A common misconception is that cats require milk for good health. While the mother’s milk is needed for kittens, if you give your adult cat bowls of milk because you think it is a treat, or because you are under the impression that milk is something that cats need to stay healthy and have shiny coats, then you have been operating under a common misconception about your cat drinking milk.

Cats do not need milk to be healthy, and in fact, milk can be harmful to cats. If your cat has loose bowel movements, milk may actually be the culprit. Cats are able to drink and digest milk well when they are lkittens as their stomachs are able to handle the enzymes in milk. As a kitten grows into an adult, it starts eating solid food and the need for milk decreases considerably until eventually disappearing. So, once a cat has been weaned, it no longer has a dietary requirement for milk.

Milk can be given as an occasional treat to younger cats that still may have remnants of their capability to process milk in their stomachs. Giving a large bowl of milk to an older cat that has not had milk in some time, and the cat will probably get diarrhea. Some cats do seem to love the taste of milk. If you have been giving milk to your cat for some time without any digestive problems then it may be because your cat has retained the ability to digest the milk because of the continuing exposure. As the cat ages, it will probably lose this ability to digest milk.

Weaning your cat off milk as it ages is a good idea even if there have not been signs of a dietary intolerance. Some pet stores carry milk that is specially formulated for cats. Cat milk lacks the enzymes that cause digestive upsets, and most cats really enjoy it as a treat.

As your cat matures into adulthood, giving cow’s milk should be stopped. If you really want your cat drinking milk, purchase cat milk products such as catsip.

Cat-Sip Real Milk