Inexperienced owners of four-legged pets often wonder whether cats can be given milk. In this case, experts are unanimous that feeding cats with milk is prohibited, since they do not produce lactose to digest milk sugar.
But this is not typical for all cats. It's like a person is allergic to strawberries, some have it, some don't. Likewise among representatives of the cat world, some cats will drink milk every day and enjoy it, while another, after such joy, may not have time to run to the toilet, since the milk will cause her an attack of diarrhea.
Milk in a cat's diet
The cat feeds its kittens from birth to three months, while lactose is produced in the kittens' bodies. Enzyme for processing milk sugar. Gradually, the kitten begins to switch to adult food, replacing the mother's milk with solid food, meat or dry food.
Accordingly, the production of lactose is reduced, and this enzyme is replaced by protease, an enzyme for processing proteins. In this case, the cat gets what it wants and the owners are happy that they were able to pamper their pet. After all, milk is a treat for cats, and you can feed your cat milk every day.
The benefits and harms of dairy products for cats still have no clear assessment among veterinarians and felinologists, because representatives of the animal world in the wild do not consume it, so whether cats can have milk is an ambiguous question.
Of course, it contains a lot of calcium and nutrients, but it is very fatty, especially cow's milk. However, there is an opinion that it is the fatty acids that attract tailed fluffies in this drink. Thanks to fatty acids, cat treats acquire such a pleasant taste.
The dairy product contains lecithin, cholesterol, vitamin A and D, which take part in many hormonal processes, the formation of skin and hair.
However, it is impossible to give milk in its entirety, no matter what it is. After all, we do not have a complete list of necessary microelements for the life of pets. Moreover, if a cat eats only a milk drink, it can die.
How to feed a kitten
Under normal conditions, the kitten is fed exclusively by the cat from birth to 1 month. At this time, the kittens feed only on her milk.
However, in some cases (a cat’s refusal to give up her kittens, the death of a cat during childbirth, lack of milk), it may be necessary to artificially feed a kitten from the first hours of life. You should immediately decide what and how many times a day to feed the kitten and strictly adhere to the schedule. The further development and health of the pet depends on the proper organization of the nutrition process.
The best option is to purchase a cat milk substitute; if this is not possible, then you need to prepare the food yourself.
Before feeding kittens, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian for assistance with food selection and additional nutrients. The doctor will also tell you how many times a day to feed the kitten and how to do it correctly.
When preparing formulas yourself, you need to take into account that the composition of cow's milk is very different from cat's milk. It contains much less nutrients and is poorly absorbed by the kitten’s body. Goat's milk is much healthier for the baby; the use of milk formulas for infants is also allowed.
Newborn kittens need mother's milk
Milk for adult cats
Dairy products for cats, just like milk for cats, are a great treat. Milk can be given to cats if individual tolerance is good and there are no allergic manifestations. But it should be noted that castrated cats are prone to obesity, and cow product contains 149 kcal.
Therefore, drinking plenty of this drink together with dry food or food from the table can lead to an increase in the weight of the animal, which will negatively affect the cat’s body as a whole.
Therefore, you need to feed your cat dairy products in moderate doses. For a cat, as a more active creature than a lazy cat, these calories are not so significant, so cats can drink milk in any volume.
Lactose production in cats
Lactose Formula
Unlike the vast majority of mammals, cats can process lactose throughout their lives . It is unknown whether it has always been this way. Perhaps a mutation of this kind occurred due to the domestication of small useful predators, which freed human homes and barns from rodents. Having domesticated goats, cows, and sheep, people began to receive surplus milk every day, which could be appropriated by cats. A tasty, healthy product became available to them, the shortage disappeared - both younger and older individuals could count on the delicacy. Perhaps man lured cats to barns and barns with milk, domesticating precisely those individuals who wanted to feast on it.
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The ability to digest the raw product could be given by minimal genetic anomalies, which then became established in the population. Today, all cats can drink milk, regardless of breed or habitat. Rare animals of this species suffer from digestive problems after choosing a traditional delicacy. Even humanity has not mastered this product as much as cats can handle it - people have digestive problems after drinking fresh milk much more often than they do. However, everything is very individual.
In addition to fresh product, most cats do not refuse fermented milk. The interest in it and the digestibility of the product are natural - it is protein in an accessible form. In addition to people and cats, dogs love milk, and almost all other carnivores, omnivores.
Thus, cats love milk and successfully digest it as adults due to the fact that their bodies constantly produce lactose. Perhaps its production is an anomaly that has become established in the genome of animals due to domestication.
Milk for kittens
Sometimes a cat cannot feed her babies due to a disease of the mammary glands, the kitten does not drink water. In this case, it is necessary to decide what to feed newborn kittens, at what age, and whether it is possible to replace cat milk, as well as in what doses to give milk to the kitten. In this matter, each owner is free to act at his own discretion: feed the kittens with cow food or feed them with goat food.
The disadvantages of cow's milk for cat babies is that it is less nutritious than mother's milk. Cow's milk may contain antibiotics or estrogens - female hormones that are present in the cow if she was pregnant at the time of milking.
