There is a specially designed instant milk for kittens, which comes with a bottle with a pacifier, a measuring spoon and annotation. Another option is ordinary milk powder, diluted in 2.5 parts of water and brought to a temperature of 30 degrees.

In the absence of a bottle with a pacifier, it is convenient to feed a kitten with a syringe without needle. To do this, you need to draw a single portion of the liquid into the syringe and, without pressing on the piston, let the pet suck. During feeding, it may be necessary to remove the syringe several times and squeeze air out of it.

The total daily intake of milk consumed is determined according to the following scheme:

In the first two days from birth, the time interval between feedings should be 2 hours, including night time. Thus, it will 12 feedings per day, and the one-time rate will be 2.25 g.

In the next three days, the interval between night feedings should be increased to 3 hours. The result is 10-11 meals at a single rate 2.5 g.

For the next two days, the daytime interval between feedings remains 2 hours, and the nighttime interval stretches to 4 hours. The number of feedings in this case will be 10, and the portion will be 2.7 g. This ends the first week of life.

The second week, the frequency of food intake remains unchanged, and the single rate is reduced to 2.4 g.

Kittens from 2 weeks to 4 months

After two weeks of exclusively milk feeding, the proportion of milk in the kitten's diet gradually decreases and a variety of products, including sour-milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir), gradually appear.

A healthy dish in the diet for a pet will be oatmeal or rice porridge cooked in ordinary cow's milk. The baby's body is still able to digest milk sugar - lactose. Therefore, such a dish will make the transition from mother's milk to adult food even smoother (cats do not tolerate sudden changes in nutrition).

Kittens over 4 months old and adult cats

When a kitten's milk teeth change to molars (this happens at the age of 3-4 months), the production of lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose, stops or greatly decreases in its body. In the absence of this enzyme, lactose, once in the pet's gastrointestinal tract, reaches the large intestine in an undigested form, and changes the water and electrolyte balance in it. As a result, water enters the large intestine and loose stools occur. Thus, in cats older than 3–4 months, milk tends to cause diarrhea. Some laxatives are based on this effect of lactose.

In some cats, even after adulthood, lactase levels remain sufficient to digest lactose, and liquid stools from milk do not occur.

In addition to diarrhea, some components of milk can cause allergies, such as itching or skin changes.

In this way, there is little point in drinking milk for a cat older than 4 months. However, it is acceptable to give this product to a pet under the following conditions:

The cat does not eat food, but natural products.
After drinking milk, the cat does not experience allergic reactions.
Milk does not cause loose stools in cats.
Milk is consumed at least 2 hours after another meal and is at room temperature.

With good milk tolerance, cereals based on it remain a good component of the pet's diet. It is strictly not necessary to add sugar, honey and other sweeteners to them. A cat, unlike a human, sweet taste is not pleasant. But fast-digesting carbohydrates will not bring benefits to the animal, but most likely will harm.

The cat's body is able to process only small amounts of them without compromising health. With long-term consumption of sugary foods, a pet can develop diabetes mellitus.

Dairy products

Products of lactic acid fermentation with low fat content are very useful for adult kittens and cats and are perceived by their body much better than milk. During the fermentation of milk, appropriate bacteria and fungi convert lactose into lactic acid. As a result, the resulting products do not contain a component due to which milk in cats causes diarrhea.

The benefit of fermented milk products for cats is to maintain normal intestinal microflora and as a source of minerals and vitamins, as well as protein, in the case of cottage cheese.

Dairy products with fat content no more than 5% must be present in the menu of the animal at least once a week. Kefir and curdled milk can be offered to a pet as an addition to the daily food intake calculated for him, for example, if he asks for food during the day.

Food with a fat content of more than 5% can disrupt the metabolism and functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver. Therefore, cheese, sour cream, cream and fatty cottage cheese should be completely excluded or limited in combination with low-fat foods. This is especially true of castrated animals, as they are prone to obesity.

A piece of meat and a bowl of milk is all you need for a happy cat, right? More and more "experts" say that milk is poison for an adult cat. As they say, from one extreme to another. Whether it is possible for cats to milk is reasonably judged only by the fact of observing a particular animal. Here's an analogy for you - can people have peanuts? Of course you can, given that if a person has an allergy, he risks dying!

