Conference misery::feline_v1

    Here's the story with milk from experience with my cats,
    Maui & Casino.  They LOVE milk, and meow like crazy 
    whenever I have cereal since they want the leftover milk.
    I usually give it to them (how can I refuse such cuties?)
    Unfortunately, whenever they drink more than about 1/8
    cup each, they get diarhea.  They have not had any accidents
    outside of their litterbox, but I guess I'm tempting fate.
    Someone else will have to reply with the medical reasons
    why cats get diarhea from milk, I don't know why.

    From what I understand it's because they lack an enzyme to tolerate
    the lactose in milk.  I have two that hate milk and one that will
    go for it once in a while in small amounts.  I tried giving them
    Lactade Milk - but none of them liked it.
    
    My mother-inl-law cat (now in kitty heaven) loved milk and drank
    it all of her 17 years.  Never had any problems from it at all.
    
    I guess it depends on the cat - if your cat does well with it, I
    don't think that I would cut him off.
    
    Mine do like ice cream and whipped cream though.
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. (Pippin, Gino & Stitch Too)
    

     Flame goes NUTZ for Ice cream ...well, Ice milk.
    
    As long as your cat drinks enough water and doesn't have diahreah
    from the milk, I see nothing wrong with giving it to him.  You don't
    want him drinking milk in lieu of water tho.
    
    Mao gets a tablespoon of Cream every morning when I make our coffee.
      Nancy DC
    

    Kayleigh used to love milk, cream, ice-cream, cheese - anything
    like that. If it was given to her in moderation, it didn't upset
    her. The only time we ever had a problem was when the kind old lady
    next door left her tuna (another favourite) and condensed milk.
    The condensed milk definately did NOT agree with her!
    
    Oliver is awkward. He flatly refuses ordinary milk. It must be left
    over from a bowl of cereal, or he won't touch it. Again, so long as
    he has it in moderation, he is fine.
    
    While we're on the subject (or similar), I recently read about an
    American cat who was in the habit of drinking milk with a drop of
    Pernod added to it. As he grew older, he demanded stiffer saucers
    of 'milk' until it became a case of lacing the Pernod very lightly
    with milk.
    Not surprisingly, the cat died aged 8, with his liver in a VERY
    sorry state.

    re .4:  What is Pernod?  Never heard of it...

    Pernod is a French liqueur that tastes like Anise.  We do a shrimp
    dish with it that the cats seem to go crazy for - we've had to lock
    them out of the kitchen during dinner because all three are up on
    the table. 
    
    All this time I thought it was the shrimp - but who knows - it could
    have been the Pernod.
    
    Do we have secret drinkers in our midst????
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. (Pippin Gino & Stitch Too)

    All three of my "kids" love milk and often finish whats left in
    the cereal dish.
    
    All three love chinese food too.  I didn't mean to give it to them
    but the phone rang while I was cleaning of the table.  Needless
    to say by the time I got back to the table ... All gone.  With 3
    very guilty looking faces.  I was a little concerned because I didn't
    know if the MSG would upset them.  But I'm beginning to think there
    is nothing these three will eat that will upset their tummys.  Now
    it is the battle of the shrimp with lobster sauce.  We don't give
    it to them but it is one upsetting time for them.  
    
    How bad is it to give in to them once in a while.
    
    Doreen

    Give in.  A teensy shrimp won't hurt.
    

    I've been known to buy a cup of shrimps at the deli and divide it
    among my pusses.
    

    I bought some canned shrimp once on sale as a treat for the crew.
    They didn't care for it !   However, when I cook swordfish, now
    that's a different story.
      Nancy DC

    If your cat likes milk and it does not give him diarrhoea there
    is no problem. It is the lactic acid that usually upsets them.
    If a cat continually has diarrhoea you will get bleeding of the
    bowel eventually and can get a telescoping of the bowel.
    I have a siamese Vicky who can drink it by the pint and it does
    her no harm at all my colourpoints only have to have a sip and they
    have diarrhoea. What we do with kittens is either to use evaporated
    diluted or goats spray dried milk made up with water to the individuals
    tolerance. This seems to be fine.
    
