*If you own both a dog and a cat, you may often wonder, can cats eat do food? There are generally two reasons why you may ask this question:
- You’ve caught your cat stealing from your dogs food bowl.
- The daily grind of work and doing a hundred other things and you’ve just realised you’ve ran out of cat food. This will get you asking to yourself “can cats eat do food?“.
Cats and dogs are built differently and have completely different nutritional requirements. As cats are obligate carnivores, it’s obvious that they cannot fully switch to eating dog food. But what happens if they consume it? Is it toxic for them? Let’s find out.
Can Cats Eat Dog Food?
Technically yes, cats can consume dog food without any short-term harm as dog food isn’t toxic. But doing so isn’t a good idea because cats are obligate carnivores and require daily essential nutrients such as Taurine and Arginine that are only found in properly formulate cat meats.
So if you catch your cat having a nibble of your dogs food, don’t be alarmed, just don’t make a habit of this happening, and don’t ever use dog food to replace a cats regular diet. Cats enzymes are constantly set for high levels of dietary protein and require more protein than dogs do.
Here’s Why Cats Can’t Eat Dog Food
Cat’s are obligate carnivores which means they have a very unique dietary requirement. In this section we are going to look at why cat’s can’t eat dog food.
- Vitamin A: This is an essential vitamin in cat food. Dogs can make do with just beta carotene instead because their bodies will turn this into vitamin A. Only some dog foods contain vitamin A, but even then, it will not contain enough that a cat requires on a daily basis to support a healthy diet.
- Essential amino acid: Most dog foods are deficient in taurine as a dog can make their own. Taurine is an essential amino acid for a cat to survive. Notaurine in a cat’s diet can result in a heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Fish is also deficient in Taurine which is why it’s bad for a cat to have a fish-only diet.
- Arachidonic acid: This is a fatty acid and also another thing on the list that dogs can build themselves. Cat’s will will need to get this themselves from food.
- Protein: Cat’s need a lot more protein a day than humans or dogs. Although some dog foods do contain protein, it is nowhere near the recommended amount of protein that a carnivorous cat requires.
What Do Cats Need To Eat?
Cat’s have fewer taste than humans. This is the reason why they do not crave chocolate or anything else which contains sugar. In the wild, cat’s would choose to eat 5-7 small meals per day as they have a small stomach.
As we mentioned above, cat’s being carnivores will need a specialised diet which is high in protein, taurine, and fats. Here’s exactly what a cat will need to keep them healthy:
- Protein from meat or fish
- Amino acids like taurine and arginine (from meat or fish)
- Fatty acids
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
We have established that protein is a crucial part of a cat’s diet. Veterinarians recommend that a cat’s needs to be about 35 to 45 percent protein in order to maintain many body functions.
What’s The Difference Between Cat And Dog Food?
Although dogs eat meat and their food contains protein, dogs are actually omnivore’s which is why their food also contains vegetables and grains. Cats are carnivores so their food is made up of protein without grains or vegetables.
Carbohydrates such as corn and rice also play a major role in dog food. When it comes to cats, carbohydrates are not a dietary essential.
Cats only produce around 5% of amylase that dogs do which is responsible for carb digestion. They also lack amylase in their saliva, as well as key liver enzyme, glucokinase which converts glucose to enable cells to use it to make energy.
So when you look at both a cat and dog side-by-side, they are built very different, which is why there is such a difference in their foods.
What if Your Cat Accidentally Eats Dog Food?
If you are a cat and dog owner, you have probably experienced a situation where your cat will start eating out of your dogs bowl. If this happens, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. As previously mentioned, dog food cannot harm your cat.
The thing you shouldn’t do is replace it for your cat’s regular diet, as it doesn’t contain the correct daily nutrition that your cat requires. Cat’s cannot survive long term on dog food alone.
Can You Feed A Cat Dog Food In An Emergency?
There may be a situation where you either forgot to stock upon cat food, or for what ever reason you cannot leave the house to get some. If this is the case, you may be asking “can I feed my cat dog food in an emergency”? This answer to this is yes.
Your cat will obviously not consume as many nutrients as it would with it’s usual food, there will be enough nutrients contained in the dog food to get your cat by for the short term. Just don’t make a habit of this or go to long with proper cat food. If a cat goes too long without the right amount of protein, they will not only become lethargic but will also start to lose muscle mass.
How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Eating My Dogs Food?
All cat owners will know, cat’s can be very strange creatures, each with a unique personality. If you happen to own a cat that seems more interested in the dog’d food than their own, how can you prevent them from eating it. Here are our top tips which will help resolve this problem:
- Feeding schedules: We all know that cat’s are creatures of routine, but dogs are also. If you have a set schedule and stick to it each day, they will begin to learn when feeding time is. This will make it less likely that your cat will go to your dogs bowl for more food.
- Different bowl designs: What usually happens is, cat and dog owners will have very similar, or even the same designed bowls. This means that your cat may be finding it difficult to distinguish which bowl is actually there’s. With both cat’s and dogs having the ability to distinguish between shapes and sizes, it’s a good idea to get completely different designs and colours.
- Bowl location: This is a great tip which should work pretty much every time. Cat’s pick up on things very easily such as certain things in certain rooms of the house. Pick a location in the house which is far away from where you usually feed your dog. You’ll find that you cat will soon learn where to go when he’s hungry.
- Discipline: You can easily train a cat to eat out of it’s own bowl by using positive reinforcement. If you do catch them eating out of your dogs bowl, you can use a firm “no”. Only do this if they are actually in the act though, as doing it after will only confuse them and this technique will not work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will dog food hurt a cat?
The odd bite of dog food here and there is not going to hurt your cat. Problems occur if you feed dog food to your cat on a regular basis. This is because cats and dogs require different nutritional needs. Cats require a high protein diet, along with certain vitamins and fatty acids.
So a cat eating dog food is not consuming the required nutrients which can cause them to become malnourished.
Can a cat eat dried dog food?
If you happen to catch your cat stealing some of your dogs dried food, there is no need to panic as it is not toxic and will not harm them. Just don’t intentionally give them dried dog food on a regular basis as a replacement for their regular food.
What happens if you feed a dog cat food?
A dog consuming cat food can cause just a little diarrhea and vomiting. Eating too much of it can lead to gastrointestinal upset, obesity,and pancreatitis due to the nutrient imbalance in the cat food.
If your dog consumes cat food and doesn’t show any signs or symptoms of illness, the high levels of protein in cat food can be hard on a dogs kidney and liver.
Can Cats Eat Dog Food Conclusion
Can cats eat dog food? Although dog food isn’t toxic for cats and the occasional nibble isn’t going to hurt them, you should never feed dog food to your cat on a regular basis. Doing this means your cat will become malnourished and miss out on essential nutrients required.
