People may think that you can give kittens a saucer of milk, but is cow milk actually healthy for kittens? What about soy milk, goat milk, or almond milk? Are those healthy choices to feed kittens if they are orphaned from their mother?
Can Kittens Drink Milk?
The short answer: The only milk that is healthy for kittens to drink is either their mother’s or they will need a kitten milk replacer, which can also be called KMR or kitten milk formula. Kittens lack the proper enzymes to digest the lactose in cow milk, and feeding cow milk to kittens can cause diarrhea and dehydration very quickly in very small kittens. This is why it is important to avoid feeding cow milk to kittens.
Can You Give Kittens Soy Milk or Almond Milk?
Because kittens have such sensitive stomachs, it is important to avoid feeding kittens other milk as well, such as soy milk, almond milk, or any of the other nut milk. Nut milk and soy milk do not provide the appropriate balance of amino acids needed for cats because cats are obligate carnivores and must eat animal products or they will become malnourished.
What About Goat Milk for Kittens?
If you do an online search, you may notice that some people recommend goat milk for kittens. But most veterinarians will discourage feeding goat milk to kittens because there are better kitten formula options available that are complete, balanced, and a good fit for a kitten’s digestive system.
Most kittens need to be nursed by their mother or fed kitten formula from a bottle until 4-5 weeks of age; however, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Weaning can take place later if a kitten is underweight or ill, and it is important to use your best judgment when weaning.
You can also offer dry food at the same time to let the kitten get used to the texture and flavor, but it is likely that the kitten will get the bulk of his or her calories from the slurry that you are making until the kitten is fully weaned.
