It’s always great to have alternatives for your little one to drink, especially if they aren’t huge water drinkers. In the past, I covered the question “cats can drink soy milk?“, but you may also be wondering can cats drink almond milk?
Due to my ongoing battle with lactose, we’ve searched for cow milk alternatives, just so I have something in case I need a quick bowl of cereal. While trying out almond milk, I looked down at Beau and questioned if almond milk was something he could have, since he isn’t an avid water drinker.
Short Answer
This might come as a surprise, but some cats can have almond milk, but only in moderation.
What Makes Almond Milk Okay?
Well, straight out of the gate, it doesn’t have lactose! Since cats don’t have the enzyme to digest lactose all dairy is out of the question. Second, almond milk doesn’t contain any ingredients that are currently known to be harmful or toxic to cats. The only reason why I say “currently” is because there have been products that have been used in cat foods for years that vets/pet nutritionists didn’t realize were actually bad for the kitties, but if any new studies come out I’ll be sure to update this article and let you know!
Okay, perfect, I grabbed my almond milk, now is there anything to be worried about?
Well with everything you let your cat ingest you’re going to have to make sure to watch them closely and see if anything odd happens to them. Cats never know their limits and will eat until they throw up, so make sure not to give them too much almond milk at once. Make sure you’re looking out for vomiting, diarrhea, gas or bloating as these would be signs that your cat is allergic to the milk. Cats with gastrointestinal issues should never be given almond milk as it can be hard for them to break down the bacteria in the milk, even without lactose.
How Much is Too Much?
More than a cup is too much! Make sure you’re giving less than this a day and I would still err on the side of caution and give less just to be safe. Use small amounts like 1/4 a cup or less as a treat or for medicine (to encourage them to take their pills) or because they’ve been a good little one, but if you want something more regular for your kitty to drink check out something like Fruitables Broth as it’s a product you can have your cat drink daily!
Are there any health benefits to Almond Milk?
Absolutely! It has omega-3 fatty acids which are great for the heart, and has lots of potassium, vitamin E, zinc, riboflavin, selenium and manganese! Some brands will also throw in some calcium and Vitamin D to balance them out, and I would make sure you aren’t buying anything with artificial ingredients or sweeteners. Make sure to read the labels!!
I think my cat is allergic to Almonds…
Great! Glad you caught that! It’s super good to be aware of your pet’s allergies! Allergies show up in all different forms, however, the most important ones to watch out for are skin irritations, vomiting and diarrhea. If your cat begins to frequently vomit or doesn’t have chronic diarrhea make sure to rush them to the vet to get re-hydrated and clear their system from the almonds.
Okay, I’m not going to risk it! What can you recommend instead?
Hey, don’t worry, we decided not to risk it either. Although we know that the chances aren’t high for our cats to get sick, especially because we rarely ever feed treats, we still chose not to let our cats drink almond milk. Instead, I would recommend cat specific milk supplements like: WHISKAS CATMILK PLUS Drink for Cats and Kittens, Cat Sip Real Milk Treat for Cats and Kittens, KMR – Kitten Milk Replacer, PetLac Milk Powder for Kittens, and PetAg Catsure Powder.
Other foods you might be curious if cats can or can’t eat:
Nuts/Legumes: Peanuts | Cashews | Pecans
Fruits/Vegetables: Olives | Watermelon | Bananas
Treats/Liquids: Ice Cream | Almond Milk | Coffee | Soy Milk
Misc. Plants: Roses
Wendy says
June 3, 2019 at 1:02 pmI mix a literal *splash* of almond milk into my cats’ soft food because my older one is 7 and hates soft food. 🙄 He needs a prescription diet (for life)… but only wants crunchies. So I add a dash to the soft food because he likes to lick liquids off and leave the food. Ugh!
Anyway, outside of immediate allergies, cats aren’t used to nuts. So their chances of having an allergy or food intolerance to it are much higher than humans. So start really small.
They tell you to imagine that each “treat” you give your cat like a few pieces of cat treats or a bit of milk or chicken is the equivalent to their *kitty* body as if you were holding a big, greasy cheeseburger.
It made me realize I was still way overfeeding my cats. So hopefully people aren’t giving their cats a cup EVERY day or even most days. Treats should be much lesser than we imagine from our *human* portion control. 😊
Eastside Cats says
June 27, 2018 at 4:24 pmThe Hubby and I are vegans, so there isn’t any dairy anything in the house, nor do we indulge in almond milk or soy milk. We do eat raw almonds, and it’s always fun to watch Da Boyz chase a randomly dropped almond around the floor, but I take it away from them just in case. We really don’t want them focused on human food at all.
Johnny Salib says
June 27, 2018 at 4:26 pmI completely feel you on that. Beau always runs and tries to eat ANYTHING on the floor, even if it’s an eraser.
creezy says
June 26, 2018 at 2:55 amI always wonder why human beeings are so in „a cat has to drink!” Cats are desert animals, they are used to not drinking much. And as long a cat got fresh (means wet) meat meals there ist no need for them to drink a lot!
Johnny Salib says
June 26, 2018 at 4:28 amA lot of it stems from male cats getting frequent UTIs and sadly not all folks can afford to feed a good wet food and have to resort to kibble, enhancing the chances of them getting urinary issues.
Ellen Pilch says
June 25, 2018 at 9:47 pmThat is good to know. I wonder if they can have pea milk? That is my new favorite.
Johnny Salib says
June 26, 2018 at 4:29 amI’ll have to do some research for you and will let ya know!
Wendy says
June 3, 2019 at 1:05 pmNo! Definitely no! Peas aren’t safe for cats and many food manufacturers are removing Pea Protein due to emerging evidence that it’s bad for cats. Fine for humans. Stick with Almond, rice, cashew, etc milks.
da tabbies o trout towne says
June 25, 2018 at 12:43 pmguyz….we dunno….moo jooze oh any kind… lezz it IZ cat sip… kinda freekz uz out…we due knot think we
wood even try trout milk, if ther waz such a thing 🙂 ♥♥☺☺ !!
Johnny Salib says
June 25, 2018 at 1:07 pmHaha! We feel you, that’s why we usually stick to our broths and water 🙂 <3