    Th�r�se

    
    
    My Panther, who loves the finer things in life, very much enjoys
    khula (SP?) and cream.  I'm not sure if she is after the cream and
    just gets the liquor, or if she really likes the combined taste.
    She tolerates milk products very well, so I have learned to be carefull
    when cooking, drinking etc.  
    
    She is so sneaky, she will even drink
    out of your milk glass while you are not looking and it's in your
    hand.  (My husband has seen her do it with out my knowing!!)
    
    Spot gets upset when we give milk treats, she would rather have
    steak or beer, or pizza.
    
    Feline hungry,
    
    Sue & Panther & Spot
                   

    My three are hooked on shrimp and prawns.  My husband actually goes
    and makes special trips to the fish market just for the cats.  We
    do this for them about once a week and I don't think it hurts them.
    
    They too like to lick the milk from the cereal bowl (there must
    be something about it) but my Stitch likes to eat the cereal dry
    as well.  He also goes bonkers over asparagus - cant leave them
    on the table - he just jumps up - swipes one and takes it far under
    the be - finishes it off and comes back for another pass - I've
    seen him put 4 to 5 away.  Pippin like artichokes and Gino loves
    pasta, with and without the sauce.
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. (Pippin, Gino and Stitch Too

    Nippa has her days, sometimes she likes it and other times she'll turn
    her nose up at it.  Shrimp used to be her favorite treat untill.....
    
    LOBSTER.....man she'll do ANTHYING for a tiny morsel.  In fact, I have
    never seen this side of her untill lobster.....
    
    
    Michele & Nippa
    
    p.s.
    My boyfriends horse drinks beer.  If you are near the fence (and her)
    and not paying attention, she'll grab the beer out of your hand and
    take off with it.

    
    	Alex will go nutso over lobster too! Brad could care less.
    	His fave is olives ! yes ! He goes crazy, Its like giving
    	him fresh catnip. He doesnt eat the whole thing, just a
    	little bit. Then he will play with for hours! They both
    	love cheese too! Brad and Alex love milk...No probs.
    
    	SueJ
    	Mother of Sir Alexander & Lord Bradford

    
    	All my pride love milk and cereal.  They won't even wait for
    you to finish, they'll jump up on the table and start eating right
    out of my dish!  Needless to say, I don't tolerate it that often,
    but occasionally it's funny.
    
    	Here's another vote for Chinese food.  The whole slew of 'em
    will sit around and beg while I eat, so I toss out scraps here and
    there.  They're all especially fond of spare ribs and teriyaki strips,
    although smoke will eat just about anything (egg rolls, wontons,
    even potato chips and pizza!)
    
    	Ruffles (the wonder cat) is the family boozer.  You can't leave
    a glass of beer anywhere within his reach.  I was watching football
    a few weeks ago, cold beer in hand, and I had to get up to, er,
    check the plumbing.  When I returned, beer glass was empty and Ruffles
    (the wonder cat) was sprawled in mmy comfy chair, arms in the air,
    snoozing soundly.  What a riot.
    
    	As far as the milk is concerned, I think the diarrhea is the
    only thing to worry about, as has been said before.  Mine get all
    they want, and it doesn't seem to bother them a bit.  Nor does anything
    else, for that matter!
    
    	McQ
    

    When we have chinese delivered mine get the scent as the delivery
    person comes up the stairs and they are all there to greet him.
     I don't know who eats more of it me or the cats - especially the
    shrimp fried rice.
    
    Stitch has developed a real taste for garabonzo beans lately - but
    Crab - that turns the house into a war zone - it usually turns into
    a real tug-a-war trying to get a crab leg out of their mouths.
    They also run off with shrimp tails - and once the left-over T-bone
    steak was found under the bed.
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. (Pippin, Giudi & Stitch Too)

    re:  chinese foodz...
    
    stella was less than 10 weekz old at the time.  i wanted to make
    mongolian beef.  from the minute i started slicing up the beef, she
    went crazy trying to get at it. (with me trying to use my elbowz to
    keep her away from meat and chopping block...)
    
    once i started stir frying in the wok, the cat went berserk. started
    running around in circlez.  i nudged her gently with my foot, whereupon
    she started running in circlez in the opposite direction.
    
