Thinking of having cereal? Thought I'd post this video once again in case you may have missed it.
Here's the real deal on Cats & Milk
Many people who own a cat think that milk is an important part of a cat’s diet. This is not true. In fact, milk does not meet any of the nutritional needs of a cat. So, should cats drink milk? Many veterinarians would say “no”.
While old movies often show cats contentedly feeding on a bowl of milk or cream, the fact is that a cat could not survive if her diet consisted of only milk. Not only does milk fail to meet any of the nutritional needs of a cat, it can even cause health problems for some cats.
The reason for this is that most cats are lactose intolerant. Cats lack the enzyme, called lactase, that allows them to properly break down milk. For such cats, drinking milk can lead to digestive problems including diarrhea.
While there is no reason that cats need to drink milk, some owners just enjoy giving it to them. As long as the cat is not lactose intolerant, there is no problem with giving a cat an occasional treat of milk.
Unfortunately, a little trial and error is the only way to find out if your cat is, in fact, lactose intolerant. To find out you will have to give her a little milk. If she does not have any symptoms, then it is safe to assume she is not lactose intolerant – at least right now. In this case, it is safe to give her milk as a treat once in a while.
At my home all the cats love a treat of milk. I don't have a cat that shows the negative results of milk drinking but I still limit it to a couple of tablespoons at a time 2x a week. It's just a treat remember.
hugs, Deb