can cats eat yogurt

by Chairman Meow estate dictator, reluctant columnist, who tolerates dairy the way he tolerates most things, briefly

Yogurt is an interesting case, because it is dairy, and dairy and cats have a complicated relationship you have probably heard oversimplified. A small amount of plain yogurt is usually better tolerated than a saucer of milk, for a specific reason, but it is still not something a cat needs. Here is the nuance, which is the whole point of the page.

the lactose difference from milk

Most adult cats are lactose intolerant. They lose the enzyme to digest milk sugar after weaning, which is why the classic saucer of milk so often ends in a mess, as I explain in can cats drink milk. Yogurt is different in a helpful way: the culturing process breaks down some of the lactose before your cat ever gets to it, so plain yogurt tends to sit better than plain milk. Some cats handle a little without complaint. It is not lactose-free, and a very sensitive cat may still object, but the odds are gentler than with milk.

the yogurt-curious cat in question

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plain only, and only a little

If you do share some, the rules are strict and simple. Plain, unsweetened, unflavoured yogurt only. No fruit yogurts, no honey, no chocolate, and above all nothing containing xylitol, the artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets and hides in low-sugar products. Keep the amount to a teaspoon-sized taste, not a bowl, and watch how the cat handles it, because a soft stool afterwards is the cat telling you its gut disagrees, and you should not offer it again. Full-fat and Greek styles are fine in that tiny quantity; the flavour and the sugar are the parts that cause trouble.

the verdict

A lick of plain yogurt is a low-risk novelty for most cats, easier on the stomach than milk and harmless in a teaspoon. But it is a treat, not a food group. A cat gets everything it needs from a proper meat-based diet and nothing essential from dairy, so there is no need to make a habit of it. If your cat enjoys the odd small taste and tolerates it well, that is fine. If it does not, that is your answer. And whatever you do, keep it plain.

Related reading from my desk: can cats drink milk, on why the saucer of milk is a myth, and can cats eat cheese, the other dairy question cats raise at the fridge.