You may come across some pretty aggressive "expert" recommendations regarding the presence of milk in a cat's diet. In fact, in the process of communicating with an expert aggressor, it turns out that a person knows cats only in theory, contains an animal with lactose intolerance, or is a “fanatic” who strictly follows instructions. So, main arguments about the dangers of milk:

Be sure to give the kitten milk, and exclude it at 4 months and never return - all adult cats develop intolerance to milk sugar (lactose).

An adult cat can have cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, but not sour cream, because it is fatty. All products are relevant for the caudate menu, with only one caveat, if the food is natural, that is, not store-bought. Industrial cottage cheese made from milk powder and starch, kefir with a huge amount of preservatives, yogurt with dubious flavors is unlikely to benefit the pet. The same goes for cheese - the product is very useful if it is natural. Sour cream is an acceptable product, but in small quantities, since milk fats really weaken the intestines.

If you give milk to cats, they will definitely have. Not necessarily, not at all and not always. A sharp reaction is observed only in animals with lactose intolerance.

Milk is harmful to cats, it is a natural poison! A very dubious statement that has never been confirmed by research and a sufficient number of facts. Again, we are talking about caudates that do not absorb lactose. By the way, some people are lactose intolerant, and when drinking milk, they experience indigestion (quite strong). However, there is no question of "poisonousness".

Read also: Choosing a dry closet for cats - an overview of devices

We figured out the arguments of the milk haters, and now let's think about the facts. How many animals, especially in rural areas, receive milk every day? And a muzzled, lazily grooming cat with a milky mustache sits on the fence, not even suspecting that, you see, they are trying to poison him. Homemade sour cream, cottage cheese are also present in the purr's diet and the tailed ones eat as much as they want, and not strictly measured "norm". If cats can't have milk, why is the "rural gene pool" of quadrupeds the strongest? Why do they get sick less and live longer?

Calling cats stupid is pretty hard, so that's how it is possible that a reasonable, survival instinct-guided animal asks for milk and drinks it with gusto. Why do rural cats come to the barn and demand their "share" strictly at the time of milking a cow or a goat? The only conclusion that suggests itself is that it's all about the individual characteristics of each cat. In addition, you need to consider whether the animal is purebred. Many purebred purrs, by the will of man, have sacrificed their versatility in favor of an attractive appearance. Would animals with food allergies or sensitive digestion in the countryside survive on mice, less often birds, and what the owners would give? Definitely not! This is where the aggression of experts comes from, who recognize only purebred and “problem” cats, they judge from their own experience, but is it worth infringing on a pet based on conclusions about another animal?

About the benefits of milk

“Drink milk for children, you will be healthy” - is it true or a marketing slogan? Given the time of occurrence of the "chants", there is no question of marketing. It is today, in times of information confrontations, mass advertising and competition, that new “arguments” are being invented. If we discard the “confetti” of marketers and take into account only dry facts, we get the following:

Milk contains natural animal protein- protein and 20 amino acids, 8 of which are irreplaceable. Essential amino acids are not found in plant foods and cannot be created artificially.

The combination of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium is optimal for absorption. You can feed pure calcium or sodium supplements to your cat, but there will be no benefit from this, and there will be bladder and kidney stones. Calcium and potassium are not absorbed without phosphorus, and the breakdown of sodium (ideally) should take place under the influence of other trace elements.

Fatty acid, which are found in a very narrow set of products, for example, in ocean fish. Do not rush to run to the supermarket for fish, the relevance of this product in the diet of a cat is even more doubtful than milk.

Lactose- The "root of evil" that causes problems is actually milk sugar, a useful substance consisting of glucose and galactose. Naturally, lactose may not be useful for animals with digestive disorders. By the way, note to fans of cottage cheese and haters of milk - lactose is found in whey, and it is present (but in a smaller amount) in cottage cheese, kefir and other dairy products.

Read also: Why does a cat pee on the bed: causes and methods of weaning

Note! If your cat is lactose intolerant but loves milk, an alternative is a powdered substitute designed specifically for pets.

Goat or cow milk?

Another question that causes a storm of emotions among the "experts". The argument goes something like this: "A cat that eats good food and drinks water will live and not get sick, an animal that drinks only cow's milk will die of exhaustion." We will not argue that milk is not able to provide the body with a full range of useful substances and microelements; at least there are no net carbohydrates in it. But do you really admit the fairness of comparing a natural and artificially created product? According to this logic, if you do not feed the ward with a good "drying", then he will suffer, and this is pure delusion. A natural diet is healthier, look at feed ads, what is the main argument? - Consists of organic products, like homemade, contains natural meat. Milk cannot be kept in the dryer, because it is too nutrient medium for the reproduction of microorganisms, in other words, it does not contribute to long-term storage.

