Although there is special cat milk at an exorbitant cost, nowadays I prefer to give Gabriel, my cat, the same lactose free milk that I use myself. I use lactose free milk because I believe lactose may exacerbate a sinus problem that I have especially in winter after cold et cetera. It certainly seems to help.
I may be lactose intolerant just like a cat or I may be allergic to dairy produce although I don’t believe that. I have tried giving Gabriel my lactose free milk and he loves it and drinks it well. He was not a good water drinker but is a good lactose free milk drinker. Provided there are no hidden downsides and I don’t know of any this should be beneficial because it will help keep the urine diluted and flush out the urinary tract thereby preventing urinary tract bacterial infections. His stools are perfect, so there is no diarrhea, which can occur after a cat drinks regular milk.
Has anyone got any observations on this or hidden downsides?
Useful suggestion for people to buy human grade lactose free milk instead of the more expensive version aimed at cat owners. That could help people save some pennies – especially if they have several cats.
Michael, dairy products increase mucus production and are best avoided when suffering from colds or ‘flu. Whenever I have a cold I switch to drinking Lift lemon tea instead of regular tea. It seems to help minimise problems with catarrh.
I haven’t been a milk drinker for many years, not because I’m lactose intolerant, just lost the desire for it.
When Mitzy started having constipation problems, which followed after she stopped drinking water, I did some research. I read that goat’s milk and yogurt might help with this. I tried it, and she liked both. I put a tablespoon of yogurt in the saucer with the milk. The goat’s milk and yogurt have pro-biotics which are good for the gut. I was glad the she liked them, and most of the time cleaned the bowl. One time I gave her a little too much yogurt, and she cried from a tummy ache, so I’m very careful to use only a tablespoon. There may be a little lactose in the goat’s milk, so I’m not sure if all cats could tolerate it. Mitzy also likes a bit of cheddar cheese now and then.
I’m not sure if the goat’s milk helped with the constipation because I was also giving her Lactulose stool softener. Now she’s mostly off that, and her stools are regular.
I’m also using a de-shedding tool, so she doesn’t have so much fur in her stools as before.
Lately I’ve been giving her some dry food, which is Blue Weight Control with 8% fiber. She’s started drinking water again, and I’ve cut way back on the Lactulose, only giving it if I see small hard stools. I didn’t want to give her dry food after weaning her from it, but it seems that the fiber really helps. So, I guess it’s all helping to correct a serious issue.
I’ve given raw ground turkey/chicken with Raw Pre-mix, and sometimes she’ll eat it, but mostly she doesn’t. I’ve also given chicken necks, but I’ve read that bones aren’t good for kitties prone to constipation. She will eat cooked chicken/turkey when I make it for myself.