The Feline Diet - Why Adult Cats Should Not Drink Milk

It's true that cats love milk. Most cats will drink it if you let them. And who hasn't shared a little milk with their feline friend now and then? So, what's the problem?
Cow's milk is not a natural food for any cat. Even kittens, who naturally drink nothing but milk for the first few weeks of their lives, specifically need milk that is higher in protein, certain fats, and other nutrients, than the stuff we get from dairy cows. In other words, the only milk they need is the milk that their mothers provide.
Once kittens are weaned (at 8-12 weeks of age), they often lose their ability to digest milk. Many adult cats are lactose intolerant, and can develop an upset tummy and diarrhea from drinking cow's milk. 
There are other problems with cow's milk, as well. Much of the milk we can buy at the store comes from cows that have been injected with a growth hormone, called rBGH. This hormone causes changes in the milk itself, including elevated levels of another hormone, IGF-1, which is known to promote cancerous tumors. Milk from rBGH-treated cows is also different in the types and amounts of fatty acids and proteins it contains.
rBGH also causes higher rates of painful mastitis (inflammation of the udder) that must be treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. This increases the chances of chemical residues in the milk that could harm your cat. While there are laws preventing dairies from selling milk with illegal levels of certain drugs, inspections are often inadequate. Other drugs are not even tested for. Chemically contaminated milk can still end up in your refrigerator.
Even without rBGH, cow's milk is full of hormones, including estrogens, which are linked to many health problems. Milking cows are kept pregnant 11 months of the year; and all those pregnancy hormones flow right into the milk. Milk may also contain traces of pesticides and other contaminants of the food the cows are fed. 
Unlike the milk produced by nursing queens (mother cats), which kittens drink in its natural raw state, store-bought milk is pasteurized. Pasteurization is necessary to kill harmful bacteria that are rampant in high-production dairy facilities. But it also destroys much of milk's natural vitamins A, C and some B vitamins; it makes calcium less absorbable; and it deforms (denatures) proteins and enzymes. Such altered proteins may cause allergies. Additionally, casein, the major protein in milk, may itself cause allergies. Dairy products are one of the top allergens in cats (the other most common allergens are chicken, beef, fish, wheat, and corn). 
So, even though she may love it (don't we all love to eat things that aren't very good for us?), cow's milk is definitely not a good choice for your cat.

Homemade Cat Food - Is Your Homemade Cat Food Balanced and Safe?

Feeding your cat homemade cat food is a good idea for the optimal health of your cat. However, that does not mean you can feed your cat any ol' thing and expect your cat to stay strong and healthy.

Cats, like humans, need to have a balanced diet in order to thrive to their optimal health and unfortunately many people do not realize this before they decide to give making homemade cat food a try.

Before you feed your cat things that you make, please make sure that you are doing your research. Look online for foods that are poisonous to your cat or better yet find a book that tells you how to make homemade cat food and how to make sure your cat is getting a balanced diet.

An example of something people would put in the food that is a big no-no is garlic. Garlic is poisonous to cats but since we tend to use a lot of garlic in our food we may never think twice about adding it to flavor our homemade food for the cat.

Another thing that is a big NO as far as feeding felines is tomatoes. Tomatoes are another poisonous thing we tend to want to give them.

Raw eggs are also something you should not feed them when you make homemade cat food because just like us they could indeed get salmonella. Because they are so small they have a much higher chance of dying from salmonella then we do.

You can not give your kitty raw dough. I don't know if that is something I would have considered giving my cat anyways but the reason they can't eat raw dough is because it could continue to rise in their stomachs thus causing major damage.

This is not a complete list but you get the idea. So between people feeding their felines things that are poisonous and not giving them a complete balanced meal, something wonderful like feeding cats homemade cat food has gotten a bad rap.

As I said before, feeding your cat homemade cat food is wonderful for your cat's health as long as you take the time to learn how to properly make the homemade cat food.