why can't you give regular milk to kittens?

Answer 1

Cats are lactose intolerant and they usually get MASSIVE DIARRHEA and GAS. Not the kind of thing you want to see in a cat. Young kittens can die from dehydration if the diarrhea gets severe enough.

And if you are trying to feed that to a week old kitten to meet its nutritional needs, it will not happen. Kittnes are cats, not cows. Cows milk is not meant for kittens and does not supply the nutrition they need. Hence, the reason they make kitten formula.....called KMR..Kitten Milk Replacer.

Answer 2

You can give regular milk to kittens (& cats) as long as it isn't a lot and doesn't make up theri entire diet. Some cats/kittens do get diarreha from milk, but not all do. If they don't milk is a great treat for them. Other ideas are cottage cheese, plain yogurt, small bits of cheese

Answer 3

Some cats are lactose tolerant, some are not. If they can't digest it properly they can get diarrhea and general intestinal upset.

Cow's milk should never be given to kittens because you don't know if they can handle it or not and you risk their having diarrhea which can be fatal fast in a kitten. So kittens should only be fed goat's milk or KMR from the pet store to protect them from this possibility.

I have an adult cat who likes to lick the milk from the bottom of my cereal bowl or have ice cream from my bowl. It does not make him sick.

Answer 4

Can You Give Kittens Milk

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
why can't you give regular milk to kittens?

Answer 6

Regular milk causes cats and kittens to get diarrhea then they get dehydrated. Pet stores and DrugMart sell CatSip which is a milk especially made for cats. Look for the small blue carton with a picture of a cat on it. Mine love it!

Answer 7

Kittens or cats can't break it down. Gives them diarrhea. Ask a vet or pet shop for an alternative if the kittens aren't weaned yet.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Patience, Friend. It is in my answer to your earlier question. Regular milk is too rich for kittens to digest. It works for adults because they drink much less milk than other food if it is available.

It is like ice cream for us. Little kids will eat nothing but & too much if you let them, & will get sick. Adults normally have the sense to eat it in moderation or as part of the diet; when I pig out on it, I get really sick.

Hope I have answered your question.

Answer 9

Really, you can't? I've given them regular milk forever. I grew up on a dairy farm and we always gave our cats and kittens fresh cows milk. They loved it, and thrived on it. Anytime we ever had something happen to the mama, we hand raised the kittens on the cows milk. We still live on a farm, and I have given baby kittens milk to help raise them, never had any problems.

Answer 10

They cant drink normal milk because it has to be breast milk and they'll get diareah.