Can Cats Eat Whipped Cream?

As fur parents, it’s only natural that we would only want what’s best for our beloved pets. Whether you’re a dog or cat owner or both, it doesn’t matter. Their health and wellbeing is always a top priority.

We make sure to give them the healthiest cat food, make sure they stay active properly, and as much as possible make them happy. As trivial as it sounds, it isn’t that easy to raise pets, especially if you have more than one, you have a picky eater, or a cat with quite an attitude.
Our instincts would tell us to give our cat milk. But is dairy good for them? Can cats eat whipped cream? Let’s discuss and find out!

Can cats eat whipped cream?

No, cats should not eat whipped cream. This is because whipped cream contains dairy products, which cats are generally intolerant of.

Consumption of whipped cream and other dairy products could lead to digestion problems. In most cases, digestive system issues won’t be too serious and should go away with proper care. We’ll provide more info on symptoms and care in the case of dairy product ingestion below.

With that said, some cats may not be lactose-intolerant. More specifically, kittens don’t tend to show adverse reactions to milk and other similar products. When in their baby age, cats are exposed to lactose in their mother’s milk, but as they age, they lose the tolerance to lactose.

Some adult cats can also be tolerant of lactose, but this generally is not the case.

It’s probably not a good idea to feeding your cat dairy treats no matter the age – as obligatory carnivores, they won’t benefit from dairy products much. Try to keep your cat away from whipped cream and other similar products and ensure a healthy cat diet instead.

Are cats Lactose Intolerant (Cause and Symptoms)?

One condition that may be the reason why cats can’t consume whipped cream is lactose intolerance. But are animals, in general, can be lactose intolerance? Let’s dig in deeper.

What is Lactose Intolerance?

The body’s inability to break down a certain type of sugar called lactose is called Lactose intolerance. It is found in dairy products like yogurt and milk. When your small intestine halts manufacturing a sufficient amount of the enzyme lactase then you become lactose intolerant. Cause by then your body won’t be able to digest lactose.

This is when unprocessed lactose moves into your large intestine. This is bad news as to when lactose and the bacteria in your large intestine interact, it would then cause gas, bloating, and worse diarrhea.

Lactose intolerance is very common especially among adults and 30 million Americans suffer from it. It may not as serious but boy it causes so much discomfort.

Difference between humans and cats?

Do lactose intolerance manifests differently in cats than with humans?

No, not really, as studies have proven that the onset, cause, and manifestation of lactose intolerance is the same as when it affects humans or cats.

So what are the symptoms? What should I watch out for?

Some cats just love drinking their milk and other dairy products like whipped cream. So if your kitty indeed consumes these products what do you watch out for?

After your beloved cat has consumed whipped cream or any other dairy product in won’t take long before symptoms may surface. Just wait for about 8 to 12 hours. The same as with us humans symptoms vary from, flatulence, vomiting, stomach ache, and diarrhea.

Without lactase sugars just won’t disintegrate and soon enough cat stomach problems for your cat will manifest. Lactose intolerance is normal for both cats and humans and it turns out that age correlates with it.

Ever wonder why it affects a lot of adults? Well, it affects a lot or most adult cats too!

Adult cats and lactose intolerance

There’s a perfectly logical (scientific) reason why adult cats tend to be lactose intolerance than they were kittens. We would bet that it’s the same reason for humans too, as well as other mammals.

You guessed it, it’s because young mammals and so kittens are born to digest the sugar from their mama’s milk, lactose. So it is nature’s way to make sure kittens get all the sustenance they need to grow big, strong, and healthy.

But after that, when kittens grow older and they stop getting nourishment from their mama cats, lactase the enzyme that breaks down the sugar gradually disappears. And so the vulnerability to lactose intolerance starts to rise.

Once an adult cat induces milk, lactose that’s undigested in their gut may start to ferment thus when the symptoms start to manifest.

So what happens if your cat consumes whipped cream? What to do when they show symptoms of any sickness after?

Here we discuss some of the steps you can take to remedy lactose intolerance should your cats show symptoms of it. Plus some steps to ensure such occurrence or some preventive measures.

So what happens when your cat manifests some symptoms? In severe cases they may also exhibit the ff.: Excessive gas, abdominal pain, polydipsia or increased thirst, constipation, dehydration, dry gums, and increased heart rate.

