Milk or Water?

Hi

I just joined this forum as I just got a new kitten. I've heard you shouldn't give cats cow's milk but when we had cats at home years ago they always lapped it up. What should I do? Should I just give the kitten water or is the kitten milk I've seen on the shelves any good? Or is cow's milk safe? I don't want to make the poor thing unwell so any advice much appreciated!

Keep water always available to your kitten, it's essential. But it's also important to make sure your kitten is getting moisture in it's diet, as they're not natural water drinkers. A portion of your kittens diet should consist of wet food, to make sure he/she is getting enough liquids. (Among other reasons)

Cat milk is safe as a treat now and then, but not a staple of their diet.

Cows milk is a no-no. Most cats are lactose intolerant and you could make your kitty very sick. *some* cats can handle milk and milk products, (like mine) but it's still not GOOD for them, so if you know your cat can handle it, it should be a once and a while treat only.

Thanks for that. I've been giving him water so far so I'll stick with that.

Water should always be available to them, they need water and they don't 'use' milk (cow or cat milk) in the same way as water. If you have problems getting them to drink water, you can try adding a little fish juice (from canned tuna etc) to the water, it will make it a treat and entice them to drink from the water bowl generally.

As Julia said, cats have a tendency to be lactose intolerant and do not cope well with cow milk, and any milk given should be a treat. As far as kitten milk, I am not sure if you are talking about actual kitten milk or catsip/catmilk. Catmilk should be given as a treat, the kitten milk is more like a meal replacement shake for us and includes nutrients etc found in their food and is really only meant for kittens who are not nursing for whatever reason.