Can cats be given dog food?

We're guessing there are only two reasons why you came across this article. First, you catch your cat stealing a snack from the dog's bowl, and you can't help but wonder if you'll end up with a sick kitten on your hands later. Or secondly, you are completely out of cat food and wondering if cats can eat dog food.

Cats are certainly capable of eating dog food (as evidenced by my own moggy, who will happily try to dislocate his jaw to eat giant dog food!), but from a nutritional perspective, cats really shouldn't eat dog food .

Is dog food suitable for cats?

So, the short answer to the question of can cats eat dog food is: yes, but only in an emergency or for a short period of time. This is because cats and dogs have different dietary requirements. Dog food lacks the essential nutrition that cats need to live a long, healthy life. Cats are carnivores, which means they only eat meat. Dogs are omnivores, which means they eat meat, grains, and vegetables, so they need a more varied diet than just meat to meet their nutritional needs.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of why your cat can't eat dog food forever, it's important to start with the basics of cat nutrition and the difference between the nutritional needs of a cat and a dog.

Feed storage

Proper storage of cat food is the key to health. There are often cases when animals were poisoned with good food that was simply stored incorrectly.

What food is best to feed a cat: advice from veterinarians

A few simple storage rules:

You need to pay attention to expiration dates when purchasing food. A closed package can be stored for no more than six months;
You cannot buy food in bulk. No one knows under what conditions this food was stored and whether this is really the brand that the seller claims it to be. It is better to buy food in factory packaging and not worry about the quality;
the contents of the open package must be poured into a container that can be hermetically sealed;
It is not advisable to mix food from different packs. If there is still a remnant of the old pack in the container in which the cat food is stored, then it is better not to pour a new one;
The container must be stored in a dry and dark place. Storage temperature is required at room temperature (20-22 °C). The sun's rays dry out the granules, and mold may appear due to humidity;
If mold is found, it is necessary to dispose of the entire pack and disinfect the container and animal bowls.

Note! The cat should always have a bowl of fresh water. If your pet doesn't drink much, you can install drinking fountains.

Is it possible to give dog food to cats? No on a permanent basis, definitely. But if the cat does not have health problems, obesity or allergies, then you can pamper him with a couple of grains of dog food once a month.

What is cat food made of?

According to Dr. Sarah Ochoa, a small animal and exotic veterinarian in East Texas, cats absolutely need food containing taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that is important for normal heart function, vision and reproduction. Because taurine is found only in animal proteins, all cats require a meat-based diet to meet their nutritional needs.

Cat foods are very rich in protein, calories, fat and contain the required amount of taurine. Specifically, Patrick Mahaney, DVM, explains what a healthy cat food looks like:

Natural whole food ingredients
High quality animal proteins (at least 30%)
Healthy animal fats (15% to 20%)
Digestible carbohydrates and fiber
Essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fatty acids
No by-products, fillers or artificial additives

Taurine and arginine

These are essential amino acids for the cat’s body; if they are deficient, serious and dangerous conditions develop not only for the health, but also for the life of the pet. Taurine is contained in large quantities in the retina of a cat’s eye, and therefore, with its chronic deficiency, vision primarily suffers, and over time the animal inevitably goes blind. In addition, taurine is extremely important for the cardiovascular and nervous systems, blood clotting, reproductive and gastrointestinal function, and much more.

Arginine is no less important; if it is deficient, ammonia accumulates in the blood, which can have fatal consequences.

What is the difference between dog and cat food?

Dog food contains protein, but also contains grains and vegetables necessary for their omnivory.

Cat food contains only proteins (no grains or vegetables) because they are carnivores.

Carbohydrates such as rice and corn in small quantities are good for cats but are not essential for a cat's diet. However, they usually play an important role in dog food.

Vitamin A

It is a fat-soluble vitamin found in animal products. Cats do not have an enzyme that can convert vitamin A from beta-carotene, so they cannot get it from carrots or other carotene-rich vegetables. With a lack of animal products in the diet, vitamin A deficiency occurs, which primarily affects the animal's vision, skin and fur.

As we can see, feeding cats dog food all the time means ruining their health, and therefore you should definitely choose your pet’s own high-quality diet, which contains all the vitamins and nutrients it needs.

What should you do if your cat accidentally ate dog food?

If your cat accidentally eats your dog's lunch, don't worry.

Dog food is not harmful to cats, but it should not be regularly consumed in place of cat food. Cats can eat dog food without getting sick, even if it is not the best food for them.

