Drinking regular milk will not only give kittens diarrhea, but will also cause them to slowly starve to death if their diet isn't properly supplemented [source: Kitten Rescue]. The ratio of caseins and whey in cow's milk is nowhere near sufficient to support a growing kitten [source: Fries].
One of the significant adaptions occurred in one strain of E. coli. In general, this bacteria is known for not being able to use citrate in an aerobic environment as an energy source, even though it could use citrate under anaerobic conditions because it already has the machinery to process citrate.
E. coli is (-) and some other coliforms are (+). Citrate utilization as sole carbon source. E. coli is (-) and many other coliforms are (+). Therefore, in this series of four tests, called the IMViC tests, E. coli is typically ++-- and Enterobacter aerogenes is typically --++. Other coliforms give different reaction patterns and are designated âintermediatesâ.