Unlike other pets, several human foods can be harmful to your cat. Since different beings have different nutritional needs from different foods. Sometimes cat owners ask questions like—can cats eat sour cream? Are cats lactose intolerant? Following are the answers made by cat experts based on the question:
Though cats can eat sour cream in moderation, you must keep in mind to only give your pet a bit of sour cream at first. Next, after consuming it, wait for a few hours to see if the body of the pet cat reacts positively to the sour cream.
In case your cat carries on without having trouble, feel free to give a sour scream to the cat now and then. But, if your cat experiences diarrhea, vomiting, and so on, you should immediately consider dropping the idea.
According to Cat Expert Bruce Dyer (Researching Cat Behaviour) says— Sour cream isn’t safe for cats.
The cream is rich in fat and fat isn’t healthy for cats. If your cat gets that by accident once or twice it may be alright after consuming it. But if your cat continuously consumes it then it’s harmful to the cat. Cats are lactose intolerant that’s why cats don’t digest dairy products well.”
Consequences of Eating Sour Cream
Imagine that somehow your cat ate some sour cream. At that very moment, you will get anxious about—what will happen to your cat?
Well, you shouldn’t be worried that much since your cat isn’t going to need any medical treatment for consuming a little bit of sour cream.
Sour cream is mostly made of fat and protein. The ‘cream’ is the main component of sour cream. It is made from buttermilk which is certainly a dairy product.
So, we can categorize sour cream as a dairy-based food too. Since most cats are intolerant to dairy so try not to feed your cat too much if you don’t know their immunity levels. Or else your cat may experience nausea or diarrhea.
Can Cats Eat Sour Cream and Onion Chips At the Same Time?
Cats usually dislike dairy products like milk due to the presence of lactose. So the presence of dairy products in their diet can cause diarrhea.
Feeding sour cream to your cat in small quantities is fine. But as it’s dairy-based, you shouldn’t feed your cats too much of it.
According to most cat experts, you should never feed your cat onion, garlic, kelp, or chives (even in little portions too). Garlic, chives as well as onions are also considered toxic to cats.
Onions contain compounds called disulfides and thiosulphates which can lead your cat to anemia if consumed.
Although onion chips essentially have onion flavor and very rarely they will contain real onion in high quantity. For this reason, your cat should be fine eating onion chips but not too often.
Hence, your cats can eat sour cream and onion chips at the same time. But you must have to know your pet cat’s tolerance levels for eating this food.
Are Cats Allergic To Dairy?
My simple answer is Yes, cats are allergic to dairy products. But Dairy allergies are pretty common among cats. Although whenever we think about cats we come to the conclusion that milk and cat are a match made in heaven. But in reality, milk doesn’t always do well for your cat’s health.
Like humans, cats also endure an allergic reaction to dairy products. This type of allergy is considered to be a food allergy. More than 10%of the cat bread undergoes this type of dairy allergy.
Dairy products are made from animal milk which is commonly known as butter, yogurt, cheese, and sour cream. Cats with a dairy allergy are mainly allergic to the milk’s lactose, protein, and casein.
Many cats have difficulty digesting these dairy products. As a result, they experience a variety of symptoms that are very much related to being lactose intolerant.
The result could lead your cat to diarrhea or stomach upset, vomiting, gas, etc. If these symptoms occur then you should contact your veterinarian and make an appointment as soon as possible.
Are All Cats Lactose Intolerant?
The answer will be between Yes and No. Because while some cats can’t tolerate milk, it doesn’t mean that all of them are lactose intolerant.
It’s normal for both humans and cats to be lactose intolerant. Linda P. Case (professor at the University Of Illinois College Of Veterinary Medicine) says—that we grow up producing less lactase is pretty normal for people and cats too. Producing less lactase leads to less capability to digest lactose. Hence it leads to lactose intolerance.
Kittens are mainly get exposed to lactose while they drink milk produced by their mothers. This produced milk is specifically prepared for their nutritional needs and digestive system.
While cats grow up, most of them start to lose their tolerance for milk which is similar to humans. The reason is due to the undigested sugar in milk called lactase, which produces volatile fatty acids and makes it harder for a cat’s digestive system to process.
Although most cats will have difficulties consuming dairy products similar to lactose, you will find some exceptions too.
What are the Symptoms of Lactose Intolerant in Cats?
One of the most common symptoms of Lactose Intolerant in cats is excessive diarrhea, gas, or flatulence. The symptoms and signs of lactose intolerance in cats normally occur from 30 minutes to 8 or 12 hours after eating or drinking food that includes lactose.
If you notice that your cat starts to stink up the house or the cat litter box, then this may be because of lactose intolerance. Following are the symptoms of lactose intolerant in cats:
- Constipation
- Excessive thirst
- Diarrhea
- Increased heart rate
- Dehydration
- Nausea, and sometimes, vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Gas
- Abdominal Bloating
- Itchy skin
- Weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of hair
- Lack of appetite
- Extreme licking of the skin
How to Treat Cat With Lactose Intolerant?
Cats are lactose intolerant. But, a small amount should be ok except your cat is sensitive to any diet changes.
To try to treat your cat’s lactose intolerance, you can try giving your cat a tiny bit of cottage cheese or sour cream. It would be a special treat for your cat.
For adult cats, you can drop milk and dairy products from their diet chart. And replace their diet with soy and lactose-free milk.
But if you see that your cat is experiencing a long period of diarrhea or vomiting and became severely dehydrated, more treatment will be needed.
Intravenous Fluids: If your cat doesn’t stop puking or discharging diarrhea for an extended duration of time, the cat’s physical fluids may need to be replaced. Thus, hospitalization will be required for this process to treat your cat.
Subcutaneous Fluid Administration: If your cat is lightly dehydrated, your vet may give liquid via a syringe into the loose skin on the back of your cat’s neck. You may be also provided with tools for continuing this process at home.
Differences Between Cat Milk And Lactose-Free Milk
Cat milk contains a carbohydrate called lactose, which is a disaccharide sugar made up of galactose and glucose. It is found in all types of milk, in varying percentages in each species.
Lactose-free milk is a commercial milk product that is free of lactose. This type of milk is easier to digest for cats with lactose intolerance problems. Lactose-free milk contains lactase, the enzyme used to break down lactose.
Final Thoughts
So, can cats eat sour cream? Is it necessary? According to my view, it is not necessary. It doesn’t provide much nutritional content and can do more harm than good.
Sour cream provides a small amount of protein with a moderate amount of fat. So to prevent your cat from accessing the family stash of sour cream, you should use indirect methods. Set up a couple of scat-mat near the fridge so the cat would feel comfortable lurking around the place.
No matter what, don’t shout at your cat as that would cause it to perceive you as less than friendly.
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