There are fewer “scarecrows” about goat milk, but there is an assumption that marketers are not yet ready to argue with scientists, and as soon as a delivery amount of “arguments” is collected, the war will begin. The advantages of homemade goat's milk over cow's milk are as follows:

Fatter, but better absorbed- the special composition of goat's milk protects the product from the "clumping" of fats under the influence of gastric acid. The fat molecules in cow's milk (caseins) are larger and clump together, making it harder to digest.

"Alive" - unboiled goat's milk contains more lacto- and bifidobacteria, has a beneficial effect on digestion, the state of the intestinal microflora and reduces (!) the risk of an allergic reaction.

Contains less lactose- that is, it is easier to digest by adult animals. By the way, goat's milk is hypoallergenic a priori, because it does not contain proteins that cause allergies when cow's milk is consumed. That is, if a cat has an acute reaction to goat's milk, it is worth considering the reasons, they are clearly not in lactose.

More vitamins and minerals, the list is approximately the same, but depends on the nutrition of the cow / goat.

Since ancient times, it was believed that animals such as cats needed milk and dairy products, because it is good for their health, and the owners had to include these types of products in their diet. But is it? Will they harm or benefit?

This question can be answered by modern medicine, which is developing every day. Scientists have proven that milk and dairy products are not as healthy as they have been said in the past. Most likely, this is a myth, and you do not need to believe in it. If you really love your pet, you will always protect, care for him and monitor his nutrition.

As mentioned above, milk is not so healthy for cats. After all, it contains lactose, which cats usually do not tolerate. But not all types of milk contain large amounts of lactose. Remember: never give your pet cow's milk. The fact is that it contains the largest amount of this type of carbohydrate. This will disrupt the digestive system and your pet will become constipated. Cow's milk has no value for the intestines and stomach of cats. In fact, it is not a natural food product. Whole cow's milk is often not tolerated by cats. But that doesn't mean it's harmful. It has both positive and negative properties. Whole cow's milk contains an average of 3.2% fat. It contains a wide variety of amino acids needed for life. But if you evaluate all its qualities, then in the end it will turn out to be more harmful than beneficial for cats.

Even after so much research, some owners still think their cats need milk, but it has never met their nutritional needs. A cat that only eats cow's milk may not survive. But not all cats do not tolerate this product well. There are also exceptions. If your animal digests milk well, then you can safely give it, but, of course, in moderation, about 10-15 ml per 1 kg of weight.

How will a cat get nutrients? As long as your pet eats enough quality food and clean water, he will feel great. But what do you do when your pet wants milk and you can't refuse it? To do this, many pet stores have milk substitutes that are similar in taste to the real product, but do not contain lactose. It's better to buy it anyway. And then both you and your pet will be happy. But remember that milk replacer should not be consumed as the main food, it is only an additive to cats' food. You can also give milk that contains a low amount of lactose. This is also a very good option for your cat. It is especially useful for cats at their early age. You can make your own dairy product. For this you will need: 80 ml of pure water, 4 quail yolks, 100 ml of yogurt, 80 ml of concentrated milk.

We talked about the nutrition of cats, but what about the diet of kittens, because their digestive system is more delicate? Is it necessary to give milk to babies, and what kind? Kittens really need milk, but only their mothers, because it contains all the proteins, fats and antibodies needed for their development and health. If the kitten is taken from its mother, never give it cow's milk. This will hurt him greatly. The best way out is to buy a milk replacer.

Our domestic cats, having a balanced diet and drinking enough water, do not need milk, and it is better not to feed cats with this product at all. As a result, we come to the conclusion of what can and cannot be fed to our beloved cats. From dairy products, it is better to give low-fat cottage cheese, a little sour cream, sometimes fermented baked milk is allowed. The more fat in milk, the less lactose, therefore, cats are allowed to give sour milk (kefir 2.5%), as well as condensed milk (the higher the temperature, the more the composition changes), cream in small quantities, lactose-free milk and milk goats and sheep.

Don't get carried away with cheese. It's too oily and spicy. If you follow these recommendations, your pet will always have a good mood. The cat will have a good appetite and lots of energy to play with you. And you will always be in high spirits.

