Do cats and kittens need to drink cow’s milk?

By dnp-team On Mar 21, 2012

Many pet parents feed only cow’s milk to their cats and kittens. This causes diarrhoea, especially in kittens. People in general think that cow’s milk provides sufficient nutrition for their cats and do not give cat food but it is not so. Let’s shun this myth.

Let mother cat feed the kittens…

Mother’s milk which contains essential nutrients and antibodies is essential for the healthy growth of kittens till they are four weeks of age. After the kittens are four weeks, they can be weaned gradually and fed moist kitten food and later dry kitten food.

There’s more than cow’s milk…

Never give cow’s milk to orphaned kittens as this will cause diarrhoea as cow’s milk does not form an essential part of a cat’s nutritional requirement. The reason is that many cats are lactose intolerant and this may cause stomach upset and diarrhoea. Feral cats survive without drinking cow’s milk.

Food for your cat…

Kittens need good nutrition which can be found in commercial cat food. If your cat is lactose tolerant, you can give her milk occasionally. If your cat develops diarrhoea after drinking cow’s milk, immediately stop giving her milk.

Water is an essential nutrient…

Always provide them a bowl of fresh water. Cats who eat dry cat food require more water than those eating moist cat food.