Myth busting is always a challenge, akin to tilting at windmills. For every person who is set straight, there will be dozens more who won’t believe the truth. Today’s myth is all about cats and milk.

The old black and white photo of a farmer milking a cow, pausing to squirt a stream of milk into the mouth of a cat, is a classic. Of course cats like milk, but many are actually lactose intolerant.

A feline’s milk is a much different composition than cow’s milk. Once a kitten is weaned, dairy is no longer necessary in the diet and should be avoided.

Offering a saucer of milk to a stray cat or kitten may actually be doing harm. If the animal is lactose intolerant, she will soon be suffering from gastric distress, diarrhea and/or vomiting which can lead to dehydration.

That said, some cats do just fine with dairy products. The way to test your own pet is to offer no more than two tablespoons of milk, then wait 24 hours. If there are no symptoms, it is probably safe to give a bit as a treat now and again.

In multi-cat households, it might be tricky if one resident is lactose intolerant and the other is not. Cats don’t like it when their person plays favorites. In this case, avoid dairy altogether or try a feline milk replacement product which should be tolerated better. Get the powdered kind so it can be mixed up in small batches to avoid spoilage.

We’ve all heard of finicky eaters refusing can after can of cat food. This can happen if people food and treats are offered too often. Whatever you treat you kitties with, be sure you do not give so much that it replaces an actual meal.

My cats gather after their dinner for dental treats and L-lysine laced chews. To them it’s dessert; for me it’s preventative treatment time. It is also a bonding/playtime exercise that my cats (and dog) look forward to.

None of my cats are given dairy and they actually snub any dropped scraps of cheese. I do, however, treat with the juice from canned chicken and tuna. Boy do they come running for that and so will yours.