by Catie

Created on: January 15, 2009

Many people get entirely to wrapped up in the food they feed their cats. While I will concede that there is a need for a variety of special diets for various health issues, my sense is we need to fully understand the digestive system of a cat in order to provide the best and most healthy nutrition for our feline friends.

My first issue is with milk. For as long as cats have lived along side humans, we have been under the misguided idea that cats can drink milk. Everyone responds the same way whenever I mention that cats should not be given milk. "You're kidding, I have always given my cat milk" they say and then proceed to ask why they should not. Even my own mother had the same response when I told her.

I'm not sure where this practice of giving cats milk came from, other than the farms of old. Cats were kept outside to deter rats and they would hang around the barn while farmers were milking the cows. The cats, being cats, would lap up any milk spilled on the ground. What the farmers did not see was the effect that milk had on their cats.

Cats are lactose intolerant. Pure fact. Milk will give a cat a severe case of diarrhea and cause significant damage to their digestive system. The farmers of old and people who allow their cats to be outside pets don't notice this fact as there is no litter box involved. Take my word for it. Give your kitty milk and then stand back. You will only do it once.

Another common mistake that cat owners make is continuously changing their cats diet. Cats digestive systems are one of the most sensitive in the animal world. Constantly changing their food also causes diarrhea and damage to their digestive systems. Cats do not care what they eat, only that they do.

A cat should be fed the same food daily. No change in flavor. No change in brand. No change is time or place. No change, Period.

If kitty gets canned food in the morning and kibble to munch on freely the rest of the time, then these 2 foods should NEVER change. A cat will not starve. Given their food on schedule, they will eat sooner or later. The reason they don't eat is that the constant changing of their food tears their stomach up and they don't feel like eating If this feeding regime is followed you will, not only find a much healthier kitty who is very willing to eat, but you will also have a litter box that you can deal with.

Getting your kitty back to basic eating will produce a happier and much healthier kitty. Good luck

Learn more about this author, Catie.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.