[karilann]

Can I give my adult cat a little bit of milk? She loves it but I don't know if I should give it to her on a regular basis.

[mrsD]

If she does not show diarrhea, I don't see why not.

Oreo eats whipped cream every day for her treat, and
she is surviving cancer so far, (in remission) and is almost 14.

[Kitty]

Cats do not have a significant amount of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the lactose in milk and milk products, to digest these foods properly. Some cats can tolerate it but, just like people, some are not able to. You'll just have to watch them. I think skim milk would be best.

[Blessings2You]

Our vet, and the animal shelter, said that MOST cats are lactose intolerant. Both of our cats get a taste of yogurt, milk or ice cream--literally dip my fingertip and give them about four licks. Cindy can handle more; Peach will get diarrhea. Our "foster" cat can have a piece of cheese the size of a BB and will barf within a couple of minutes.

[mrsD]

I would give higher fat content to the cat if there is no diarrhea.

Cats need more fat than other mammals.

Oreo was given all kinds of dairy at her birth home. I never offered it because of the "no dairy for cats" rule. Her first Thanksgiving here, she was about 6mos old, she jumped onto the table when our backs were turned, and put her paw on the pumpkin pie with whipped cream and dragged it over to herself!

So from then on I gave her milk, cheese etc. But it is really the whipped cream she loves. She dropped the milk and cheese after about 2 yrs. So we use it as a treat and reinforcement treat (like after the vet visit or medication). Her teeth are fabulous as well. I have put some types of medications in the whipped cream, and she takes them easily. Only the very bitter ones she will refuse this way. We buy the whipped cream (which we call Chooka--because of the sound it makes shaking it) in a 3 pack of jumbo size, at Costco. With Oreo so ill, the Vet said to give her anything she wants and will eat...to prevent weight loss. Chooka fits that bill and she loves it!

I think Oreo is the exception, rather than the rule. Weezie cannot tolerate the whipped cream, but Houdini is getting a little bit so far and no diarrhea for her either.

Before Oreo, none of our previous cats got dairy at all.

[karilann]

So far it has not seemed to bother her.

[Dejibo]

mine eat whipped cream all the time. The vet said "most" are lactose intolerant past the kitten stage, but I have yet to meet one that didnt like milk or whipped cream. I guess since I have given small doses, it hasnt tipped them over.

Give the kitty her treat.

[ANNagain]

My 3 cats beg for dairy. One I have had since he was a yearling and the other 2 since 5 weeks old. 2 love milk- even fat free; 2 like yogurt; and they all love cheese.

I've had cats in the past who loved whipped cream. I haven't had any since I've had this cat family but I'm guessing they'd eat it and wear it.

>^..^<>^..^<>^..^<

ANN

[mrsD]

Originally Posted by ANNagain

My 3 cats beg for dairy. One I have had since he was a yearling and the other 2 since 5 weeks old. 2 love milk- even fat free; 2 like yogurt; and they all love cheese.

I've had cats in the past who loved whipped cream. I haven't had any since I've had this cat family but I'm guessing they'd eat it and wear it.

>^..^<>^..^<>^..^<

ANN

LOLOL

Houdini has the nicest tongue action after food of all the cats we've had. She washes up very dramatically with gusto!
It is especially fun to watch after the whipped cream treat.

Oreo is very demure about it all. And Weezie avoids it.
Weezie gets something else, she loves. Cat Fancy crunchies. I have a tiny Asian dipping bowl about 3 inches in diameter for just a few of these naughty kibbles. I have them all on Wilderness feline which is grain free. But Weezie just loves that Cat fancy stuff. We had a little bag of it...she paws at it and cries. So I bought another when it was gone. But she only gets a little bit as a treat. Weezie lost quite a bit of her substantial rear baggage on the Wilderness. She is really one to put on weight (like our late Sheba was!). Oreo remains her usual 8-9lb size very tall and muscular. Houdini is like a snake, long and thin, and tiny still. Tiny head. I think she is part Siamese, the long type..with her pointy little head.

[MrsBones]

Fezzik loves milk and is one of the oddballs who isn't lactose intolerant. We adopted him from a shelter so we had no idea and didn't plan to give him any, since it was very likely he couldn't handle it.

It was clear, though, when the howling at the sight of the milk carton started that his first family gave him milk. So we tested it by giving him Wiskas Cat Milk, which is lactose reduced (98%, I think) and slightly malt flavored, then a little regular. He likes the Wiskas, but still prefers regular milk and has no problem at all with it.

Just to be safe, we'll buy him a small carton of Lactaid. He knows the difference between his milk and ours and goes nutty when he sees it in the shopping bags.