Goat milk is, of course, preferable for kittens. It is given because it contains more nutrients, vitamins, and is better absorbed by cats' tummies. Goat milk for cat babies is hypoallergenic, but experts still recommend diluting it with water in a 2:1 ratio.
Kittens drink goat product with great pleasure. Therefore, if you choose between cow's and goat's milk, then goat's milk is better, although kittens can be given both cow's and goat's milk.
Can a fold-eared kitten have milk?
Owners of purebred kittens have a different opinion, such as Scottish Fold, for example. They take the feeding of their future winners more responsibly, so they do not give newborn kittens milk from goats and cows, but feed them with formula milk.
Of course, lop-eared kittens can be given dairy products, but owners are afraid that cow's drink is not very nutritious and beneficial for the lop-eared kitten, for the noble skin of an expensive animal and for the health of the cat, so they prefer an adapted milk formula.
How to feed kittens with milk replacer?
Found what to feed. Now let's learn how to do this.
The first weeks of life, a kitten needs a strict regime. Feeding should occur every 2 hours.
On a note!
Immediately after birth, on the first day, the kitten should drink 1 ml of milk per hour. Then we increase the amount of milk by 0.5 ml every day until the serving size per feeding reaches 10 ml.
Since the kitten is still too small to drink milk from a bowl, buy a special pipette or baby bottle/pacifier. You can also purchase special feeding products at pet stores.
Fermented milk products in the diet of cats
If adult cats do not digest milk, what can you do to pamper the cats? Surprisingly, fermented milk products are absorbed by cats much better than dairy products.
Sour milk contains enzymes that help the gastrointestinal tract function properly. Therefore, you can try giving your pet kefir, fermented baked milk, and cottage cheese. Fermented milk products can harm an adult cat in less quantities than kittens.
Pet owners should remember that fresh kefir has a laxative effect, and kefir that is older than 2 days, on the contrary, strengthens it. It can be difficult to persuade an adult cat to eat kefir, because it is sour, and cats are unlikely to have a great desire to consume it.
Is it possible for a purebred fold-eared kitten to have fermented milk products?
Many experts believe that it is better not to give fermented milk products to kittens at all, as they can cause increased gas formation and bloating in the kitten, and there is a high likelihood of intestinal disorders.
Veterinarian recommendations
No matter how our patterns break, the fact is stubborn: the question of whether cats can be given milk is negative. No matter how much purrs like the white delicacy, responsible owners are obliged to regulate their diet. An alternative is fermented milk products. You shouldn't get carried away with them either. However, with a competent natural diet, they will benefit cats. If the main source of nutrition for mustachioed striped animals is ready-made food, it is prohibited to give milk. Nursing mothers and their babies should not be fed this substance either: in the first case, it is better to replace it with kefir or cottage cheese, in the second - with a special substitute. Any nutrition-related questions should be discussed with specialists. And under no circumstances should you feed cats what you eat yourself.
Compatibility of milk with dry food
The cat food is balanced and provides all the necessary calcium that the cat needs in sufficient quantities. Therefore, there is no need to give dairy products to a cat if he eats only food, since the pet’s diet already contains the required amount of vitamins. In addition to it, the pet can only drink clean water.
Eating dry food and milk together can harm your cat's health. This is fraught with the development of urolithiasis, liver diseases and other organs. Therefore, when feeding dry food, it is necessary to give more water to drink and no need to give milk.
Such an everyday and simple product as milk has many nuances. But only a specific cat’s organism, which either digests lactose or not, can become an opponent of dairy products.
If you decide to pamper your little pet with this product, make sure it is fresh and of good quality, and also introduce the product gradually, observing your cat’s body.
Homemade food or store-bought kitten food?
Arguing about which diet is best for a growing body is a thankless task. There will be plenty of supporters of feeding homemade food, as well as opponents. Both methods of eating have a number of advantages and disadvantages, for example, cooking at home will cost less than buying specialized food, but will the owner dare to cook every day? Those who advocate for home-cooked food are stopped by the price of store-bought quality food. What to feed small cats and cats is decided by each owner, based on his own ideas and income.
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Perhaps expert advice will help you find the right solution:
- Consider financial possibilities: it makes sense to switch to a home cooking method if good specialized nutrition is expensive.
- Buying cheap food simply means harming your small pet; The composition of ready-made food advertised on TV is distinguished by the abundance of vegetables, meat and bone meal, and the addition of flavoring additives that are so attractive to cats. An unhealthy composition will result in problems with health and well-being.
- Kitten food is an ideal solution if the owner works a lot, stays late, is tired and does not have the strength to prepare a delicious dinner for the baby; take out the bag and you're done.
- Natural products are undoubtedly healthier than store-bought cat food. When choosing a method of feeding homemade food, remember: you will have to prepare a variety of dishes to cover your pet’s daily need for microelements. Make up for the deficiency with vitamin supplements. This incurs certain financial costs, but the finished pates and granules are balanced, the composition has the necessary substances for growth and harmonious development.
- A diet based on meat and cereals is ideal for a growing body. Physiologically, the intestines of animals are adapted to process hard protein foods, so soft foods (pates) become a common cause of constipation and diarrhea.
