Almost every household here gives cats milk, and most adult cats cannot digest it. They lose the enzyme for it after weaning, so the milk goes straight through -- diarrhoea, gas, a miserable cat, and an owner who thinks the cat is "just delicate".
It sits alongside a whole set of beliefs that get passed down and are worth listing in one place:
- Cats always land on their feet, so a fall from the roof is fine
- A cat should be fed only leftover roti and salan
- Cats are self-sufficient and do not need vaccination
- A pregnant woman must get rid of the cat
- Cats cannot be trained
- A cat that goes off food for a day or two is just being fussy -- this one is dangerous, because a cat that stops eating can develop liver problems within days
Which of these did you grow up believing? And what finally changed your mind -- a vet, an animal, or something you read?