Can Cats Drink Oat Milk?

Cats are feline gods!

There are no other explanations since pleasing them seems like an impossible task.

So, once again, you woke up with your cat and prepared porridge with some oat milk for breakfast. Now, your sweet little furry friend found the perfect opportunity to get their first treat of the day.

The eyes are set on the oat milk in your bowl. At this moment, you get the most obvious question in your mind, i.e., "Can cats have oat milk?" It's a confusing situation for cat owners to feed whatever their pets demand. More like blackmail you with their round, innocent eyes!

To answer the question - Yes, they can. Even though drinking milk wouldn't cause any serious issues, they don't provide the nutritional value cat's diet demands. In these situations, you need to weigh out the pros and cons of the food items your pet consumes.

Will Oat Milk Be Safe for My Cat?

Everything in moderation is an excellent fit for your cat's stomach. Look, the occasional treat of oat milk can actually make your furry baby happy. Your cats can safely drink oat milk as long as the volume is under control.

With that being said, some cats might have a sensitive digestive system. So, when they drink oat milk, it can end in an upset stomach.

To make the most out of the situation, you should start feeding with small doses of natural oat milk. Once your feline gets accustomed to the taste, and there are no negative consequences, you can continue sharing your oat milk with adult cats.

Remember, too much oat milk will hurt your cat's digestive system irrespective of its nutritional value.

Can Cats Have Dairy Products?

Much like most mammals, your cats lack the enzymes to digest lactose. The absence of the digestive essential makes cats lactose intolerant. Additionally, the cats can't digest the sugar in regular milk.

Even though drinking milk isn't directly harmful to your cats, it can cause inconvenience and, in the worst-case scenario, a reaction. Besides loose stool, vomiting, and bloating, long-term consumption of cow's milk can lead to tooth decay in your feline companion.

With that being said, not all dairy products will cause the same reaction or intolerance. Because of the presence of different kinds of lactose constituents, some cats can consume the dairy items like curd, cheese, etc.

However, it's best to keep dairy to a minimum for your furry friend.

What is the Nutritional Value Oat Milk Contains?

News Flash: Oat milk is not a dairy-based source of lactose.

The oat substitute is plant-based milk that extracts the water from oats. The entire process involves soaking, blending, and straining to gather a creamy liquid called oat milk. Even though the base material is raw oats soaked, the nutritional value varies in the final oat milk.

Don't lose heart if your cats drink oat milk regularly. They'll get the essential nutrients like:

Potassium

Your cats will definitely be able to keep their blood pressure optimum with oat milk as a wet food diet. Potassium also helps in maintaining the muscles of your fur baby!

Iron

Whether it's kitten oat milk or adult cats' lactose-free milk, iron is essential for the overall growth of your cats. When your cats drink oat milk, the iron in the food dissolves to supply oxygen to their body parts for maximum development and functioning.

Additionally, your cat's immune system will weaken in the absence of the nutrient. Many cats face frequent illnesses due to the same.

Calcium

Cats need calcium to get the bone mass and protect it from fractures. Since your felines are pretty light on their feet, they need the strength the nutrient offers to prance around.

On that note, cats' milk also contains sufficient calcium for the kittens' growth and development.

Vitamin A

Don't you like to crawl your fingers through your cat's fur and skin? All the credit goes to the Vitamin A in cat milk. Whether you want shiny skin or healthy eyesight, the nutrient will ensure all.

It would be best if you considered that the lack of wet food treats rich in vitamins can cause night blindness to your cats.

Vitamin D

Much like us, your friend needs an external nutritional value of Vitamin D in the cat's diet. The vitamin forms the essential nutrients for the overall growth of the cat's bodily structure.

It even protects your furry pet from bone deformities.

If you want more information to gauge oat's diet compatibility for your cat, here's all that you need!

(The mentioned nutritional value is for 240 milliliters of oat milk.)

Should You Consider Oat Milk over Regular Milk?

You might be wondering why you would even think of a substitute when the ubiquitous milk is easily available. Before jumping the gun, let's draw parallels between oat milk and regular dairy milk.

Oat Milk

Oat milk is plant-sourced milk free of lactose. Since it's plant-based, you wouldn't find too much sugar in processed oat milk.

Additionally, if you don't want further processed oat milk, you can choose from either almond milk, coconut milk, barley milk, or soy milk. Neither of these contains too much fat to make your cat sick.

Regular Milk

Your commonly available milk in the market comes from cows or goats.

Whether you buy pasteurized milk or goat's milk, you can always get the benefits of complex proteins. However, both varieties have high sugar content. Even the fat proportion of regular cow's milk is higher than the oat milk.

If the cat drinks arbitrarily, you won't notice any problems initially. However, as time progresses, the extra calorie intake will be visible on the mane of your sweet darling.

Now that you know all about the differences in cat milk, you can easily make a choice suitable for the health of your feline. With that being said, if your furry friend is lactose intolerant, it's best if you stray away from regular dairy products.

You can choose specially formulated cat milk over cow milk to ensure your cat drinks only the nutritious option.

Note: Look out for loose stool. The most telltale signs of milk indigestion and lactose intolerance are in your cat's bowel movements.

What Are the Best Options in Cat Oat Milk?

Your felines automatically find themselves excited at the sight of a creamy blend called milk. That's why oat milk forms the safest choice to provide essential nutrients while keeping their craving satisfied.

