Cats & dairy

Hi all, I;m new here.

I was wondering is it okay to feed my adult cat cheese and milk? She always seems to want some but I think it's best not to. However Is it okay to give her a bit now and again? And if so how much and how often?

Thanks

It's best not to give cats dairy products. Cats don't have the digestive enzyme to break down the lactose in dairy products so they tend to have an upset tummy and gas. Some people do like to give a very small amount of dairy product once in awhile as a treat. Goat milk is supposedly more digestible than cow's milk so you can try that. 

Danwiz said:

 
Hi all, I;m new here.

I was wondering is it okay to feed my adult cat cheese and milk? She always seems to want some but I think it's best not to. However Is it okay to give her a bit now and again? And if so how much and how often?

Thanks

Click to expand...

Hi there and welcome! 

Cats are lactose intolerant. They really shouldn't have cheese or cow's milk. Goat's milk- especially raw- is a better choice if you must give her milk. This is often recommended for kittens who do not have access to a nursing queen and KMR (milk replacer) is not available. 

Cats are obligate (true) carnivores so once they wean off momma, they would not naturally go back to milk of any kind. I think a bit of cheese now and then would be OK but I'd cut off the milk supply. A healthier, more species appropriate treat would be meat. Mine adore plain cooked chicken breast shredded as a topper to foods or just as is as a treat. I also use Pure Bites freeze dried chicken and turkey breast treats that are found at big box pet stores or online from Amazon and Chewy.com

My daughter didn't listen to me when I told her no dairy and soon after she regretted it my kitten had so much smelly diarrhea from it that lasted a few days, it was so gross and messy I wouldn't risk feeding dairy to any cat.