Why Cow’s Milk is Bad for Your Cat

When it comes to cow’s milk and giving it to your cat to drink, so many people tend to be confused about what is the right or wrong answer. And honestly, when I was growing up, I was often told many different things by many different people. It wasn’t until I was about 12 years old that I had a cat that would get sick every time it drank regular cow’s milk, and this was the first time that anything like that had ever happened before.

I decided to become a bit more educated on why cow’s milk is bad for your cat, and hopefully, this post will clear up that question for you as well!

Why Cow’s Milk is Bad for Your Cat

More than likely, we’ve all been guilty of giving our cat regular cow’s milk at some point in time or another. However, it’s not a good choice when there are so many other options out there!

• Many cats are lactose intolerant

Understand that “many” are, but that doesn’t mean that “all” are. Even if your cat isn’t lactose intolerant, there’s still a possibility that the dairy milk could be hard for them to digest and process. As a matter of fact, if you’ve ever given a kitten cow’s milk, you may have noticed some diarrhea that followed? This is because their tummies are even more sensitive when they are little and have a hard time processing and digesting the cow’s milk.

• Cat’s who drink cow’s milk run the chance of becoming dehydrated

Drinking milk isn’t what will dehydrate them…them having diarrhea or throwing up from being lactose intolerant will be what dehydrates them. If your cat drinks cow’s milk and becomes ill, it’s absolutely time to not give it to them. And honestly, giving any cat cow’s milk in the first place is not really worth the risk.

If you have a kitten that is still young and needing milk, the best option for them would be to have KMR – Kitten Milk Replacement formula. It can be found at pet stores or by visiting your local vet.

Even though your cat will drink cow’s milk, refrain from giving it to them!

Many people often think that a cat won’t drink certain milk if it’s not good for them. This just isn’t the truth. As a matter of fact, cat’s will drink it without knowing that it will have an ill-effects on them. You cant’ expect a cat to make a conscious decision to know what they should or shouldn’t be eating or drinking. If it smells good and tastes good, they are going to eat it. Plain and simple.

Bottom line? Don’t take the risk of making your kitten or cat become ill by giving them milk. Instead, feed them regular food and water that is certain to provide them with the nutrients that they need to stay healthy.

If you still have questions pertaining to milk and your cat, talk to your local veterinarian to seek their professional advice and opinion as well.