Introduction
Lactose intolerance is a condition that occurs when the body is unable to digest a sugar, known as lactose, which is naturally found in milk and dairy products. Cats often develop symptoms of lactose intolerance when they eat dairy products, but these symptoms are usually due to the type of digestive system that a cat has rather then an actual lactose intolerance condition.
Causes of Lactose Intolerance
When adult cats eat milk or cheese, many of them will develop lactose intolerance symptoms such as gas, bloat, abdominal pain, and loose bowel movements. The reason that most cats experience these symptoms when they eat dairy products is that their digestive symptoms are not designed to handle these types of foods.
Cats are pure carnivores. This means that cats survive off of a diet of meat, tissue, and bone marrow. The digestive system of the cat does not easily digest rich foods such as milk and cheese products, and cats in nature never eat the lactose sugars in these products in the wild.
While kittens are able digest milk, this is due to the undeveloped digestive system of the young kitten. All mammals have digestive symptoms at a young age that are designed to digest their mother’s milk or a synthetic form of the milk. As mammals age, their digestive systems mature as well, and they are no longer able to properly digest rich dairy foods.
Some cats can handle the occasional bowl of milk with no problems, while other cats may have severe reactions to dairy products. The cause of this disparity is most likely due to slight genetic differences between cats.