Milk

chrissie42

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My cat Huni doesn't like water much - except when the tap is dripping and she puts her head under it!! lol
But she likes semi-skimmed milk.
Is this ok to give her, she does so love it......?
 

katachtig

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isadora44

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I second the water fountain idea. I bought the PetMate Fresh Flow for one of my cats. The only time she was interested in drinking water was when we had the tap running. She would go so far as to "ask" for water out of the tap (she'd sit by the sink and meow).

She stopped asking for water out of the tap when we got the Fresh Flow. I highly recommend it!

Milk is probably not a good idea.
 

goldenkitty45

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As long as she can tolerate it, you can give her some, but not a lot. Milk is more of a "food" then something to drink. Be sure she has plenty of fresh water - maybe get the pet water fountain if she likes drinking running water.
 

toomany

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Originally Posted by katachtig

Most cats are lactose-intolerant which mean that the milk can cause diarrhea. You can get some kitty milk at pet stores but that won't be enough to hydrate her.

You may want to look at some of the water fountains as they provide running water which may encourage her to drink.

http://www.amazon.com/Petmate-24960-...3580984&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Drinkwell-Plat...3580984&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Pet-Drin...3580984&sr=8-3
Completely agree with this....really does cause bad diarrhea. Most of my cats love milk...and so do I...so I always feel guilty pouring myself a glass while they all drool.

I have given them canned milk, though...just a few drops and add lots of water to it.....they seem to think it is "pure" milk.

As for the kitty liking to drink out of the faucet....I have 3 that do this....I solved it by always keeping a tall glass of water in the sink....for some reason the little devils like that rather than a bowl....because they see the faucet filling the glass!!!!
 

cloud_shade

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You can try offering different sizes and shapes of containers and putting them in different places. Willow won't drink from a bowl next to her food, but she likes the one on the fireplace, the one on the bookshelf, and the glass in the window. I've had some cats really like milk and do fine with it, but for others it does cause problems (and Willow and Odo don't like the cat milk).
 

sandtigress

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The various fountains out there really are great - I catch my two drinking from mine all the time - one from the falling water part, and the other from the bowl part. I think I paid about 30 bucks for mine, well worth it in my opinion.
 

noludoru

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I'm blessed with three lactose-tolerant cats, so we can all have milk as a treat every once in a while.

But it really isn't good for them in large quantities. The advice everyone else has given you here is great, I can't really add much.
 

goldenkitty45

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Not every cat gets sick from drinking milk after they are weaned/grown. My Mitten could drink milk (liked the 1/2 and 1/2 kind) without any problems his entire life.

I used to give him those little containers you get in restaurants as one of his treats
 

caitscats

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Cats will typically drink water the amount of times that they eat a day and they are very efficient in conserveing water. If necessary they can maintain normal health in the total absence of drinking water when fed high moisture diets. However water is very important in all cats diets.
As for milk and cream... cats LOVE milk and cream but older cats don't have enough bacteria in their intestines to break down the lactose it contains, and there for causes upset stomach and diarrhea. Lactose free milk is available at many supermarkets for lactose sensitive people. You can also buy milk specifically made for cats.
I hope this helps, good luck
Caitlin
 
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chrissie42

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How will we know when it's time to ween the kittens.
Will Huni decide for us?
Should we introduce some formula for them to try lapping?
Need a bit of advice please chaps......

Regards
Chrissie
 

goldenkitty45

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Why not look into the running water fountain drinking bowl they now make - it would be similar to the faucet so your cat should use it.

Be sure to to have fresh water all times. And if you feed canned food, add some water to it to be sure she's drinking water.
 

ddcats

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Originally Posted by noludoru

I'm blessed with three lactose-tolerant cats, so we can all have milk as a treat every once in a while.

But it really isn't good for them in large quantities. The advice everyone else has given you here is great, I can't really add much.
Here too. I give Mittens milk as a treat. My other cat was not brought up on milk, so she does not like it.

I like chocolate milk!
 

monaxlisa

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I have the Catit fountain and all my cats like it. Some drink out of the bowl but they like drinking off the dome too. The only problems is it breaks every 4-5 months (very frustrating...Im pretty sure I know the entire customer service dept.) Anyhow, they drink a lot more often from the fountain then they did from regular bowls.
 

okuda

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We have this one for the boys:

http://www.amazon.com/Petmate-24960-...3580984&sr=8-1

They LOVE it, it's even funnier when I put an ice cube in the bowl

It also cools and filters the water. Winston loves to drink from the "Water slide" part.

I found some kitty milk at Harris Teater that has all the lactose broken down for them already so is good for their tummy's.

When I run out, I just take a tea spoon of milk in a bowl and mix it with about 4 table spoons of water ~ so it is only just milky and they love love LOVE this.
And best of all?... no runny poops!
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by caitscats

As for milk and cream... cats LOVE milk and cream but older cats don't have enough bacteria in their intestines to break down the lactose it contains, and there for causes upset stomach and diarrhea.
It's not a bacteria, it's an enzyme called lactase. It splits lactose into glucose and galactose which the body can use. Very few mammals actually produce the lactase needed after weaning age to properly digest dairy (with the exception of a few groups of people in heavily dairy dependent areas).

That aside, I occasionally share a little milk with my cats. Very rarely though, as they do not need the sugar.

If the OP hasn't thought of it already, if you have a cat that doesn't seem to have a strong urge to drink much make sure to have at least some wet food as part of the cat's diet.
 
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