    when i finally got sat down in my chair, plate in hand, there she was
    all over the arm of the chair, trying to jump headfirst into the plate.
    i managed to thwart all her effortz until...
    
    she was halfway across the room and decided to make one last dash. she
    flew at me, lit briefly on the arm of the chair, grabbed a piece of
    beef in her teeth, then sped off into the corner of the living
    room--chomp chomping for all she was worth.
    
    that did it. i finally  shut her up in the bedroom and finished eating
    accompanied by the moanz of this poor, neglected kitten. you might
    think this is end of story, except for...
    
    several hourz later, when all had quieted down, cat had been released
    from bedroom=prison, dinner was finished.  all of a sudden, i missed
    her. i made several tripz around a one-bedroom apt., but she was no
    where to be found.  i had not gone outside, so she couldn't have gotten
    out.  on my third trip through the kitchen, i finally noticed this
    little blue-gray furry head bobbing up and down from inside the wok!
    she had jumped into the wok (fortunately, the wok had cooled off by
    this time), and was licking the soy sauce from the sidez. i had missed
    seeing her at first, since her fur was the same colour as the
    silverstone cooking finish on the inside of the wok....
    
    if i were a violent person, she wouldn't have made it past 10 weekz
    old...
    
    diane & stanley & stella (still the h*llcat)
                                        

    With my crew, I am not allowed to remove the turkey from the frig in
    peace.  I thought THEY were bad, until the new kittens arrived (snowy
    and sow whet the two scottish-fold kittens).  Snowy begged and begged
    and finally I gave him a "tiny" piece then explained where his "real"
    food was.  I served dinner and my husband was not watching his plate
    carefully enough.  Soon there was an extra "moving" portion on the
    plate.  I don't know who looked more indignant - him or the kitten
    when the daylilght robbery was discovered.

    
    	I just talked with my vet. I was concerned about my kitten this 
    morning. She was very gasy and her rectum looked swollen. I've
    noticed with the heat she has been not been using her litter box as
    often. (Not much stool) Last Thursday I noticed her dragging her rear
    around on the floor. We have already had her tested twice for worms.
    
    The Vet said:
    	They want to retest her again for worms. The dragging might be from
    that and they may not have found anything the first 2 times. Then I
    mentioned the gas and she asked if I had changed her food. I have been
    giving her the same kitten food since I got her. Then the vet went on
    to explain that changing food or giving DAIRY products sometimes causes
    gas and/or diarrhoea. They sometimes have difficulty digesting these
    foods. Well silly me!!!! With the nice weather I've been sharing my
    ice cream and last night the whipped cream off my strawberry shortcake.
    Poor kitty we didn't know any better. After reading note 2999.11 and
    the comment about telescoping of the bowel, yup! She hasn't had the
    diarrhoea (oh I hope it isn't somewhere I don't see it. I'm at my
    in-laws while they are on vacation and my father-in-law does not like
    pets) infact her stool was quite normal this morning, but that is what
    made me panic and notice the swollen bowel. It didn't last long, but
    made me nervous.
    
    	So my advice to people given their cats milk is to watch them if
    you do. I know I won't be giving any more to Iris. She is a very 
    potent little girl and I'm sure my father-in-law will not appreciate
    her gas. Besides, I imagine the digestive problems must hurt her little
    tummy.
    
    			Joyce & Iris

    Milk is BAD BAD BAD for Callie. It gives her Diahreah, and bloody
    stools. I was so worried about this when I first noticed it. SHE LOVES
    MILK, but as soon as I cut it out, she was fine & I've had no more
    problems. It's tuff to say no to such a cute little meowing furface,
    so Dave bought her some pounce @ the store, which SHE LOVES, of course!
    
    Tabitha, on the other hand, could drink milk til the cows come home!
    ;*) I don't give it to her often, because it's not fair to Callie, so
    she gets it when Callie is snoozin. It all works out rather well, tho!
    Tabitha HATES the pounce!
    
    What may be good for the goose isn't always good for the gander!
    
    Bonnie

    You might try KMR as a treat for them if they can't tolerate milk.
    You can pick up a small can from Haddeleigh House at the next show
    or check with your vet or local pet store.