What Milk Can Kittens Drink

Once they have weaned production of lactase stops and they are no longer able to break down lactose effectively resulting in milk intolerance.

What milk can kittens drink. There are other varieties of milk. If you do want to give your cat milk you can buy specially formulated cat milk from most supermarkets or pet shops. What shouldn t cats drink. Even though some cats can tolerate milk and seem to enjoy it cow s milk just isn t good for cats says dr.

Kittens lack the proper enzymes to digest the lactose in cow milk and feeding cow milk to kittens can cause diarrhea and dehydration very quickly in very small kittens. From around 4 weeks of age they will start to explore solid food and drink more water alongside their mother s milk. Cats have no nutritional need for milk once they have weaned. On average cats need 50 ml water per kg of body weight.

Since water makes up a larger portion of a kitten s body than that of an adult cat it is extra important to make sure they drink enough. For instance people increasingly ask whether goat milk for cats is an acceptable treat. What do kittens drink. Does all milk contain lactose.

Most cats have an intolerance to the lactose in cow s milk and it can cause digestive problems. Young kittens will drink their mother s milk until they are weaned. That being said for a time kittens indeed have to drink milk to develop properly. You can help make sure your kitten gets enough water by feeding it wet food.

The only milk that is healthy for kittens to drink is either their mother s or they will need a kitten milk replacer which can also be called kmr or kitten milk formula. Being obligate carnivores cats acquire nutrients through the fleshes of other animals so they don t need to drink milk. No cow milk for kitties. This should be a treat only and not a part of your cat s daily fluid intake.

Goat milk for kittens is a little more salutary than cow s milk but. This amounts to 25 ml for a 500 gram kitten. Sheep s milk contains high levels of lactose and casein compared to other kinds of milk. Cats don t need.

There should also be free access to fresh water for their mother and kittens will start to lap this too. It won t be suitable for a lactose. Cats and milk at a glance. Older already weaned kittens just need water to stay hydrated.

Gary richter a veterinary health expert with rover. Nursing kittens produce an enzyme called lactase which breaks down lactose sugar in milk.