For those of you who are in full participation in nurturing less than four weeks old orphaned kittens and don’t know certainly how to take care of those sweet peas, this article will give you the needed useful information.
In situation like this, your primary concern may be about what to feed your kittens. Some of you might ask do cats drink milk or water, especially the kittens. Well, it actually depends on what you offer them. They will most likely welcome anything you lay out in front of them whenever they’re hungry so you better be careful on what to feed them. Less than four weeks old kittens depend on their mother’s milk, which produces the enzyme lactase. However, after the weaning process (four weeks old and above), this enzyme diminishes, making most cats acquire lactose intolerance. So, if you have kittens you independently nurture, feed them with kitten formula-made milk from supermarkets or plain warm water will do.
Cat lovers should be informed that most cats are lactose intolerant. This is due to the reduction in lactase, as mentioned earlier. The enzyme lactase helps the intestines digest lactose. Without it, your cats are in real tummy trouble. When cats are unable to digest lactose, a sugar substance which is found in milk, their tummies get upset and may cause diarrhea. Undigested lactose remains inside the intestines instead of being absorbed by the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The stored lactose causes fermentation and produces gut bacteria.
But, not all cats suffer from lactose intolerance. It is best for cat owners to find out early on by milk drinking testing their kittens on their fifth week. If their cats exhibit symptoms of diarrhea, like vomiting or wet waste disposal, then that’s the end of the milk story for them.
The best beverage alternative for cats is water. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine asserts that water helps cats regulate their body temperature, digest their food, eliminate their waste, lubricate their tissues, and allows salt and other electrolytes to pass through their body. Ms. Linda P. Case, MS of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine explained that small amounts of other dairy products such as yogurts, cultured dairy, and cheese are mild for cats to consume once in a while.
Cat owners do not have to worry that their pets won’t receive the beneficial nutrients contained in milk because high-quality brand of cat foods are nutritionally complete already. They just have to make water always available for their pets to maintain hydration. Small treats of cheese, tuna, and meat are beneficial for cats, as well. So in conclusion, cats do not necessarily need milk in their diet, provided that they are on their fifth week and above.