Canned dog food for my cat?

Question

Is it ok for a cat to eat canned dog food? He's kinda huge for a cat and has big appetite. He's the one on the left side of the pic.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/muffindacat/ce9640d1.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/muffindacat/c7facd85.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/muffindacat/f58cfc22.jpg

He's a boy cat and loves to sleep in weird positions too.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/muffindacat/00975a74.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/muffindacat/d24885e0.jpg

he's actually 18 lbs and gaining. He loves to catch birds and put it on the door step, he likes belly rubs and very friendly to anyone he sees.

Answer 1

While an occasional bit of canned dog food wont harm your cat, it is not a good idea for a steady diet. Cat food contains an amino acid called taurine which cats need for continued health. Dog food does not contain this amino and feeding only dog food could lead to blindness, cardiac problems and many other system problems in your cat. Check out:
http://www.petngarden.com/cats/cats4.php
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/tau_0246.shtml

You would be far wiser to feed your cat a good dry cat food. Supplement that dry food with canned cat food every other day or so. It is important to have the canned food, especially in male cats, as they need the extra liquid to aid in the prevention of urinary crystals.

Answer 2

Dog food is made for dogs, which are omnivores. Cats are full carnivores and the foods made for them is specific to felines.

Dogs can eat a large amount of grain or vegetables and stay healthy because their system can handle that kind of thing, but with cats, you'll be getting nutrition problems and slow starvation. Cats need much higher protein levels than any dog food carries.

Stick to cat food.

Answer 3

Dog food is bad for a cat...You should never feed a cat dog food and vice versa..

I would suggest buying dry cat food and putting it in an average sized bowl and also give him a can of cat food each day..Just make sure you dont overfeed him and dont let him get overweight.

Answer 4

No, dog food is made for dogs not cats. Cats need taurine and a lot more then dogs need. So there is a lot more taurine in cat food and not enough in dog food for a cat to live off of.

There are other essential amino acids in cat food that cats need that is not in dog food because dogs dont need them.

Answer 5

Never, Never feed a cat dog food of any kind. A cat requires different nutritional needs than a dog does.

Answer 6

No, you cannot feed your cat dog food. It's called dog food because it's made for dogs. Dogs and cats are two different species. Just because he's big and greedy doesn't mean he's a dog.

Answer 7

No it's not nutritionally balance for a cat. If he doesn't seem satified with what your feed him it may have enough protein in it. I like this brand:
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/wellness/index.html

BTW really cute cat I can tell you really like him. Does he seem like a dog in cats clothing? I have a cat like that he weighs 13 lbs, plays fetch, and he sleeps in funny positions too.

Answer 8

No, cats need cat food - it has more meat and protein than dog food.

Dog food is not adequate nutrition for cats.
Dogs are omnivores, cats are carnivores.

Answer 9

Dog food is not good for the cat.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1723.asp

Your cat is very flexable and the last picture it looks like your cat is smiling. Your cat has very long back legs. Your cat is very cute.

Answer 10

They make separate foods for a reason...feed him cat food.