Can you give your cat milk?

You often see cats drinking milk in books and movies. A child rescues a hungry cat and gives it a saucer of milk, and the cat laps it up with pleasure. But is this the right thing to do? According to the experts, the answer is no. Here are a few reasons why.

Essential enzyme
Kittens can digest their mother’s milk because they’re born with a specific enzyme that allows them to break down lactose, a form of sugar, efficiently. However, as they get older, most cats lose this enzyme and can no longer properly digest milk.

Various health problems
If an adult cat eats high-quality food and gets plenty of freshwater, it doesn’t need to drink milk. Drinking this fat-rich substance can trigger a variety of ailments, including obesity and diarrhea. Milk is especially harmful if your furry friend is allergic to milk proteins or can’t properly digest lactose.

In short, if you feed cow’s milk to your adult cat, it may enjoy it at first but will suffer digestive issues and other health problems later. Consult your vet to determine what’s safe to feed your cat.