🐈 Cat and a saucer of milk
A cultural image; lactose is bad for adult cats.
Cat and a saucer of milk is a familiar image from books, pictures and cartoons: a cat lapping milk from a saucer. A cat lapping milk from a saucer is one of the best-known images in books, cartoons and on postcards. Many people still think milk is good for cats. In fact, it is not.
Kittens drink their mother's milk. Their bodies have lactase, a substance that breaks down milk sugar (lactose). When a kitten moves on to solid food, it has less lactase. That is why most adult cats digest milk poorly. After 8–12 hours they may get diarrhoea, a bloated belly and sluggishness. Cats like milk because of the fat, but it does them no good.
Where did the image come from? Most likely from farm life, where there was plenty of milk. And from the fact that kittens suckle their mother. Adult cats are better off with water. There is a similar myth about hedgehogs: people put out a saucer of milk for them too. But hedgehogs cannot digest lactose, and milk is bad for them.
How it connects to milk
🐈 Cat and a saucer of milk → image → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Related to
- 🐈 Cat, 🥛 Milk, ❤️ Lactose intolerance
- Images and sayings
- 🦔 Hedgehog
- Part of
- 📜 Milk in culture and language
Frequently asked questions
Can I give my cat milk?
Better not. Most adult cats digest lactose poorly, and milk gives them tummy trouble. They need water.
Why do cats like milk?
They like the taste of the fat. But milk does an adult cat no good.
Can you give milk to a hedgehog?
No. Hedgehogs cannot digest lactose; it is better to put out a saucer of water.
What to read next
- 🐈 Cat — Feeds her kittens milk. Adult cats often tolerate cow's milk poorly.
- ❤️ Lactose intolerance — Without the enzyme lactase, milk causes discomfort. Estimated to affect most adults worldwide (from <30% in northern Europe to >70% in parts of Asia and Africa).
Similar
🌌 Milky Way · 📜 «a land of milk and honey» · 🌽 Milk stage · 🦷 Milk teeth · 📜 «peaches and cream» · 📜 «once bitten, twice shy»