Expert: Lisa - 9/18/2005

Question
My adult cat and kitten LOVE milk. They beg and mooch when I am eating cereal or drinking milk (they really do know that I have milk!!) I notice though that they get diarhea very often and the milk is the only thing other than water (which they rarely drink) and cat food that I give them. Do you have any idea if milk would cause this? Do I have any other options for them such as another type (I drink skim)? Thanks!

Answer
yes it is the milk that gives them the diarhea. walmart sells milk for cats in a square box. it sorta looks like the juice boxes that kids drink all the time. i think its called catsip or catmilk, anyway its supposed to have no lactose in it, which is what gives them the diarhea. however, you can just do what i do. give them a bowl of milk (yup your skim milk is fine) once a week.

you see, the problem with milk is this, when they are babies they NEED it, then they are weened from it and eat hard food. well for a very long time..years!! they cant tolerate the lactose in it, then when they are old (over 12) they suddenly can tolerate it again. i have a 15 yr old who LOVES milk and she drinks it daily with NO problems at all.