🐈 Cat
Also known as: domestic cat, queen, Felis catus
Feeds her kittens milk. Adult cats often tolerate cow's milk poorly.
Cat is a small carnivorous domestic animal kept by people as a pet. Like all mammals, the cat feeds her young on milk. She usually has four pairs of mammary glands; lactation lasts 3–4 months, but kittens are weaned at about 8–10 weeks. Cat milk is richer in protein and fat than cow’s milk: the few available analyses show about 6–9% protein and 5–13% fat.
The idea that a saucer of cow’s milk is good for a cat is a persistent myth. Kittens produce plenty of lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, but after they move to solid food they make little of it. That is why many adult cats tolerate cow’s milk poorly: bloating and diarrhea can follow within a few hours.
Veterinary and animal welfare organizations advise giving adult cats water, and orphaned kittens a special cat milk replacer rather than cow’s milk.
How it connects to milk
Links
- What it gives
- 🥛 Milk
- Feeds with milk
- 🐱 Kitten
- Belongs to
- 🔬 Mammal
- Served in
- 🥣 Saucer
- Images and sayings
- 🐈 Cat and a saucer of milk
- Associated with
- 🥛 Milk
- Part of
- 🐾 Other mammals
Frequently asked questions
Can cats drink milk?
It is not recommended for most adult cats: many of them digest lactose poorly. The best drink for a cat is water.
What do you feed an orphaned kitten?
A special cat milk replacer, as advised by a vet, not cow’s milk.
Why do cats like milk?
They are drawn to its fat and taste, but that does not mean milk is good for them.
Similar
🦔 Hedgehog · 🐕 Dog · 🦘 Kangaroo · 🐋 Whale · 🦭 Seal · 🐂 Musk ox
Sources
- Chastant. Lactation in domestic carnivores. Animal Frontiers, 2023
- Cats Protection — Are cats lactose intolerant?