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#1
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Cats and Milk Digestion.
Hi.
Some of you may recall me asking a couple of months ago how to fatten up a scrawny kitten. Well, I've done it. Cream and bits of cheese. He loved the cream so much and wanted to continue on with it (while I don't want to make him OBESE) that I started buying cat-milk. I didn't give him milk because I had read in many places that cats lack an enzyme that assists in the digestion of milk and that if you therefore give them milk you'll end up with "non-solid" poo (to put it nicely!). Anyway, cat-milk, from pet-shop or supermarket, is expensive (on top of the litter and the food) and I got fed up and gave both cats full-milk . . . and watched the litter-tray. No, they were as solid as ever. But full-milk three times a day would no doubt put unhealthy fat on them, so I started to share my own semi-skimmed with them. No objection from the cats - they love it as much - particularly if I zap it for 15 secs in the microwave to make it lukewarm. And, again, no problems in the litter tray! This has been going on now for a month. So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? Whenever I go to the fridge now to get the milk for my umpteen cups of coffee or tea during the day, the cats are there begging for a bit. They only get it though at meal-times. Nell. |
#2
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Nell wrote:
Hi. Some of you may recall me asking a couple of months ago how to fatten up a scrawny kitten. Well, I've done it. Cream and bits of cheese. He loved the cream so much and wanted to continue on with it (while I don't want to make him OBESE) that I started buying cat-milk. I didn't give him milk because I had read in many places that cats lack an enzyme that assists in the digestion of milk and that if you therefore give them milk you'll end up with "non-solid" poo (to put it nicely!). Anyway, cat-milk, from pet-shop or supermarket, is expensive (on top of the litter and the food) and I got fed up and gave both cats full-milk . . and watched the litter-tray. No, they were as solid as ever. But full-milk three times a day would no doubt put unhealthy fat on them, so I started to share my own semi-skimmed with them. No objection from the cats - they love it as much - particularly if I zap it for 15 secs in the microwave to make it lukewarm. And, again, no problems in the litter tray! This has been going on now for a month. So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? Whenever I go to the fridge now to get the milk for my umpteen cups of coffee or tea during the day, the cats are there begging for a bit. They only get it though at meal-times. Nell. "Fatten up" isn't necessarily a good idea. Feeding a good nutritious balanced food appropriate for the life stage might have been a better approach. |
#3
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So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? I suspect some cats are different. Some (I believe Siamese are notorious for this) don't have the enzyme to digest lactase and thus if they drink anything other than cat milk they get horrendous diarhhoea. My cats have almost all drunk milk as kittens with no side effects but I always offer water with milk and most end up preferring water. Sarrasine never liked milk through even as a kitten and Speedy Joe never grew out of his fondness for it so I guess it's just cats being different. I don't think age comes into it Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs |
#4
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So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? I suspect some cats are different. Some (I believe Siamese are notorious for this) don't have the enzyme to digest lactase and thus if they drink anything other than cat milk they get horrendous diarhhoea. My cats have almost all drunk milk as kittens with no side effects but I always offer water with milk and most end up preferring water. Sarrasine never liked milk through even as a kitten and Speedy Joe never grew out of his fondness for it so I guess it's just cats being different. I don't think age comes into it Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs |
#5
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On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 11:46:36 UTC, Nell
wrote: And, again, no problems in the litter tray! This has been going on now for a month. So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? Be VERY careful with a male cat. At around three, Ruf developed a urinary blockage that the vet said was caused by his drinking one tablespoon of milk each morning. The vet was able to clear the blockage, but Ruf has never had milk or the urinary problem again. (Ruf is about to reach his twelfth birthday.) Jerry -- My cat and I are very much alike: we're both gray, we're both fat, and we both dig in his litter box. |
#7
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I think the connection between milk and urinary tract blockage is the
calcium. When calcium oxalate stones or crystals form in the cat's urine, they can block the urinary tract and cause a very serious medical emergency. In addition to a variety of other factors (acidic urine, concentrated urine, etc), excess dietary calcium can contribute to the development of these stones or crystals. For this reason, among many others, it may not be a good idea to give cats milk. I've heard some vets say it is ok but my vet warns against it. -- Message posted via http://www.catkb.com |
#8
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"Nell" wrote in message ... Hi. Some of you may recall me asking a couple of months ago how to fatten up a scrawny kitten. Well, I've done it. Cream and bits of cheese. He loved the cream so much and wanted to continue on with it (while I don't want to make him OBESE) that I started buying cat-milk. I didn't give him milk because I had read in many places that cats lack an enzyme that assists in the digestion of milk and that if you therefore give them milk you'll end up with "non-solid" poo (to put it nicely!). Anyway, cat-milk, from pet-shop or supermarket, is expensive (on top of the litter and the food) and I got fed up and gave both cats full-milk . . and watched the litter-tray. No, they were as solid as ever. But full-milk three times a day would no doubt put unhealthy fat on them, so I started to share my own semi-skimmed with them. No objection from the cats - they love it as much - particularly if I zap it for 15 secs in the microwave to make it lukewarm. And, again, no problems in the litter tray! This has been going on now for a month. So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? Whenever I go to the fridge now to get the milk for my umpteen cups of coffee or tea during the day, the cats are there begging for a bit. They only get it though at meal-times. Nell. It's given every cat I have ever given it the stinky farty runs. I think you just got lucky. Congrats on fattening up your baby cat! |
#9
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"Joe Canuck" wrote in message ... Nell wrote: "Fatten up" isn't necessarily a good idea. Feeding a good nutritious balanced food appropriate for the life stage might have been a better approach. That is true for the long haul, but having had a skinny sickly animal I do understand why Nell would want to "fatten" hers up. |
#10
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"Nell" wrote in message ... So, what's going on? Are some cats different? Mine are seven months old. Has age got anything to do with it? Cats are like humans - some are lactose tolerant, some aren't. Sounds like yours are. |
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