# Can I give my cats reduced lactose milk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300 "2017-05-10T16:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/1 "2017-05-10T16:45:49Z")
I know that cats can’t drink regular milk because they can’t tolerate the lactose. So could I give them lactose reduced milk? Also, I know that you can buy milk marketed just for cats, I’m wondering specifically about milk sold for human consumption. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/2 "2017-05-10T16:57:41Z")
Yes, according to [this](https://www.thedailymeal.com/foods-you-should-never-feed-your-cat), “Lactaid, lactose-free milk, however is ok for a treat your kitty will love”. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/3 "2017-05-10T17:01:16Z")
Thanks! Here’s a video of my cat demanding the good stuff: > **[Briana Kew](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOAyH8dzaeXnfZkb4o6YOoA)** > > Share your videos with friends, family, and the world ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/4 "2017-05-10T17:26:46Z")
Some cats can tolerate lactose better than others. One of our cats loves milk (and ice cream) and can tolerate it just fine. Our other three cats won’t touch milk. More cats are lactose intolerant than not, but if one of your cats keeps begging for milk, it’s possible that this cat is one of the minority that has a higher tolerance for lactose. Of course it’s also possible that they just like the taste of it and haven’t realized that it upsets their stomach or gives them diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/5 "2017-05-10T17:41:21Z")
Better to give kitty a nice clean bowl of cold water, and a nice chunk of raw salmon as a treat. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/6 "2017-05-10T18:39:56Z")
Only a few of my cats will take milk … and I limit the dose to at most a teaspoon every couple weeks … call me selfish but it’s just too damn adorable when there’s milk drops on their whiskers … brings me to tears I say … ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/7 "2017-05-10T19:47:06Z")
My cat actually doesn’t care that much for fish - at least when we feed them the gooshy food, the chicken and beef are approached with much more enthusiasm than the fish. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/8 "2017-05-11T01:41:36Z")
I have to give one of my cats 3 pills a day, and the only way to get them into him is to crush them and mix with condensed milk. His stools are slightly loose, but otherwise no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/9 "2017-05-11T02:35:52Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > My cat actually doesn’t care that much for fish - at least when we feed them the gooshy food, the chicken and beef are approached with much more enthusiasm than the fish. No i meant whole raw fish, not pureed catfood pretend fish, i wouldnt like that either. Whole Cows milk is actually not good for adult cats, Yes i know they do love it, at least some do. But it does not sit well with their systems, they lose their tolerance for lactose some time after weening, also the cat does not need the fat content thats in whole milk. Lactaid milk is OK, but watch the fat still, amazing how much fat is in a nice glass of milk. It’s the same thing as that over priced special kitty milk they sell for 10 dollars a gallon. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/10 "2017-05-11T03:11:42Z")
The only kitty milk I’ve ever heard of comes as a powder and is what they use to bottle-feed orphaned kittens several times a day. It contains added vitamins and minerals and is definitely not the same as normal milk. There are different formulations for different mammals, so if you tried feeding human milk to a kitten, that kitten would die; so would a tiger fed with cow’s milk. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/11 "2017-05-11T05:48:23Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > I know that cats can’t drink regular milk because they can’t tolerate the lactose. Dozens of generations of farmers, and hundreds of generations of barn cats disagree with you. I know that it’s fashionable these days to claim that cats can’t drink milk; such a claim is a classic case of allowing theory to contradict verifiable fact. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/12 "2017-05-11T14:57:22Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Dozens of generations of farmers, and hundreds of generations of barn cats disagree with you. I know that it’s fashionable these days to claim that cats can’t drink milk; such a claim is a classic case of allowing theory to contradict verifiable fact. Farmers aren’t exactly going to notice if their barn cats have diarrhea, and the cats aren’t about to say anything if it means not getting milk anymore. I’ll take the evidence of numerous people who have house cats that they had to clean up after when their cats got the hershey squirts over the romanticized vision of a nearly extinct lifestyle. TYVM ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/13 "2017-05-11T15:24:35Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > The only kitty milk I’ve ever heard of comes as a powder and is what they use to bottle-feed orphaned kittens several times a day. It contains added vitamins and minerals and is definitely not the same as normal milk. There are different formulations for different mammals, so if you tried feeding human milk to a kitten, that kitten would die; so would a tiger fed with cow’s milk. You can buy shelf-stable milk for cats at the pet stores. The brand I see most is “Cat-Sip” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/14 "2017-05-11T15:27:57Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > Lactaid milk is OK, but watch the fat still, amazing how much fat is in a nice glass of milk. Lactose-free milks, in all brands, come in the same whole, 2%, 1%, and skim varieties as any other milk. Fat doesn’t need to be an isue. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/15 "2017-05-11T16:46:19Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Farmers aren’t exactly going to notice if their barn cats have diarrhea, and the cats aren’t about to say anything if it means not getting milk anymore. > > I’ll take the evidence of numerous people who have house cats that they had to clean up after when their cats got the hershey squirts over the romanticized vision of a nearly extinct lifestyle. TYVM We had one indoor only cat who loved milk and didnt get diarrhea. But yes, most cats cant digest it well. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/16 "2017-05-11T17:09:32Z")
Owner of two Bengal cats chiming in here. One loves sugar free ice cream and almond milk, will not leave me alone when I eat either of them. It gets the diarrhea and doesn’t seem to care. The other shuns all milk products but will tear apart a loaf of white bread. Go figure. The only human food that they agree on is canned tuna. No other fish I’ve put in front of them perks there interest, but open a can of tuna and they are right there waiting there share. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/17 "2017-05-11T17:51:51Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Owner of two Bengal cats chiming in here. One loves sugar free ice cream and almond milk, will not leave me alone when I eat either of them. It gets the diarrhea and doesn’t seem to care. The other shuns all milk products but will tear apart a loaf of white bread. Go figure. > > The only human food that they agree on is canned tuna. No other fish I’ve put in front of them perks there interest, but open a can of tuna and they are right there waiting there share. Yep. my Bengal was the same but he could drink regular milk. Well, in his last days he did have bowel issues but he was almost 20. My other Bengal hated all people food except rotisserie chicken. Bengals are a little weird, tho. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/18 "2017-05-11T18:16:05Z")
I give my cat condensed milk with his medication, _because of_ the high fat content. He had lost a great deal of weight when he first got sick, and his oncologist advised me to feed him as many calories as possible. So far, it seems to be working. I’d give him ice cream, if I wouldn’t wind up eating most if it myself. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/19 "2017-05-11T21:11:58Z")
Goat’s milk is the best Mother’s milk substitute for most mammals if a scientific formula isn’t available. Most mammals can be raised on it long enough to start mashed solids. ISTR reading that it didn’t work for polar bears - the babies had brittle bones due to missing vitamin k or d ?? Anyway, back to cats, goats milk is a good alternative, as is the skim version of the Fairlife filtered milks. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300/20 "2017-05-11T21:27:11Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Dozens of generations of farmers, and hundreds of generations of barn cats disagree with you. I know that it’s fashionable these days to claim that cats can’t drink milk; such a claim is a classic case of allowing theory to contradict verifiable fact. Can drink and Should drink are not the same thing. After a kitten is weened it begins to lose its ability to digest lactose, because after weening, it wont encounter it again in it’s natural diet. The extent of this digestive loss varies, some cats it is a total loss, some cats it is a varying degree of partial. THIS is not theory, this IS verifiable fact Many cats will drink it digestible or not simply because they like it, but remember they will also drink antifreeze, and we know how that ends. As noted giving grown kitty a treat of some lactose deficient milk in low fat is fine. As a side note, always make sure kitty has lots of clean fresh water. They are picky little sods and some of them hate dirty or old water, and they all tend to suck in their instinct for self hydration unlike dogs who will drink mud to fuel the perpetual pee factory. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-cats-reduced-lactose-milk/786300.md?page=2)