Even though there are many types of milk sold in the market, from vanilla oat milk to coconut milk, your cats can always find something for their taste buds. Choose whatever your pocket and the feline princess allows.

Vanilla Oat Milk

One of the most preferred options for milk lovers in cats, vanilla oat milk is perfect for lactose intolerant felines. Now you can let your cat drink milk with the nutritional requirements and weight maintenance in check.

Made with grain cereal, the oat milk market rave about the vanilla flavor for your cats. But, you can't let your cat drink arbitrarily, even the healthiest of the milk type. Moderation is the key.

Homemade Oat Milk

Heavily processed oat milk can rip off the nutrients from your cat's diet. You can't know what the commercial oat milk contains as additives that can hurt your cat. Instead, you can make your oat milk at home for your favorite buddy.

Now you can feed milk as a cat treat or moderated portions of amino acids as soon as you make it.

What Symptoms Show That Oat Milk Hurt Your Cats?

Even though you might consider oat milk safe, it's possible that your cat would disagree with you.

You should keep an eye on some vital signs to check the doses of too much milk.

Stomach Pain

Did your paw-some friend appear uncomfortable after drinking raw milk?

If you can see the sudden discomfort in your cat's behavior, your feline might have an unsupportive digestive system for oat milk.

Vomiting

Unusual puking and sluggish behavior are sure signs that something's wrong with your buddy. If you have just started with cats' oat milk, you need to hit pause and get the feline a vet check.

Diarrhea

The odd color and consistency of a cat's stool should worry you. When cats are lactose intolerant, the most evident sign appears in irregular bowel movements.

How Much is Oat Milk Healthy For Your Cat?

While your feline buddy seems to be enjoying the regular milk, it doesn't mean the consumption is healthy. Most of the cats' are lactose intolerant and can't tolerate the intake. However, since you're responsible for caring for the feline, you must watch out for what they gulp down.

Even though the answer is 'Yes' to 'Can Cats drink Oat Milk?', you still need to be cautious with the amount you serve. No matter how good the milk is, it doesn't carry vital nutrition for your cat to develop. On the other hand, it can hamper the appetite of your fur buddy.

Since wet foods are the first choice per the delicate stomach felines have, oat milk or almond milk can appear appropriate. You might add the taste with cinnamon powder for the mother cat.

However, when the cat consumes oat milk in excess, it would result in lesser nutrients in cats milk for the kittens.

How Often Can You Give Oat Milk To Your Cats?

Despite carrying nutrients, cat oat milk shouldn't be your first choice for feline food. If you rely on your cat food supply from the market, the additives can prove risky for the fur buddy.

Whether you include oat milk as a special treat or a tastemaker, be aware that you don't feed your cat dairy on a regular basis. Besides, a little quantity every once in a while is enough to keep your cat excited about the food.

On top of it, you must never consider any kind of milk as a substitute for the main meal in your cat's diet.

What Can Cats Drink Instead of Regular Milk?

While dairy milk is harmful to your cats, there are other alternatives to keep the liquid intake optimum in the diet.

Water

From promoting optimal organ function to maintaining the body temperature, water is indeed the elixir for your cat's life. Water helps with tissue lubrication, eliminating waste and preventing dehydration.

Your cat might not exactly be interested in keeping up with water intake. You can place several bowls with a fresh supply to keep it in your cat's line of sight.

Additionally, wet foods also make for a great choice to hydrate your feline's body.

Broth

Whether you want to add extra flavor or enhance your cat's immunity, broth turns out to be an excellent choice. With a vast number of health benefits, the food can actually persuade your cat to consume the essential dietary supplements.

The experts even advise broth intake to enhance your felines' bone and joint function. You can even use it as a part of your cat's weight loss program.

Low Sodium Tuna Juice

For the extra hydration and a little treat for good behavior, low sodium tuna juice can work like a cat's dietary supplement.

However, you must keep in mind the sodium content in the tuna you're serving. It can not only disrupt the appetite but also bring a change in your feline's overall behavior.

What Drinks Should Cats Never Consume?

While it appears cute when your feline friend asks for a sip of whatever you're having, it can prove dangerous. Here's a list of what your cats should never consume for a healthy life.

Alcohol

Cats are not alcoholics. But they can always sneak a taste from the open wine glass you forgot on the dining table.

Even though a few sips can't cause harm to your cat, if consumed in excess, you might have to rush to a vet for alcohol poisoning.

Coffee

Ever felt the increase in your heart rate after caffeine consumption?

The cats face the same effect with greater intensity. While most animals are not affected by caffeine, felines are susceptible to consumption.

Even the ingestion of more than one caffeine pill can prove fatal for small cats.

Sugary Drinks

The high sugar content and increased calorie in sugar-based drinks can make your cat obese and unhealthy.

Especially if your feline sufferers from diabetes, you should pay extra attention to the ingredients of the pet-friendly dairy products.

Final Thoughts

Milk appears like a ubiquitous choice whenever any pet comes to a mention. But, universal milk compatibility is a myth. The cat oat milk comes as a healthier alternative to dairy milk but being a good kitty parent means balance in the offered diet.

Not only can your cat drink oat milk, but also enjoy the once-in-blue-moon treat. However, in the absence of gut enzymes, the dairy intake can end up giving trouble to your feline companion. That's why moderation in offering even the best oat milk type should be your priority.

Now that you know all about whether your cats can drink oat milk, it's time you purr-form your cat-parental duties