Do Kittens Eat Milk

After weaning milk is not necessary in a cat s diet.

Do kittens eat milk. Another side of mercy is she will ensure she can produce enough milk for her litter. Their ability to digest lactose the sugar in milk reduces. Water makes up 70 of a cat s body and is vital for survival. Kittens don t need milk after weaning so don t use milk as a water substitute.

When young cats are old enough around 8 weeks old they start to eat food on their own whilst simultaneously decreasing the amount of milk they suckle from their mother. Even specially formulated kitten milk should be treated as a food or treat not a drink if you do give them specially formulated milk make sure it s designed for kittens delicate stomachs. Kittens are essentially baby carnivores with specialised needs. Cow s milk can upset a kitten s stomach and should be used as a last resort.

Kittens will drink their mother s milk for the first few weeks of life or a specially designed kitten formula milk if necessary. The kittens mother provides the best milk for their needs at that age. Young kittens need milk either from their mother or if orphaned rejected a milk supplement if a foster mother can t be found. Weaning is the process of transitioning kittens from mother s milk to solid food.

Your cat has a built in instinct much like the hamsters on the video. During weaning kittens gradually progress from dependence on a mother s care to social independence. Kittens naturally wean off their mother s milk at around 8 12 weeks of age. You can also feed them kitten milk replacement formula.

In fact kittens and older cats can be intolerant to the sugars in milk and this can cause diarrhoea. Mother cats will eat their kittens if she believes they re in danger from predators. Basic kitten feeding guide. Cats are very fond of cream which they value for its high fat content and so they are especially attracted to milk that has come straight from the cow especially after the cream has been allowed to rise to the top.

However you may feed orphan kittens goat s milk available at many large grocery stores or supermarkets. Diarrhoea can be fatal to kittens because it dehydrates their bodies very quickly.