Why do people say it's bad for a cat to eat dog food, and/or vice versa?

Question

Yeah, but what about the canned stuff? Wouldn't that be okay for cats?

Answer 1

Cats should stick strictly with cat food and the the same for dogs. If a dog was feed a cat food diet he would become overweight and bloated very quickly. If a cat were feed a dog food diet he would slowly become ill and die.

Cats are very specialized -- they are strict carnivores and have a digestive system that is specialized to this. Taurine was mentioned here earlier and that is a great example of how focused a cat's needs are -- this amino acid helps the heart, eyes and even reproduction system. Cats must digest meat to provide this to their system; while dogs can produce this via glands.

Arginine is another key element (another amino acid as well) to a cats healthy diet. They must consume this in some form at almost every meal! It is a critical component to almost every aspect of a cat's well being. Dogs, while needing this as well, can get by with very low levels in their bodies.

Dogs are considered omnivores, but the truth is they can go without meat for very long periods of time. It's only since their domestication that meat has become a part of their regular diet.

The bottom line is that the foods for each respect pet are (hopefully) geared to each of there special needs. This is why you've been told this about pet foods.

I have a 12-pound brown, black and ginger tabby that gets by on wet Nutra and Friskies. Two ends of the feline culinary spectrum! One prides itself on being 100% focused on the specific aspects of the feline diet and the other is (while still healthy for cats) a household brand.

You know your cat or dog better than anyone else -- and are most likely to know what diet is best for them.

Hope this helps. -- Andy

Answer 2

Absolute not! Any commercial pet food has been cooked and taurine is destroyed in the cooking process. Taurine is an essential amino acid for the cat - without it he can develop heart problems and/or go blind. The taurine is added to all commercail cat food so that is what the cat must have. Dogs (and humans) can make taurine in their bodies and cats can't so it must be added to any food that has been cooked.

I think the dog can eat the cat food (though I have never owned a dog). Apparently the cat food is "richer" with more fat and meat protein that may not benefit the dog and cause him to put on excess weight.

Answer 3

Because of the different nutrients that cats need versus dogs. Taurine is one of them, and this is essential for having a healthy cat. Whats the problem.......... just buy the cat food,as I don't think there is much, if any difference in price.

Answer 4

Cats require more protein than dogs, and a special vitamin. The extra protein makes dogs gain weight. Cats who eat dog food do not get the required vitamins, and can become ill.

Answer 5

Really some give you lousy answers, they shouldn't get points for them. Anyways just get the cat cat food, dogs have different needs, cats are more delicate,. If you run out of cat food before you can go to the store you can give her some people food like chicken or fish or any meat, or were your just curious about cat and dog foods?

Answer 6

Cats require certain amino acids rather than dogs... for example, taurine is essential for heart health in cats. Dogs could probably eat cat food and be fine, it's just that cat food is higher in protein and is not properly balanced for dogs.

Answer 7

Actually, cats shouldn't eat cat food, and dogs shouldn't eat dog food, either.

They are not that different on the inside. They are both carnivores, with teeth designed for ripping and tearing, digestive systems that are short and highly acidic for killing bacteria or moving it through before it gets a chance to colonize.

With the corn, wheat and rice fillers in commercially produced pet foods, it slows down digestion, giving bacterial colonies a chance to grow, which leads to all kinds of fun problems and infections. Once the animal's immune system is busy fighting off all of that ****, then everything else from mange to ear and eye infections and tooth decay get a chance to take hold.

The last thing on the menu for your beloved pet should be crap in a bag, right behind crap in a can..

Dogs and cats requiring different nutrients is a myth created by pet food companies, and their vitriol drives a multi-billion dollar industry. Anyone that believes that dogs need a certain amount of starches and vegetables are getting hosed, and your animals are suffering for it.

Answer 8

Cats and dogs require different amount of nutrients. Cats require less fats and grains then dogs do. So the food is quite different.

Answer 9

People don't have to get sarcastic, do they? It's simply a matter of the food formula. Cats and dogs have different nutritional requirements, that's all.

Answer 10

I guess it would be fine for a dog to eat cat food. my dogs do. but for a cat, dog food lacks Taurine a nutrient for a cats vision. If a cat is fed a steady diet of dog food it will make the cat go blind.