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Kittens should ideally be nursed by their mother for the first few weeks of their life. Although kittens can safely drink their mother’s milk, it is important to know that different kinds of milk have different nutrient compositions. Therefore if you wish to feed a kitten, the replacement should be specifically formulated for kittens and contain similar nutrients that they would receive from a nursing mother cat.
Many kitten owners are unaware of the risks associated with feeding their kitten any type of milk they see in their fridge or from a grocery store. These types of human-grade milk should be avoided altogether for the health of your kitten.
What Is Nursing Cats’ Milk?
First, it is essential to understand why a mother’s milk is so important for young kittens. This will further help you understand why other types of milk can be harmful and risky to give your kittens.
Once the mother cat has given birth, her first mammary secretions will contain immunoglobulins this secretion is called colostrum. This helps to provide the young kittens with passive immunity to fight common pathogens and give them a better chance of survival. Kittens who don’t ingest colostrum miss on their passive immunity and will be at higher risk of diseases and declining health.
The queen secretes colostrum during the first 48 hours after birth, there is a drastic decrease of the immunoglobulins after just 24. Interestingly, the kittens still developing digestive system has intercellular gaps that allow the absorption of these large-sized proteins, as the kittens develop those gaps close. Therefore it is very important for kittens to lactate within the first 16 hours of their life. The composition of this first secretion is about 50% proteins and 40% lipids and it will change a lot during the first week. The milk will then turn from a yellowish to a more whiteish color and keep the kittens healthy and satiated until they are weaned at around 8 weeks of age.
Furthermore, cat milk is specifically formulated to aid in a kitten’s growth, development, and weight gain. The milk will rarely negatively affect the kitten and cause problems such as bloating. The right amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are produced by a nursing mother cat, and other milk does not have the same properties.
When Should You Give Kittens Milk?
If you have taken in an abandoned kitten, or if the mother cat is no longer nursing, then it is necessary that you intervene and serve your kitten’s milk yourself.
- The mother abandoned the kitten.
- The mother cat is suffering from mastitis.
- The mother cat is deceased.
- The mother cat is showing excessive aggression and discomfort during feeding and is refusing to nurse. (Get her checked by a vet)
- The kitten requires special care because of a certain condition (such as cleft palate).
- The kitten is fully weaned and you want to supplement their diet with kitten milk.
Please keep in mind that hand-rearing a kitten is not an easy task as they require to be fed every 2-3 hours during their first days of life.
It is not recommended to offer the kittens with another source of milk. Only their mother’s milk or a specifically formulated kitten replacement formula can offer kittens everything that they need nutrition-wise. It can be especially detrimental to give your cat other forms of human-grade milk (cow or goat) during their nursing stage and should be avoided altogether. Keep in mind that this milk is only suitable for baby cows or goats, and the process the milk goes through to be safe for human consumption removes all the necessary nutritional benefits your kitten needs.
If your kitten is no longer nursing from the mother, then the safest option is to provide them with a kitten milk replacement that contains all they need to thrive.
Can Kittens Drink Cow’s Milk?
Kittens should not drink cow’s milk as it is not suitable for their nutritional requirements. Giving your kitten cow’s milk will not only cause them gastrointestinal issues but will lack the nutrients that they need for their healthy growth, development, and weight, and cause them to become malnourished.
This is mainly because cows’ milk has a different composition and lacks the essential nutrients a young kitten requires, it is much lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates. Kittens also lack the proper enzymes needed to digest the higher levels of lactose found in cows’ milk which can lead to gastrointestinal distress including pain, bloating, diarrhea, dehydration, and malnutrition.
Can Kittens Drink Goats Milk?
With so many better kitten milk replacements available, it is not recommended to only provide kittens with goat milk, and many veterinarians will discourage it.
When compared to cat’s milk, goat milk is also low in protein and fat, so it is not a good form of milk overall. Just like cow’s milk, goat milk contains higher levels of lactase which can cause your cat to develop diarrhea, bloating, and constipation. Kittens should not be fed goat’s milk because it is nutritionally inadequate for their sensitive stomachs.
Can Kittens Drink Plant-Based Milk?
Almond, soy, coconut, and rice milk are to be strictly avoided. This is because plant-based milk has vastly different properties and nutrients which are not suitable for kittens. Plant-based milk can cause your kitten to become severely undernourished in a short period and should not be fed to kittens who have not been weaned.
However, your older, weaned kitten can drink this milk as a treat occasionally once they are older, but it still has no real nutritional benefit for them and can cause gastrointestinal discomfort if it is overconsumed. Moreover, these plant-based kinds of milk are processed products and can contain other ingredients or substances that are not suitable and may even be dangerous for your kitten or cat.
What Types of Milk Can Kittens Drink?
Kittens that are younger than 8 weeks of age should be fed a kitten milk replacer such as PetAg Petlac Kitten Powder until they are weaned. During this time, you should not give them cow or goat milk, or plant-based milk. There are many kitten milk replacers on the market, so speak to your veterinarian to decide which is best for your kitten.
Your kitten will then begin to eat solid food which should consist of high-quality kitten food. Even once the kitten has been weaned, you should still avoid giving them milk as it is unnecessary for their life stage. Kittens will generally become lactose intolerant after weaning, so all sources of animal milk will cause stomach discomfort and loose stools.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it is best to leave cow, goat, and plant-based milk out of your kitten’s diet. Once the kitten has been weaned, they do not require the nutrition provided by milk and it can cause more harm than good.
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Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock
