Food safety

Can Cats Drink Buttermilk?

Not recommended — Buttermilk for cats.

Not recommended

Why: Buttermilk is cultured milk — high in lactose and fat, and acidic. Most adult cats are lactose-intolerant, so buttermilk is likely to cause diarrhoea, and it offers nothing a cat needs.

If your cat ate buttermilk: A few laps are not an emergency. Watch for diarrhoea and offer fresh water.

Related: Milk, Lactose-Free Milk, Goat Milk

Why this verdict

Buttermilk is cultured milk — high in lactose and fat, and acidic. Most adult cats are lactose-intolerant, so buttermilk is likely to cause diarrhoea, and it offers nothing a cat needs.

If your cat ate buttermilk

A few laps are not an emergency. Watch for diarrhoea and offer fresh water.

Related foods

Milk, Lactose-Free Milk, Goat Milk

Check another food

Back to the Food-Safety Checker to check all 90 foods, or see the beginner feeding guide and the feeding estimator.

Before you use the result

Use the result as a starting point for observation and planning. Cats vary by age, body condition, temperament, medical history, and household setup.

Sources: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, and the Cornell Feline Health Center — Feeding Your Cat. Chocolate toxicity figures are approximate values from the Merck Veterinary Manual. If your cat ate something on the toxic list, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.