Catnip and Milk....?

Question

My 3 yr old cat wants nothing to do with catnip at all is this normal? I thought all cats liked catnip. He doesn't like milk either I have tried to leave a little bit of milk out every so often but he just won't try it.
Also.... I never see him drinking from his water bowl. Maybe he sips it when I am not home or something but I have never personally seen him drink.... does anyone else have this problem too?

Answer 1

Hi there....Cats that react to catnip possess a gene that programs them to react to catnip. The gene does not develop until after six months of age or so, and not ALL cats possess the gene. About 15 percent of the cat population does not possess the gene, so this may explain why your cat does not react.

More on catnip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catnip

Milk actually is not nutritionally beneficial to cats and for many cats, it causes digestive upset and sometimes diarrhea. This is because most cats can't digest milk properly because it contains lactose (milk sugar), which may cause loose bowels.

More on milk for cats:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1183

Some cat owners have cited that their cats prefer to drink from running faucets, toilets rather than their water dishes. One workaround the pet industry has discovered is a pet water fountain which produces fresh running water which many cats enjoy. Here's a list of water fountains for cats: http://www.nextag.com/cat-fountain/search-html

Answer 2

Some cats are not affected at all by catnip. My male is the same way. He might eat it, but he's a green eater anyway (loves his grass snacks). Most of the time, he's not even interested in ingesting it, though....and it doesn't affect him.

Cats shouldn't have milk. They are lactose intolerant (meaning they lack the enzyme necessary to properly digest the sugars in milk). Some cats do ok with milk, but it still has no positive attributes and can make a cat overweight. Other cats have diarrhea....others, like mine, throw up within minutes of getting into any kind of milk. Be thankful....I WISH my cat hated it. We have to be very careful about leaving any milk out because, even though it makes him sick, he goes after it with a vehemence.

My male also doesn't drink much from his bowl. I instead find him drinking from the toilets, bathtubs, and sinks. Some cats just prefer water from other sources. I'm sure he's getting it from somewhere, so don't worry. Just make sure his diet is at least 50% wet food since males are more prone to bladder crystals which can cause fatal blockages. These are not as common in cats that are properly hydrated (sadly, most cats on all or mostly dry food diets are dehydrated).

http://www.catinfo.com

Answer 3

You really shouldn't be giving a 3 yr old milk anyway. Milk has a lot of fat in it ........causes diarrhea.........inturn that can cause weight loss. As for the Cat Nip..........no not all cats like it. I have a older cat that has not liked it for about the past 5 years. She is 7 now. However, all my other cats absolutly love the stuff !

As for the drinking, your cat must be getting some fluids of some sort some where or it would be in big trouble. Such as renal distress /shut down. I would say give it a couple more days & if you think your cat is still not drinking like he should......a trip to the good 'ole vet to get him check out & you peace of mind! Hope things work out for ya & your cat!

Answer 4

Yours is exactly the same as my first cat. Catnip does nothing to her, and she doesn't drink milk at all (milk with latcose can actually upset cats' digestive system, no good for them!!). She does drinks little bit of water from her water bowl but her favourite water source is the fresh water droplets she licks from the taps. Make sure you still refresh and leave his water bowl out. they do sip from it.

Answer 5

- not all cats "get" catnip, some cats don't have the gene to make them like catnip, maybe your's doesn't.

- as for the milk DON'T give your cat milk. Cats are lactose intollerant.

- as for the drinking water. get a drink well pet fountain. cats like fresh running water. I didn't see my cats drinking out of their dish very often then we got a drink well pet fountain and I always see them drinking. it's the best thing we ever got!!!

Answer 6

cats do not drink milk that people drink because they are lactose intolerant and it will make them sick get cat milk from the pet shop and watch it go they usually drink water the catnip are you sure it is catnip i have 4 cats and grow catnip for them they love rolling in it and smelling and chewing it so i don't think yours is catnip hope this helps

Answer 7

My cat will not drink milk and prefers running water from the faucet, instead of drinking out of her water bowl. She likes catnip though.

Answer 8

As has been said before, not all cats like catnip. My three adults aren't fussed with it. One of the kittens I am fostering thinks it is good, the other two haven't discovered it I think (only brought them home today).
Cats are lactose intolerant so shouldn't be fed milk.

Cats don't drink water like dogs and gulp it down like crazy. I very rarely see my cats drink their water, but they do. One of them likes to stand in her water when she drinks.

And as your cat has reached 3 years old, he must be drinking so please don't be concerned

Answer 9

50 % of all cats will have no reaction to catnip.

As for milk...most cats are lactose intolerant. Milk will give them diareeah or make them sick.

I'd just make sure fresh water was available at all times. Change the water at least once a day. I got one of the cat fountains and my cat loves it. Makes it easier on me too for having clean water. :)

Answer 10

cats are allergic to milk,their tummy's cant digest it properly.as for water cats can taste the slightest differences in water,try getting jugs of water at the grocery store you can get a 4Lt for about $2.my cats hate tap water too.
and for the catnip,my cats don't like the store bought packaged stuff,so one day i tried the catnip you can buy @ heath food stores and they love it,totally drives them nuts.