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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

703.0. "Milk and Cats??" by TIMBER::AIKEY () Tue Feb 15 1994 12:38

    Mod, if this does not belong here please move..
    
    Cats and milk..  Is there a reason that they should/shouldn't have
    it???
    
    Shilo loves milk.  That is when he can get it.  If anyone in the house
    (guest included) is drinking milk he will stop what ever it is he is
    doing and hunt down the person so that he can sit beside them, on them
    where every he can so that he can be close to that glass.
    
    I heard that it wasn't good for cats to have milk.  We did try that
    substitute milk that you can buy in the grocery store, but he started
    getting dia (you know the rest) so we stopped that.  My daughter use to
    be a vet assistant and said that milk causes stomach aches for cats. 
    If that is the case we do not want to have that problem.
    
    I thought that I would check here before calling the vet..
    
    *joyce
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
703.1They love it/it doesn't love themSALES::SMITHTue Feb 15 1994 13:284
    My vet told me it causes diarrhea, and it is really not good for them
    even though they love it.  I guess cramps would accompany that.
    
    Carolyn
703.2JULIET::RUSSELLPE_STTue Feb 15 1994 14:353
    Alpo has a good dairy suppliment made for cats that my cats like.
    
    Steffi
703.3SUBURB::ODONNELLJJulie O'DonnellWed Feb 16 1994 01:208
    My two cats both love milk and cream, but Jimmy's stomach is easily
    upset and so I don't give it to them any more. They fortunately love
    the Whiskas milk which has the lactose removed (I think) and Jimmy can
    drink this with no problems as long as it's in moderation. I give it to
    them once a week as a Sunday treat.
    I do know of a cat who will drink nothing BUT the Whiskas cat milk.
    He's costing his owner a small fortune!
                          
703.4MAGEE::MERRITTKitty CityWed Feb 16 1994 05:308
    I think it depends on the cat...and what he is use to.  My Mr. Meow
    is 17 years old and has drank milk his entire life so obviously his
    belly has become use to it.   BUT...I also have other cats who get
    instant diarhea from drinking a little bit.
    
    I would try the Alpo or Whiska milk substitute first....
           
    Sandy (who buys about 6 cans of Alpo a week)
703.5EARRTH::DREYERMake new friends, but keep the old!Wed Feb 16 1994 05:575
What I have read is that if the cat continues to have milk from kittenhood,
it's O.K.  Once they stop drinking milk and then go back to it, they lose the
enzyme needed to digest it and then may be lactose intolerant.

Laura
703.6SUBURB::ODONNELLJJulie O'DonnellWed Feb 16 1994 06:406
    I'm not sure about that - Jimmy got upset right from kitten-hood. The
    greediest cat I've ever had and he's got a weak stomach :-).
      
    I remember the lady next door once fed one of our cats on condensed
    milk as a treat, which resulted in the worst case of kitty diarrhoea
    I've ever had to deal with. 
703.7Individual (cats) choice?AIMHI::SPINGLERWed Feb 16 1994 10:0414
    
    I must be lucky, or at least my cats are.  The Princess Panther Jane
    LOVES milk.  She gets a little 2% (diluted 1/2 and 1/2 with warm water
    and served warm, * Do I spoil my babies??? *) once a week as a treat. 
    Spot doesn't like milk.  If you can't chew it she isn't interested!  I
    have not tried Cinnamon on milk.  He has been around when the Princess
    is partaking of her's and has shown no interest.  No digestive upsets
    either.  I guess it could go on a cat by cat basis.  (Why should they
    make things easy for us poor humans?
    
    Feline like maybe some chocolate milk ;-)
    
    Sue & Panther & Spots & Cinnamon
    
703.8If it doesn't cause them problems it's O.K...POWDML::MCDONOUGHWed Feb 16 1994 10:0816
       .5 is pretty much correct on this. NO mammal is a natural milk
    drinker after the infant years. Therefore, the natural digestive
    enzyes that work on milk are largely missing in most adult mammals, and
    this can often cause stomache problems, vomitting and/or very loose
    stools. 
    
      However, if the cat or dog does not exhibit any adverse symptoms and
    the like the stuff, it's not a big problem. My dogs LOVE all types of
    dairy products, and two of my cats, Peppurr and Smokey, will attack
    youto drink out of a cereal bowl. Peppurr was on the dishwasher top
    this morning assisting Julie with her cereal bowl, and Julie sez to me:
    "Watch this"...and she picked the bowl up....whereupon Peppurr stood up
    on her back legs, hooked the edge of the bowl and very determinedly
    pulled it down again so she could continue...
    
      JM 
703.9POWDML::MANDILENo room for a rainbow in my pocketThu Feb 17 1994 06:367
    
    I have a few that are cereal bowl pests, along with a few
    that will mooch cheese or cottage cheese.  I never let them
    have more than a small amount, and none seem to have any
    adverse effects......
    
    Lynne
703.10One-Yay! One-Nay!AKOCOA::LEINONENThu Feb 17 1994 06:409
    
    
    	I have one (Whitney) who won't touch the stuff on a dare,
    	even the Alpo and/or Whiskas milk. Jebb on the other hand
    	can't get enough. Yup, he gets the poops ... and heads right
    	back to the bowl for more to drink. By the next day he's
    	fine so it doesn't seem to phase him much.
    
    	Heidi
703.11Thanks for the advice!TIMBER::AIKEYThu Feb 17 1994 10:1412
    
    
    Thanks for all of the advice.  I have tried the Alpo and it does seem
    to bother him..  Looks like Shilo will just have to do with out..  
    
    He can smell a ceral bowl ten miles away.  I feel bad for him cuz he
    seems to like the stuff so much..
    
    Thanks again!!
    
    *joyce
    
703.12POWDML::MANDILEmy hair smells like hayFri Feb 18 1994 06:385
    
    There is a soy milk replacement.  Maybe you could try some
    of that?