Can Cats Drink Milk?
Quick Reference: Not recommended — most adult cats are lactose intolerant
✅ Safe to eat
- • Cat-specific milk (lactose-free formula)
⚠️ Use caution
- • Goat's milk (only marginally lower in lactose than cow's milk)
- • Any dairy beyond a small taste, even without obvious symptoms
✗ Not safe
- • Regular whole cow's milk
- • Flavored sweetened milk drinks
- • Butter and ice cream
Table of Contents
Why Can't Most Cats Handle Cow's Milk?
A cat lapping at a saucer of milk is one of the most familiar images in pet care — and one of the least accurate. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant; as the ASPCA puts it, pets do not carry significant amounts of lactase, so milk and other dairy products can cause diarrhea or other digestive upset.
Kittens can digest their mother's milk just fine, but as they grow, their bodies produce less and less lactase — the enzyme needed to break down lactose. When an adult cat drinks regular cow's milk, the undigested lactose ferments in the gut and causes:
- Diarrhea
- Bloating and gas
- Abdominal discomfort
Safer Alternatives
If you'd like to give your cat a milk-like treat:
- Cat milk: Available at most pet stores, these products have had the lactose removed
- A little goat's milk: only marginally lower in lactose than cow's milk, so treat it the same way — a small taste at most, and none at all if dairy upsets your cat
- Fresh water is best: clean water is all your cat really needs for hydration
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Sources used when researching this article.
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