Giving cats milk :
and yogurt: a good or bad idea ?
As cats age, most become sensitive to lactose, a sugar found in milk
and its derivatives, and they may struggle to digest it well.
Around 12 weeks of age :
cats typically stop producing the enzyme needed to
digest lactose, and their diet shifts entirely to meat.
For this reason :
many adult cats develop lactose intolerance, and consuming lactose-containing
products like milk or yogurt can often lead to digestive disturbances
such as vomiting, diarrhea, or gas. Therefore, if your cat regularly vomits or
experiences diarrhea, it could be due to consuming "harmful" milk or yogurt.
Compared to :
other dairy products like cheese :
cream, or butter, yogurt is considered less detrimental because it contains
beneficial bacteria that are thought to aid digestion.
Therefore :
plain yogurt may be easier for your cat to digest compared to other dairy products.
If your cat does not have lactose intolerance
they can occasionally have very small amounts of yogurt (a teaspoon, for example)
but only on rare occasions. Conversely, if any signs of digestive issues appear
discontinue feeding them yogurt altogether.
What about flavored yogurt ?
One food item you should definitely avoid giving your cat is flavored or sweetened
yogurt (e.g., fruit or vanilla-flavored).
These types of yogurt contain high amounts of sugar, artificial sweeteners
and preservatives, which are extremely harmful to cats' health.
In fact :
cats lack the necessary enzyme (amylase) to digest sugar.
Additionally :
they do not have taste receptors in their mouths to detect sweetness.
Therefore :
feeding sugar to cats in any form is both dangerous and entirely unnecessary