Maybe you’ve been thinking about ways you can spice up your cat’s diet. She eats the same couple of things for every single meal—she deserves something special to eat or drink!
But you’re not sure exactly what you can give her. You’ve probably heard that cats can’t really have dairy. Their bodies can’t digest lactose, which is the sugar found in milk.
And yet, you can’t get that image of a kitten lapping up a bowl of milk out of your mind. It’s just so cute!
So, you might be thinking of turning to dairy-free alternatives. A popular dairy-free drink is almond milk. But you may find yourself faced with many understandable questions: is that safe for cats? Can cats drink vanilla almond milk and be healthy?
Today we’re going to answer your questions regarding what almond milk is and how you can allow your cat to safely enjoy a treat like this.
What’s in almond milk?
Almond milk is basically just almonds and water. It’s made by blending almonds with water, then straining out the solids to produce a smooth, creamy drink. If you avoid dairy in your diet, you’re probably familiar with this beverage.
So, is it ok for cats to drink almond milk?
Is almond milk ok for cats? Neither of the two main ingredients in almond milk (almonds and water) are toxic to cats. That means that, in short, the answer to the question “can cats drink almond milk?” is yes. Cats can have almond milk.
Almond milk doesn’t contain lactose, which is the thing in dairy milk that upsets cats’ stomachs; therefore, almond milk is unlikely to give your cat any of the unpleasant symptoms that come with eating something she shouldn’t. Even vanilla flavored almond milk probably won’t do her any harm (although, since cats can’t taste sweets, she won’t know the difference between flavored and unflavored nut milk).
Almond milk shouldn’t seriously harm your pet, but too much could potentially cause stomach upset or diarrhea. Thus, you should be cautious about how much you give her, and start with a small amount.
If, for any reason, your cat starts feeling ill after drinking almond milk, please contact a veterinarian or a pet pharmacy immediately.
What else do I need to know?
While almond milk isn’t bad for your cat, it doesn’t have much nutritive value. Unprocessed almonds have quite a bit of fiber, protein, and other nutrients, but when almonds are turned into almond milk, they lose most of those nutrition points.
So, can cats drink almond milk?
To put it simply, sure––but almond milk should only be a treat for your cat. If you want to see if she likes it, try starting her out with a small serving, about a quarter of a cup. That way, you can see if it causes any stomach upset.
If she likes it and it doesn’t bother her gut, you can add almond milk to your treat repertoire. Don’t give her more than 4 cups in 24 hours at the absolute most.
With that in mind, feel free to let your cat have a little almond milk as a treat. More food variety makes for a happy cat, and a happy cat makes for a happy home!
