Kitty eatting Doggy food???

Question

I had adopted this cat named Leroy. His previous owner abused him, and to make things worse, he don't come out of hiding to eat. He is so skinny, but I just adopted a puppy, and Leroy is eatting A LOT of the puppy's food. Should I yell at him and tell him to stop?? He's finally eatting, dog food...

Answer 1

Cool!

Answer 2

No don't stop him from eating the dog food, as long as he is eating it is ok, my cats still to this day eat dog food at times even though they have cat food and my dogs will eat cat food, it will not hurt them so don't stop him , be glad he is eating something...and i am sure he will start eat cat food also just give the poor guy a break , remember with him being abused be4 you got him he may never of hardly ever gotten anything to eat, so yes it is normal my cats will eat just about anything and so will my dogs......so do not scold him or make him quit cause you may scare him and he just may stop eating all together.....
If you hadnt had anything to eat in a while and you were the cat wouldnt you eat dog food or what ever you could find, ....OK i sound like a know it all but i'm not i'm just a very caring and loving pet owner to 4 cats and 2 dogs and believe me i have see and been through most of it all with mine....

Answer 3

It is okay for Leroy to eat the dog food for now. You could try to leave the cat food somewhere the puppy cannot get to it and wait to see if the cat starts eating it. Or try another brand of cat food. Or try mixing some moist cat food with dry cat food.

Answer 4

On a temporary basis- Its probably fine- but cats are carnivores, while dogs are omnivores. This makes dog food and cat food different, and your cat is not getting the essentials he needs.

Dog food is stinkier than cat food, and cats won't eat if they can't smell thier food so, I'm wondering if your cat can't smell his cat food. I would take the cat to the vet for a checkup, and than try giving him something stinky- like tuna. See if he eats that.

Don't yell at your cat to make him stop that will only make him more scared of things. If he's still skittish, I would confine him to one room, where its quiet, and spend some time with him. This will help get him socialized, and then you can leave out just the cat food and see if he will eat it.

Answer 5

Cats need the nutrients from cat food. But temporarily dog food won't hurt him as long as the dog doesn't get aggressive about the cat eating his food.
A cat will hide until it's secure in it's surroundings. They like to be talked to even when they're hiding but it may take quite a while to earn it's trust. A gentle voice may help.
Also make sure there are places to hide that the puppy can't get to.

Answer 6

Cats should not eat dog food. Cats lack the enzymes required to digest dog food properly, and eating dog food can make a cat very sick. I would suggest talking to a vet to try to find out ways of getting your cat to stop eating dog food, although I don't think yelling is going to help much. As your cat's previous owner abused him, I'd think that yelling would only make your cat more afraid that you might abuse him too.

Answer 7

I had a small dog years ago that would only eat cat food. My vet told me cat food didn't have enough protein for dogs, so it makes sense that the opposite would hold true for cats. Keep the cat food near where he is in hiding along with fresh water and he'll eat when he gets hungry. Yelling doesn't work for cats, dogs, or people.

Answer 8

I had a cat thast use to do the same thing, i asked my vet for advice. and he stated that cat and dog food are essentially the same with the exception of that dog food has a higher content of ash, which assists in dogs digestion. the ash will not hurt the cat. however if you are concerned you can find a dog food with a low content of ash in it and use that for the cat and let the dog have his normal one. Also you could try mixing a special bowl with some cat food in the dog food and slowly ween the cat off the dog food. I.E. first 2 days 90% dog food 10% cat food and then every 2 days drop the dog food 10% and add 10% cat food.

Answer 9

Try soaking the hard food in a little bit of warm water, so it is easier for her to chew and digest. She probably likes wet food more, because it's easier on her teeth and is more flavorful. Maybe mix in some tiny cut up chicken or something into it, but not alot because you don't want to hurt her digestive system. What I would do is mix in a little wet food into her new dry food, and then each day give her less and less wet untill you have just dry, so she isn't deprived of the food she loves right away. Since it isn't so sudden, she probably wont notice it and if she does she won't be so stubborn.

Answer 10

Try putting a mixture of a few dog food kernels mixd in with the cat food and put the cat's food some where the dog cannot get to it. The cat will begin to eat the cat food soon enough.

Answer 11

He probably prefers the quality of the dog food you buy over the cat food you purchased. Go to the pet store and ask them to direct you towards a quality cat food without filler like corn meal or grains. Wal-mart markets Purina One in their own package called Maxximum for a low price. Its a decent food. I have always fed my cat the Eukanuba foods. Check the ingrediants and look for whole meats and vegetables.

Take Leroy to the vet to have him checked out and don't yell at him for anything. You are building trust with this abused animal and establishing yourself as his new caretaker. Good luck.