Can kittens have milk

Features of kittens' nutrition

To answer the question whether it is possible to give milk to a kitten, you need to understand how its digestion works. From a scientific point of view, cats belong to the following categories:

• Class: Mammals;
• Squad: Predatory;
• Family: Feline.

Nature has provided that the best nutrition option for a newborn kitten is its mother's milk. A mother cat, like a true mammal, feeds her babies with milk for up to 3 months. During this time, a special enzyme is produced in the small intestine of kittens – lactase, which allows you to digest lactose (milk sugar).

When the kitten turns 1 month old, mom begins to gradually accustom him to solid food. They try meat, but breastfeeding does not stop. We must not forget: cats are predators. The kitten's body is growing and preparing for adulthood. Instead of lactase, proteases begin to be produced – enzymes responsible for the breakdown of proteins.

By the age of 3 months, the cat finishes breastfeeding the kitten, and it can be given meat food. Lactase is no longer produced because there is no need for milk.

Note: In very rare cases, the gastrointestinal tract of adult animals may retain the ability to produce a small amount of lactase and digest milk.

How to determine that a cat is lactose intolerant

The main symptoms of lactase deficiency in cats are painful bloating, diarrhea and vomiting. Most often, unpleasant symptoms appear 8-12 hours after the animal has consumed milk.

The following mechanism works in the cat's body: it drinks milk, but lactose is not broken down by lactase and passes through the small intestine undigested. Next, milk sugar attracts water and ends up in the large intestine, where bacteria try to process it. At this time, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and other substances that cause fermentation are released.

Is it possible to give cow's milk to a kitten

When thinking about whether to treat a kitten with milk, you should clearly understand that cow's milk is significantly different in composition from cat's milk. It is in the cat's milk that the optimal amount of nutrients for the full development of the baby is contained.

So, cat's milk is 8% protein, and cow's milk is 3.5%. The fat content of the first is also higher on average – 4.5% vs. 3.3%. And this is not to mention vitamins and minerals.

The problem of milk from the store is its quality.

• When raising cows, antibiotics are used, which then get into the milk and can lead to dysbiosis.
• If milk was obtained from a pregnant cow, it will have an increased estrogen content, which can cause hormonal imbalance in the kitten's body.
• The plants that the animal ate could be treated with pesticides. Toxic substance standards are calculated for humans, but not for tiny kittens.
• Store-bought milk is pasteurized, which reduces its nutritional value.
• In addition, cow's milk protein is a strong allergen.

Giving cow's milk to a kitten can be just dangerous!

Goat and sheep milk

It must be recognized that goat and sheep milk is less allergenic than cow's milk. If an adult cat has an intolerance to cow's milk, and you really want to treat her with milk, then this will be a good substitute.

As for kittens, the milk of ruminants does not cover their nutritional needs. Proteins and fats will not be enough, and, as a result, a kitten fed with goat's or sheep's milk will slowly grow and develop.

The lactose content in the milk of goats and sheep is higher than that of cats. Although kittens produce lactase, it is designed for cat's milk.

Is it possible to give milk to a fold-eared kitten

The real "urban legend" associated with milk touched british and scottish fold kittens . It sounds like this: if you feed lop-eared kittens with cow's milk, their ears can "stand up". The main argument in favor of this theory is that kittens will receive a lot of calcium with milk, which will strengthen cartilage and straighten their ears.

Unscrupulous breeders use this myth. In fact, the ears of Scottish and British kittens can rise as they grow. This is due to the breed's marriage, or it can be considered a feature of a particular animal. Lop-ear should receive calcium and other minerals.

The answer to the question whether it is possible to give milk to a fold–eared kitten will be the same as for other breeds - cat's milk is ideal, and cow's, goat's and sheep's milk is not recommended.

How to feed a kitten

There are life situations when a kitten loses its mother too early, or she can't feed it. In this case, the best solution would be to feed him with a special mixture – a substitute for cat's milk. Manufacturers of cat food offer mixtures whose composition is as close as possible to the milk of cats. The food should be diluted with water, according to the instructions, and feed the baby with a special nipple (at an angle of 45 degrees). In extreme cases, you can use a syringe without a needle or a pipette.

The first 21 days of life, feed the kitten every 2-3 hours, just don't force him to eat more than he wants. Kotofeev aged about a month is fed 4 times a day. Two meals are a mixture, the other two are wet food.

If for some reason it did not work out to buy a cat's milk substitute, you can feed the kitten with baby food. Choose mixtures for the youngest children and dilute them with water more than is provided for by the rules written on the label.

In a critical situation, dilute goat's milk with water – it is preferable to cow's milk.

If the kitten is older than 3 months, he no longer needs to be fed, and he does not need to be given milk.

Milk in the diet of adult cats

If your cat tolerates milk well and will not refuse it for anything, even after listening to a lecture on lactose, calculate her daily rate of consumption of this delicacy: 10-15 ml per 1 kg of weight. If the cat does not digest cow's milk well, but the desire to pamper her with a delicious treat is irresistible, buy low-lactose milk from cat food manufacturers.

Important: dry cat food is combined only with water. Do not try to diversify the "dry" diet with milk – this can lead to the formation of deposits in the bladder and kidneys, increased load on the liver and other organs.

If your pet eats "straight", she can be treated with fermented milk products. Give preference to low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, fermented baked milk and kefir. The cheese should be low-fat and unsalted. Pay attention to the well–being of the pet - let the treats bring only benefits!