Better to skip it
Not recommended. Despite the stereotype, most adult cats are lactose intolerant, and cow's milk can cause diarrhea, gas and stomach pain. Use lactose-free "cat milk" if you want to offer a treat.
| Can cats eat it? | Caution |
| Calories | About 9 kcal per tablespoon of whole milk |
| Main benefit | Cats like the taste of fat in milk |
| Main risk | Lactose intolerance causes diarrhea and stomach upset |
| Kittens? | No |
Free · instant · based on veterinary formulas
Vets recommend keeping all treats under 10% of daily calories. One tablespoon of whole milk has about 9 kcal. The chart shows the most a typical spayed or neutered adult cat could have in a day if milk were the only treat.
| Cat weight | Daily treat budget | Max milk per day |
|---|---|---|
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 18 kcal | 1.5 × tablespoon of whole milk |
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 22 kcal | 2 × tablespoon of whole milk |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 26 kcal | 2.5 × tablespoon of whole milk |
| 12 lb (5.4 kg) | 30 kcal | 3 × tablespoon of whole milk |
| 14 lb (6.4 kg) | 34 kcal | 3.5 × tablespoon of whole milk |
A small amount is unlikely to cause serious harm in a healthy cat. Remove any remaining food, offer fresh water and watch for vomiting, diarrhea, a painful belly or lethargy over the next 24-48 hours. Call your vet if your cat ate a large amount, is small, young or has health problems (such as pancreatitis), or if the food contained onion, garlic, chocolate or xylitol.
These are safe for cats in treat-size amounts:
Check your cat's full daily needs with the cat food calculator.
Not recommended. Despite the stereotype, most adult cats are lactose intolerant, and cow's milk can cause diarrhea, gas and stomach pain. Use lactose-free "cat milk" if you want to offer a treat.
Most cats lose the enzyme lactase after weaning, so they cannot digest milk sugar properly.
No. Use a kitten milk replacer formulated for cats.
They are not toxic in tiny amounts but provide no benefit and may contain sugar or additives.
Browse lists: human foods cats can eat · foods cats can't eat
This guide is general information for healthy adult cats. Cats with medical conditions (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or food allergies) may need different advice from their vet.
Caution
Not recommended. Despite the stereotype, most adult cats are lactose intolerant, and cow's milk can cause diarrhea, gas and stomach pain.