This question is stupid?

Question

Is there any differnce between cat food and dog food. I have one of each and I am looking to save money and my cats eating the dog food, is that ok?

I love my pets to death I just didn't know if there was a big difference in it. I have had cats all my life but this is my first dog since I was 4 now 27.

Answer 1

Hi there...This a very good question and there are nutritional differences required for our favorite canine and feline friends.

The first major difference between cats and dogs is that cats are true carnivores, requiring a diet mainly of meat and meat products. Dogs are omnivores, having the ability to exist on a diet of meat and plant products.

There are certain nutrients that cats need that can only be found in animal sources. Dog foods are higher in grain products and lack some of these essential nutrients.

Taurine is an essential amino acid that is crucial for a cats health and is only found in animal tissues. Without taurine in the diet, cats can experience heart problems, blindness, and respiratory problems. Blindness caused by a lack of taurine in the diet was first seen in cats that were fed strictly dog food.

The next nutrient was vitamin A. Dogs have the ability to convert beta-kerotene to vitamin A. Cats on the other hand need pre-formed vitamin A in their diet, which can only be found in animal tissues.

Arachidonic acid, a necessary fatty acid, can be synthesized by a dog using linoleic acid. The cat is unable to do this and needs to ingest arachidonic acid in their diet. This, too, can only be found in animal tissues.

Finally, cats have a much higher protein requirement than dogs because they use protein as an energy source.

Because of all of these differences, you should not feed dog food to your cat. Because cat food is not formulated for dogs, you should not feed cat food to your dog. Any veterinarian can confirm these facts.

Answer 2

It's not stupid because if you don't stop you will kill your cat. Dogs and cats have very different nutritional needs and manufactures of each food have to take these into account when making food. You should see that each bag of kibble is ok'ed by the AAFCO The American Association of Feed Control Officials. Yes there is an organization for everything. ON the bag of dog food there is probably an 800 number to call if you have questions. If you call them and ask them if it's OK to feed the dog food to the cat they will tell you that the dog food doesn't have enough protein (cats need 1/3rd more than dogs) and that it doesn't have enough Taurine an amino acid cats can't make in their bodies and must be supplemented in the cat food.
If you are trying to save money the only thing I can say is watch for coupons in the paper and try shopping at the big box stores that cater to pet supplies. I shop there and I save some mony over the supermarket,

Answer 3

No, the question is not stupid, but it is stupid that some people think that dogs and cats can eat the same sort of food.
Dogs and cats require different types of nutrients: giving dog food to a cat would be bad.
Dog food lacks some amino acids that are essential for cats, but not for dogs.
Moreover, cats need to introduce more meat than dogs, who usually have a more varied diet.

For the same reason, dogs should not eat cat food.

Answer 4

Yes, there is a big difference between cat food and dog food. The cat food has vitamins and nutrients that your cat needs. One such vital nutrient is taurine. If cats do not get taurine they will go blind. Taurine is not supplied in dog food cause dogs don't need it.

Here is some more information on taurine that I found:

Taurine is an amino acid formally known as 2-Aminoethanesulfonic Acid with the chemical formula: C2H7NO3S.
Taurine is an essential amino acid for the cat, which means that the cat can not synthesize sufficient Taurine from other amino acids. Humans and dogs, for example, synthesize Taurine from the amino acids Methionine and Cystine.


A deficiency of Taurine in cats will cause Central Retinal Degeneration (eye lesions) resulting in total blindness within two years if the deficiency is not remedied, Dilated Cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the heart's chambers resulting in thinner, weaker heart walls) and reduced reproduction in queens and growths in kittens.

Answer 5

You won't save an money. You'll just be serving the same amount from two different bags. Cat food has to much protein for a dog. Told to me by a vet years ago.

Answer 6

Dog food and cat food are completely different. Cats actually eat only meats (chewing on grass doesn't count as eating), and as such their food is designed that way. Dogs, on the other hand, require carbohydrates and a small amount of vegetables as well for optium health. It is not a good idea to feel them the same food, as each food is formulated to provide the nutritional requirements of each animal.

Answer 7

Some animals are allergic to the others' food. I know that my friend used to feed his dog, cat food and its hair would fall out. I think that I heard that dog food is a little harsh for cats, and doesn't have the right nutrition for them.

Answer 8

there is a big difference! cat and dog food are specially designed for the animal they're intended for nutrition wise..so if you were to feed your cat dog food or dog cat food, they could definitely lack the nutrition the need to survive thus could result in illness or in prolong usage even death! no its not a stupid question to ask at all it shows you care about your animals and want to make sure they're safe! however if you want to save money there are ways you can do this by cooking up chicken for the cat to eat with broth or gravy but they still need dry food it is essential to their diet..there are foods you can buy for your cat that are low cost such as special kitty which you can get at walmart and one of my personal favorite is Purina kit n kaboodles which is 10 bucks for a gigantic bag which lasts my 5 cats a complete month and a half!! good luck..

Answer 9

hmmmmmm......I believe a Caring pet onwer does not consider cost of food for their pet a problem, when you consider the unconditional love and affection a pet brings their owner. Scientists in laboratories develop cat food for cats and dog food for dogs. I suggest being very very careful when giving your cat dog food, as with a anti-inflamatory product for arthritis in dogs/ cats.....a dog and cat the same size.......the dog has 1 ml per kg of dog, and the cat has 1 drop.(much less, and can become very ill and even die if more is given)

Answer 10

It's not okay. There are nutritional requirements that are totally different for dogs and cats. It wouldn't save you money anyways, because the vet bills would be big.