Precautions for Feeding Milk to Cats

1 Overview

When to feed milk:

Newborn nursing period:

Some kittens have no mother’s milk; hand-feed~

Daily amount: ~30 mL replacement milk per 100 g body weight, small frequent feeds

Weaning transition:

Nursing ~1–2 months; wean by formula first, then gradually to kibble

Nutrition supplement period:

Post-neuter, post-birth mothers, weak/sick cats can drink milk for nutrition

Tip: dairy has easily digested animal protein, vitamins, unsaturated fat — a natural supplement~

How to mix formula:

Use ~50°C warm water

Cool to ~38°C body temp

Let it lick or bottle-feed

Tip: use a syringe bottle with marks so you don’t overfeed and choke the kitten~

Feeding notes:

Formula ranking:

Cat-formula > lactose-free milk (like goat milk)

Our cat drinks a goat-milk formula with 35% protein; we also use freeze-dried bits in milk as supplements~

Tip: cat-formula is best; goat milk is good too (some are lactose-intolerant and get diarrhea from cow’s milk)

Don’t feed a kitten below 35°C body temp

If ears/paws are cold, wrap in wool and gently warm for 1–2 hours before feeding

Correct feeding posture

Hind legs on ground, head up; hold the scruff lightly, insert nipple at the side of the mouth, let it suck — don’t force milk in

After feeding, hold it head-down and pat to prevent milk aspiration pneumonia

Choose well-known brands with anti-counterfeit codes; weak kittens drinking fake low-nutrition milk can be in danger