It's practically a cliche in cartoons, books and movies - a cat
happily living on endless pints of milk and cream, and lots of
fish.
The truth, however, is more complex.
Cats &
milk
Surprisingly, many cats are lactose-intolerant. Drinking milk
(especially cow's milk) gives them diarrhoea, which may lead to
dehydration. Other cats which are not lactose-intolerant enjoy milk
and can drink some occasionally without ill-effect. However, milk
does not contribute to a cat's nutritional needs, so it is not
necessary for a cat to drink it as part of its diet!
The only time a cat truly needs milk is when it is a kitten,
drinking its mother's milk - in other words, it needs only cat's
milk when it is young, not cow's or goat's milk. Kittens have an
enzyme, lactase, that allows them to digest their mother's milk. As
they grow up, many cats lose the enzyme. A young adult cat that can
initially handle cow's milk may develop intolerance to it as the
levels of the enzyme fall. Thus, a cat that used to be able to
drink milk without a digestive upset may not always be able to do
so.
If your cat loves milk, but is lactose-intolerant, consider
buying a milk substitute from your pet store that is formulated
just for cats.
