🥣 Saucer
The image of "a saucer of milk for the cat".
A saucer is a small plate that goes under a cup. It appeared in China in the 17th century. Europeans adopted it when tea reached them. In the 18th century, drinking tea from the saucer was quite normal. People poured hot tea into the saucer so it would cool faster. Saucers were deeper back then than they are now.
In popular culture, the saucer is closely tied to the image of “milk for the cat”. A cat lapping milk from a saucer often appears in books, postcards and cartoons. The image comes from village life, where there was plenty of milk.
But vets warn that most adult cats digest milk sugar (lactose) poorly. Milk can give them a stomach ache. Kittens need their mother's milk or a special formula, and for an adult cat it is better to put water in the saucer.
How it connects to milk
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Frequently asked questions
Why did people drink tea from a saucer?
They poured hot tea into the saucer so it would cool faster. This was common in the 18th century, when saucers were deeper.
Can I give my cat a saucer of milk?
Better not. Most adult cats digest lactose poorly, and water is better for them.