Dr. Ochoa says if you find yourself in an emergency where you forgot to go to the store to buy more cat food and all you have is dog food, feed it to your cat. And if your cat takes a few pieces of food from your dog's bowl, there's nothing to worry about, she adds.

But cats cannot survive on dog food alone for their long-term diet. Without the right amount of protein, cats lose muscle mass and become lethargic. When it comes to taurine, VCA Animal Hospitals explains that the amino acid is critical for vision, digestion, heart function, fetal development and a healthy immune system in cats.

Conclusions and tips for feeding a cat

Is it possible to feed a dog dry and natural food at the same time?

The basis of healthy feeding is a balanced diet. If owners want to feed their domestic predator natural food, the best solution would be to contact a nutritionist. Only this specialist will be able to select a diet based on the individual needs of the cat, taking into account the animal’s weight, lifestyle and health status.

Only a specialist can choose a healthy diet for your cat.

Most owners feed their pet cats with ready-made food because it is more convenient and does not take much time. In addition, the food is as balanced as possible.

So why is a ready-made diet better than natural food:

balance. There is no need to think about how much protein, fat and carbohydrates the animal will receive, and how to fit everything it needs into a small portion. The granules have already thought out the whole balance;
saving time. The daily intake is already indicated on the packaging. No additional preparations, vitamins or supplements are required;
compound. A conscientious manufacturer always writes the composition on the packaging, as well as the percentage of each element;
big choice. Most foods have specialized and medicinal lines. And in case of allergies or intolerances, you can always replace one with the other. Fortunately, the choice is huge.

Feeds are divided into classes according to the quality of their composition:

holistic;
super premium;
premium;
economy

Important! There is no official gradation by class. The food may be declared by the manufacturer as super-premium, but in terms of composition it may turn out to be economy.

Some tips on how to choose the best food for your pet carnivore:

You should choose premium and super-premium food. They have a perfectly balanced nutrient content for the cat's body;
Veterinarians do not recommend feeding animals with economy class food. It has very low nutritional value and contains virtually no meat. It is replaced by offal of questionable quality;
Feed manufacturers provide a huge range of flavors. The difference between one and the other is due to the different type of protein and fiber that the manufacturer uses. It is worth studying your pet's preferences. If you don't have allergies, any flavor will do;
If, when changing food, the cat experiences lethargy, diarrhea or vomiting, it means that this particular food was not suitable for the pet. It is necessary to change the type, flavor or brand, and also visit a veterinarian;
During the growth period, kittens require much more nutrients than in adulthood. Companies produce food created specifically for kittens. It has everything an actively growing body needs;
You can combine dry and liquid food. The main thing is that both types are of the same brand.

Important! With prepared diets, it is very important not to feed food from the table. Such handouts upset the entire balance thought out by the producers of the ready-made diet. It can also negatively affect digestion.

Feeding pets in different rooms

Cats are animals that absolutely cannot go hungry. Hunger for more than 18 hours is dangerous for their body. If the animal is of normal weight, the bowl of food should be kept standing at all times. If a therapeutic diet or a diet for weight loss is prescribed, food should be given only for the duration of feeding (15-30 minutes).

If a cat, despite prohibitions, steals food from a dog, it means that it is necessary to feed the animals in different rooms or control the dog’s bowl until the dog eats his portion. The same should be done if there are several cats in the house who are prescribed different medicinal food. In this case, the food does not stand constantly, but is placed for 15-30 minutes. Then all food is removed until the next meal.

One serving at a time

There is always a table on the food package indicating how many grams of food a cat should eat per day. The portion depends on the animal’s weight, age and activity. This portion should be divided by the number of feedings and the calculated amount of grams should be poured into a bowl. You can buy a measuring cup at a pet store. It is convenient for them to measure portions for feeding. Do not be afraid that the portion is too small, since food swells in the stomach, and there are always enough nutrients for the normal functioning of the body.

Feed calculation table

How do I feed my multi-pet family?

Cats and dogs can live together in harmony, but their food dishes do not mix. The simplest solution for feeding cats and dogs: separate feeding areas.

Mikel Delgado, a cat behavior expert, suggests having separate food dishes for each animal in your home and placing them in different areas. "Keep in mind that cats will naturally prey on small animals that they don't share," she explains. “While it is a ritual for us to eat together, this is not the case with cats!”

Delgado also raises an excellent point about cats' natural instincts: "They prefer their own space and privacy when eating, and they don't always want to take turns eating at a communal bowl."

Posted by Becca Risa Luna is a writer and graphic designer. When she's not writing, you'll find her playing with her rescued mini schnauzer named Huxley and advocating for mental health.