Take care of your pets, take care of them. After all, the health of a cat depends entirely on the owner. Always be careful when choosing your animal's diet. Try to bring more joy to him. All in your hands!

Not so long ago, there was a publication on our website that it turns out that it is not so useful for cats to eat fish (look for it). After you have reviewed the diet of your fluffy and not so pets, we suggest that you return to compiling their daily menu again. And, today we will consider the advisability of including milk and dairy products in the cat's diet. And what, unless cats and milk are not allowed? You will learn about everything in order from the pages of our new article ...

Milk in the cat's diet

When it comes to talking about how to pamper your pet cat, the words that cats cannot live without ... milk come to mind. Like dogs love bones (but, we already know that they shouldn’t be given bones - why? find out), just like mice and rodents love cheese (we will find out in one of our upcoming publications), so do cats love to drink milk. This white liquid is to their liking, and if you want to pamper your kitty or cat, pour fresh milk into a bowl ...

But, before you do this, we suggest that you find out what effect this product has on the animal's body. Is there anything useful in it for him?

The benefits and harms of milk for cats

And now, get ready for one of the biggest discoveries in cat science -

milk in the diet of cats does not represent any useful elements and substances for the felines.

In other words, it is absolutely useless. It is much more useful to feed a cat with ready-made food than to pour her a bowl of milk. In addition, the calorie content of this product, especially if you give homemade cow's milk, exceeds the norms allowed for cats, and knocks down the entire table of animal calories per day. Doubt? Well, experts say that no more than 20-30 calories from the category of unbalanced nutrition are allowed in the diet of the animal, which the animal receives along with food from your table. But, in a bowl of milk for a cat, there are already 83 calories, and if we are talking about whole milk, then all 149 calories. By regularly pampering your pet with milk, you risk upsetting its caloric balance and can push the animal to. And, extra grams of weight, as you know, do not add health and attractiveness to cats.

Moreover, given the fact that ordinary cow's milk contains much more casein and lactose than cats can absorb, the need to often include this product in the diet of your cat remains a big question. Where does this intolerance come from? After all, outwardly, the cat reacts quite appetizingly to milk? In fact, most adult mammals are lactose intolerant. And, if in childhood, as a kitten, your cat still absorbed mother's milk (it is strictly forbidden to give cow's milk to kittens), then as it grows up, the ability to assimilate this product decreases, and

the older your cat is, the less it needs milk, and the worse it tolerates it.

Remember, the last time you gave your pet milk, despite the fact that it was fresh, and the cat didn’t drink too much of it, your pet then meowed plaintively and suffered from. This is a clear demonstration of lactose intolerance in your cat. Precisely because lactose is classified as a sugar, and sugar in undigested form promotes the accumulation of fluid in the intestines of the animal, your cat suffered from diarrhea. Even if disorders and stool disorders were not observed, lactose, being processed in the intestines, caused bloating in the pet, giving him discomfort.

For those who still do not believe that milk in the cat's diet is not just useless, but dangerous, here are the results of the following studies.

Experts have found that milk cannot be a substitute for food or water in a cat's diet. And if this happens, and the owners try to replace one of the feedings or drinking water with this product, then the cat suffers from chronic malnutrition and dehydration.

Milk replacer for cats

If you are so worried that your cat likes to drink milk, but you cannot give it to her after our publication, we suggest that you find a worthy alternative to it. In pet stores, you can find specially designed milk replacer for cats (it was developed and produced in America and Europe). Such artificial milk does not cause diarrhea in a cat, does not cause a disorder in its digestive processes, does not harm its health, but even this product, which is absolutely harmless by cat standards, must be given as a treat, and not as the main food that replaces one of the feedings.

But what about little kittens? We then thought that they can and should be fed with milk. Indeed, teenage kittens and cats need milk, but not simple milk - store or cow, but milk from their mother. It contains a lot of fats, antibodies and proteins - in a word, everything that is so necessary for a kitten to grow up and be healthy. If a kitten receives such milk as the main food for the first 4 weeks after birth, it grows up strong, beautiful and full-fledged. If you are trying to replace his mother's milk (perhaps the cat died during childbirth, abandoned her kitten, or you just found a tiny baby on the street and could not get past him), then in no case replace it with cow's milk - this you will only kill the kitten. Use a cat's milk substitute for feeding, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy.

Learn more about what to do.