is this bad for my cat?

Question

i have 4 cats 2 adults one 6 month and one baby. about 9 weeks old. my 6month and one of my older cats love to eat the adult dog food i put out for my dog. she's odl adn going blind. so she has to have senior formula. even though the cats have a completly fll food bowl. they still sit at the dog bowl and eat the dog food and act as if htey enjoy it very much. i pull them away and smack them but they do it again. i need help! and is it bad for them ot eat it? and if so how do i get it to stop?
thanks for any help you can give

Answer 1

We asked our Vet the same question and she said no problem. Especially if you are giving your dog Senior food..which is low in fat. Otherwise the little buggers...won't be so little! However, cat food has different nutrients that they will be missing...so it's not "good" for them. We spray the dog food (when the dog is out in the kennel) with a Bitter Apple Spray that's available at the Pet Stores. The Cats then learn they don't like the food. Just make sure Fido doesn't get to the food before you get a chance to throw out the Bitter Apple...or you'll have another problem to post!

Answer 2

It is fine for her to eat the dog food now and then. If you don't like her eating the dog food, move the dog food outside or spray her with a bottle of water when you catch her eating out of the dog bowl. Or you could just move the dog bowl further away from the cat bowl.

You shouldn't hit your cat, even if it is just lightly. Spraying her with water will get her to learn quickly.

Answer 3

It wont hurt your cat to eat a little dog food now and then, but make sure you give your cat access to her own food as well. Cats are considered obligate carnivores, which means they need a high protein diet....dogs, on the other hand are actually omnivores, and can digest quite alot of vegetable matter. Dog food is also not as high in taurine and fat.

Answer 4

my one cat likes dog food too, the dog does not let him eat her food though ha ha! Every now and then I will give the cat a morsel of dog food just because he likes it but I don't let him eat it whenever he wants. Dog food does not have the nutrients the cats need. So just make sure the cat mostly gets cat food.

Answer 5

It is not good for them to eat the dog food. You need to feed the dog separately and keep the cats out of its food. Cat food has taurine added and that is essential for your cats - lack of it can cause blindness and heart disease in cats. Cats cannot make taurine in their bodies as humans and dogs can, so taurine is NOT added to dog food.

What "senior" formula does the old cat need? If it is a lower protein food she shouldn't be eating it nor any of your other cats.

Answer 6

yes, it is bad, dog food has neither the nutrition or enzymes a cat needs for health and digestion. get a squirt bottle and sit up on the cabinet and squirt the heck out of them. usually works after 3 or 4 days.

Answer 7

My dogs and cats eat each others food all the time and they seem fine. I put the cat's food in a place where the dog can't reach it, and I keep it full all the time. That helps.

Answer 8

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEM STOP. CATS ARE PRETTY INDEPENDENT. A VET ONCE TOLD ME THAT EVEN THOUGH CAT FOOD ISN'T BAD FOR DOGS ( MINE ATE IT FOR 19 YEARS), DOG FOOD DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH PROTEIN FOR A CAT. IT MAY NOT MATTER IF THEY HAVE A CHOICE, BUT I WOULDN'T RECCOMEND IT EXCLUSIVELY.

Answer 9

I would ask your vet about it I am not for sure if it is bad for them or not if they have been eating it for a while and you haven't seen anything bad going on with them then maybe it isn't bad I am not for sure like I said I would call your vets office and ask them.
Good Luck.

Answer 10

The vet is usually a better idea than yahoo answers.