How to prevent accidental eating of “not your own” food

What can you do to stop your dog from eating cat food and vice versa?

It's quite simple:
Do not leave food freely available.
Feed your pets in different rooms.
Place a barrier between bowls or remove them between feedings.
Place your cat's bowl higher so your dog can't reach it.
Install a cat door leading to the area where the cat eats. The size of the door should not allow the dog to get into the “cat’s canteen”.
Feed the cat when the dog is walking.

Feed your pets a diet that is suitable for them. You can find out how to choose food from the many available on the market in our article: How to understand the variety of animal food?

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Everyone needs amino acids, but in different ways

At first glance, the most popular pets belong to the same order of predators, which means their diet should be similar. And this is true - cats and dogs are adapted to eating meat. However, these are still different species of animals that evolved under different conditions and have a different history of domestication.

Over the course of two dozen millennia of living next to humans, dogs have adapted to the absorption of some other sources of energy, in addition to animal protein and fat, although they remain a necessary basis of their diet. But cats were and remain obligate (Latin obligatus - obligatory, indispensable) predators, adapted to eat only meat.

This is the reason for the higher content of animal protein in cat food, which, in fact, makes it more expensive. These animals have a much higher need for amino acids, for example, an adult dog needs tryptophan 15 g per kg of body weight, a cat - 75 g, arginine, respectively - 70 g and 380 g, lysine - 60 g and 570 g.

Taurine is vital for cats

And so it is with almost all essential amino acids - cats should receive them from food in much larger (2-3 times) quantities. The content of taurine is especially significant for cats - an essential amino acid of exclusively animal origin; it is not found in any form in plant protein.

Dogs can synthesize taurine in the liver from methionine and cysteine, but in cats this ability is very limited, while this substance is involved in a huge number of processes occurring in the body, in particular, it is necessary for the normal functioning of the retina, heart, immune system, nervous, reproductive systems and platelet formation. If there is a lack of taurine, the cat will experience rapid development of cardiac pathology and retinal atrophy, and if measures are not taken, the death of the animal is inevitable.

Naturally, all these features are taken into account by manufacturers of dry food, increasing the content of animal protein in cat food and, as a last resort, adding taurine and other amino acids in synthesized form. In the Acana and Orijen diets, the high content of fresh meat serves this purpose.

Why buy dog food?

The main reason is savings. Products for dogs are cheaper. They always buy large packages. To avoid additional expenses, cats are also given dog food. The second reason is simple ignorance. Many owners believe that all food is the same, only the name and purpose changes.

Actually this is not true. Anyone who carefully reads the information on the packaging will notice the differences. It is not for nothing that cat products are higher in calories, do not contain cereals or legumes, and vegetables are added in minimal quantities.

Economy or premium?

These two types of food are radically different:

Economy class food is food for every day. They have a cheap price due to the low quality of the components of the composition. Instead of a cereal or corn base, soy, starch, and plant by-products can be used here. The meat part takes up no more than 20%.
Premium food is a treat that rewards animals for completing tasks, during training, or simply makes pets happy from time to time. The price of such feeds is quite high, the feed components are high-quality and expensive, the share of meat components is 70-80%.

General information

In practice, if both a cat and a dog live in the house and are not fed in isolated areas, it is not uncommon for pets to calmly eat from each other’s bowls. Such cases are especially frequent if the food is of high quality and attracts both pets with its taste.

In such cases, the owner should be especially careful about the compatibility of dog food with the cat’s stomach.

Reasons why a cat doesn't eat as much from a dog's bowl:

Current cat food is more sparse in content and the cat eats dog food because it suits her better.
The cat is missing a specific ingredient in the dog's food.
Dog food is fresher than what is currently offered to the cat.

Does a cat need fat?

Owners are wary of fat in their cat’s diet, especially if the cat is prone to obesity. But in reality, fat alone will not make a predator fat, just as greens do not make herbivores green. An animal gains excess weight not because of specific macronutrients, but because the total caloric content of the diet is exceeded. If a high-fat food contains a minimum of carbohydrates and is dosed correctly, the cat will be in excellent shape.

Domestic dogs have partly adapted to extract energy from carbohydrates, so dog foods sometimes contain less animal fat and more grains. By consuming such a product regularly, cats will receive less of the essential arachidonic acid, which affects the health of the reproductive, gastrointestinal and other systems. In addition, vitamin A (retinol) is fat-soluble, and if it is not fully absorbed by the cat’s body, it will lead to decreased vision, hair loss, and in the case of kittens, growth retardation.