Stop giving them dairy products

As sad as this news can be, the most effective way to just do away with lactose intolerance with your beloved cats is to systematically stop giving them dairy products such as milk or whipped cream altogether. This should be a surefire way to keep those nasty sugars away from your cat’s gut.

Drink lots of water

Cats need water above anything else. So keep them hydrated and make it a habit for them to drink water instead. As much as we would like to treat them with milk or whipped cream especially if your kitty loves it, in reality, they don’t need cow’s milk or any other dairy product.

Try cheese or yogurt

Instead of whipped cream and milk that could cause harmful effects on your cat’s body try yogurt or chess instead. Different dairy products would contain different levels of lactose and that it is processed differently. So who knows your kitties may not show symptoms if you give them cheese or yogurt instead.

If it gets worst

If your kitty starts exhibiting slightly extreme symptoms like vomiting and expelling diarrhea then you may have to visit your vet for it already. Intravenous fluids may be required and the only way to treat them.

When dehydration occurs

Subcutaneous fluid administration may be required when your cat becomes extremely dehydrated. Again this would the job of your veterinarian.

Overall, are dairy products (cow’s milk) bad for cats?

So what is the verdict? Are dairy products really that bad for cats? Is it safe to say that cats really can’t eat whipped cream?

Don’t worry if they like these sweet treats then all hope is not lost.

Not all cats are lactose intolerant

Try it out give them some serving of milk or small amounts of whipped cream and see if they’d exhibit some for the symptoms we’ve discussed if not try a little bit more the next few days. If they don’t then congratulations! Your kitty isn’t lactose intolerance.

Human foods you should not share with your cats!

Here is a list of foods that you should not as much as possible share with your cats or tiny pets other than what’s already discussed.

• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Ice cream
• Fat trimmings, eggs, raw meat, fish
• Onions and garlic
• Baby food
• Tuna

Of course, some of these are a complete no-no like chocolates, caffeine, and alcohol. Some can be tolerated or as per advice from your veterinarian.

Should your cat or pet digests any harmful or toxic substance don’t hesitate to call your vet, animal hospital or any pet emergency hotlines. It always helps to have this information at hand. And always try to determine how much your pet induced as it may be crucial to responding to any emergency.

Alternative treats you can buy for your cat instead

Fret not cat lovers as there are alternative treats that may be better than whipped cream for your kitties. There are a lot of lactose-free dairy products or overall alternative treats for you to choose from.

Some of the best-selling cat treats are as follows:

• Temptations Classic Tasty Chicken Soft & Crunchy Cat Treats
• Greenies Feline Oven Roasted Chicken Flavor Adult Dental Cat Treats
• Sheba Meaty Tender Sticks Chicken Cat Treats
• Friskies Party Mix Morning Munch Crunch Flavor Crunchy Cat Treats

And here are human foods that are safe to give to your cats and be a part of their meal and diet:

Salmon – a great source for protein and the coveted Omega-3 fatty acids. It’s delicious and tasty and your kitties would surely love it.
Spinach – going the veggie route, Spinach is also quite good for your fur babies. It includes essential vitamins and is a cat-friendly treat.

• Cantaloupe – looking for a sweet and healthy treat? Try cantaloupe! You’ll both enjoy it.
• Chicken – this should satisfy their meat cravings.
• Bananas – they can use the added potassium.

Cats and Calories

Oh to be a cat! You eat, you play, you nap, and you well, eat again. Your kitties may not like it but you are going to have to control their food intake at some point. They may not like it but whipped cream or any other dairy product contains a lot of calories.

Strictly speaking, your cat only needs 30 calories per pound of weight. So we suggest that as much as possible, stave off of these products.

Final Thoughts…

Knowing what your beloved pet cats prefer and knowing what’s best for them is key to managing their health and wellbeing properly. Can cats eat whipped cream? Some can and some don’t. But should you give them whipped cream and other dairy products? No need to, and to be honest we rather you don’t.

Whipped creams as mentioned above has lots of calories and even if your kitty can tolerate lactose well it won’t be good for their health anyway.

So try our alternatives and be sure to always give your fur babies lots of love.