In cartoons in which there is a cat as the protagonist, it is always presented to us as a milk addict. A food that of course is always within reach. But, Is it good for him to drink, or can it really make him feel bad?
As no two cats are alike, not all will do equally well, and in fact some may react badly. So, Let's see if we can give our furry cow's milk or not.
Cats, as we know, are mammalian animals, which means that their young drink breast milk for a time until their first teeth have finished developing. This milk contains much of what your body needs for a strong immune system, and for it to grow without problems. After weaning, they will not need to drink any more milk. When these kittens arrive at our houses, one of the first things we usually do is give them some cow's milk, which contains lactose.
Lactose is a sugar that is not only present in milk, but also in its derivatives. It is a complex molecule that the body must break into smaller parts if it wants to process it, and for this it needs an enzyme called lactase. The problem is that not all cats produce it in sufficient quantities to be able to digest milk without problems, and it is when the animal can begin to feel pain in the stomach, nausea and / or vomiting.
Now, cow's milk is not dangerous for cats, in the sense that although it feels bad his life will not be in danger in any moment. To find out if it has lactose intolerance, give it a little and wait to see how its body reacts: if the cat has diarrhea, do not give it again, although you can always choose to give it milk (and derivatives) without lactose 😉.