GOT MILK?

People ask from time to time if it's OK to feed their cat milk. Of course we all know that for the first four weeks of life or so kittens feed on nothing else--from their mother. At about that time, they begin to have a bigger appetite, so we introduce them to kitten kibbles. (In the wild, the mother probably brought home small prey for them to begin eating, much as the mother lion does. I have noticed that my moms begin to leave them alone more at about this time, and it is thought that this type of behavior reflects her original hunting routine.) Usually, the biggest in the litter sticks his/her head in the unfamiliar bowl, makes a mess, and manages to get a piece or two where it belongs. Soon, though, the other follow suit, and its a madhouse of flying kibbles-I put down mats......Gradually, the mother allows them to feed from her less and less, jumping up on furniture, or leaving the room. The kittens become accustomed to a solid food diet between 5 and 8 weeks. It is tempting at this point to want to put down a bowl of milk or cream to wash down all that dry stuff--not a good idea. Cow's milk is not at all like a cat's, so the little ones may suffer from digestive problems, especially diarrhea. I know that in many story books the cats do drink the stuff, but not in real life. A bowl of water is all that is needed placed right next to the dry food. They WILL drink it eventually. Note: When they're older they do love a little bit of non-dairy creamer, if you use it in your coffee. My guess is that it tastes rich, like cream. One caution, though. They quickly learn that the sound of coffee percolating=creamer, and come running and meowing.......