Hello All
I have been reading with interest your stories on animal rescue (raccoon),
feeding ABM to cats and mothers-in-law (stories about them, not feeding
ABM to them...)! and I thought I would add my bit.
In Australia we have many marsupials (mammals who keep their babies in
their pouches), Unfortunately as most of these aree nocturnal many get run
over on our roads. We are asked to check in pouches to see if there is a
baby and take it to the nearest carer (volunteers who care for our native
animals). We are warned not to feed them as they are intolerant to bovine
lactose. I had a baby possum once whilst I was feeding my youngest
daughter on soy formula (another long story!) and it wouldn't take that
either.
I have a friend in the country who takes her father-in-laws abandoned
calves from his farm and hand rears them, they don't have cows milk
formula either, I have been told they would die. They get a special feed
she buys locally.
I have also recently become the owner of a cat for the first time in my
life and discovered, yes. cats are lactose intolerant and shouldn't be fed
cows milk.
My mother-in-law came to Australia from Yugoslavia in the 1950's and gave
birth to my husband in the city hospital, she had more milk than she
needed and developed mastitis, probably due to the 4 hrly  feeding regime
they put upon her. She was told to wean "because you have too much milk"
so discharged herself from the hospital (she has been outspoken from way
back!). She used to express her milk and give it to the cat she tells
me!!
I guess this all goes to prove to me that milk is species specific and
lets hope it remains that way for all mammal babies.
thank you for reading!!
Regards Jackie Cesnik De Novo Lactation Consultants
http:/www.monash.edu.au/informatics/lchome.htm
IBCLC, NMAA Breastfeeding Counsellor