Naughty cats are as cute as children. Sometimes you like to take care of them like your own baby. Should we give your cat milk just like caring for a baby?
Cats often ʟᴏsᴇ ʟᴀᴄᴛᴏsᴇ tolerance as they age, so adding cow’s milk to their diet does more ʜᴀ.ʀᴍ than good.
“For most cats, the ability to digest lactose declines after weaning. As a result, milk can cause ᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴠᴇ problems in cats and lead to sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs such as ᴅɪᴀʀʀʜᴇᴀ or ᴠᴏᴍɪᴛɪɴɢ.” Specialist Nathalie Dowgray, head of the International Cat Medical Association, told Live Science.
Cow Milk Contains A Lot Of Fat, Which Is ᴛᴇʀʀ.ɪʙʟᴇ For Cats
Some cats may retain the ability to digest lactose into adulthood, as in some people, notes Dowgray. However, giving your cat cow’s milk has no additional nutritional benefit if they are already well-fed and nutritionally balanced.
In addition, cow’s milk is high in fat. A plate of cat milk is “like you’re eating a whole 12-inch pizza”, which can make your pet ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ, according to the PDSA veterinary hospital in the United Kingdom.
Cow’s Milk Is High In Phosphates
Furthermore, “cow’s milk is high in phosphates,” adds Dowgray. According to a study published in 2017 in the Journal of Cat Medicine and Surgery, phosphorus can ɪᴍᴘᴀɪʀ ᴋɪᴅɴᴇʏ ꜰᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ in cats with ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄ ᴋɪᴅɴᴇʏ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ. Therefore, cats should not be given cow’s milk if they have been ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴋɪᴅɴᴇʏ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ.
Hastings Veterinary Hospital in British Columbia notes that cats may still crave milk because of its ability to connect with positive memories from infancy, or they may like the taste of the fat in it.
Cow Milk Can Be Replaced With Some Other Products
Kittens are usually breastfed until completely weaned when they are a few months old. According to Dowgray, if kittens need human care — like ɪʟʟɴᴇss or the ʟᴏss of their mother — they should be fed alternative milk carefully formulated to meet nutritional requirements.
Other types of milk, such as cow’s or goat’s milk, are not suitable substitutes for cat’s milk, as they do not contain enough protein to meet kittens’ growth and development needs, notes Dowgray. Solid food weaning should begin at three to four weeks of age and gradually until the kitten is fully acclimatized.
If you want to give your cat milk, use lactose-free HCM milk products or yogurt. This also seems like you understand why pet milk is more expensive. Yogurt has gentle ingredients, good for digestion. You can buy cat-specific formulas at pet supermarkets or veterinary clinics.