Can cat eat dog food?

(April 13, 2010)

Food is an essential part of every living being as it serves as the primary source of energy that one needs to perform their activities. Food is prepared keeping in mind the different body structures and requirements of different beings. Thus, it is essential to understand this point and give each animal food that they should ideally be eating. Most pet owners that house both dogs and cats as pets might be tempted to feed both of them the same food to save time and money but this should be strictly avoided. There is no way that cats can eat dog food as the nutritional value that cats need is different from that which is present in dog food. Cats need a diet that is very high in proteins as compared to dog food and moreover, cats need taurine from their food which is an amino acid that is primarily essential to keep away from heart and other health problems. This is not present in dog food as dogs are known to produce it naturally. Cat food is very rich and contains a lot of fat for dogs due to which they might put on weight after consuming cat food very often or may get an upset stomach. Vitamin A needed by both cats and dogs are in different forms where beta carotene can be used by dogs as a vitamin A source but this cannot be done by cats. Cats need the supply of a fatty acid known as arachidonic acid in their body which can be got only through their food and dog food does not contain this fatty acid.

Some cats love to eat dog food and vice versa. A few bites here and there of eating the other food is alright but a perpetual demand for other food might pose grave problems. While serving food to your dogs and cats, serve them foods in different rooms and also make sure that the food is only accessible to its intended recipient. In conclusion, dog food for cats is a big no and vice versa. The food for each species, even if of a high quality, is prepared keeping in mind the nutritional requirements of that specific species. In order to ensure that your cat is healthy and does not end up having dozens of health problems as a result of nutritional deficiencies, it is recommended that you feed it cat food only.