Kittens and dog food?

Question

So, I have two 4 year old labs, and 2two 4-5 month old kittens. We've had them for a few months, but haven't let them roam the house. We were waiting for them to grow a bit so they wouldn't get trampled. Anyway, we noticed the kittens like the dog's [dry] food! My question is kind of a few questions, really.

1) Will it harm the kittens, or is dog and cat/kitten food pretty much the same in terms of ingedients?

2) Do I need to worry about any aggressiveness over this? The kittens only became a constant presence in the house since last Sunday, and I don't want the dogs to feel jealous.

3) Also, do I need to worry about them not going back to their own food after snacking on dog food?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Why is it a no-no to give dog food to cats?
As we often say, "Cats are not small dogs." In the case of diet, it is important to realize a cat's nutritional requirements are much different than those of a dog. For example, cats require higher levels of protein than dogs. Cats must have the amino acid called 'taurine' in their diet; dogs can actually make their own taurine. A cat eating food deficient in taurine can develop severe heart disease and other health problems. Almost all cat foods now contain added taurine.

Cats require a different form of Vitamin A than dogs do. Dogs can use beta-carotene as a source of Vitamin A; cats cannot. Cats can not manufacture the fatty acid called 'arachidonic acid' and must have it supplemented in their diet; it is not essential for dogs to have this fatty acid in their food.

So, you see, if a cat is allowed to eat a significant amount of dog food, the cat would be eating a diet deficient in many of the cat's required nutrients. For your cat's health, be sure she is eating quality cat food.

Answer 2

The dog food won't actually hurt the cats, so don't worry about that. Cat food is higher in protein than dog food, so it would be a little bit healthier to feed the kittens something like kitten chow or cat chow.

You might watch thedogs and see if they really care if the kittens get in their food. Some dogs get really jealous and might bite them, but you know your dogs better than I do.

Answer 3

It is OK to snack on but they need kitten food which has taurine in it.Taurineis nessacary for their sight.

Answer 4

Hi there

1. dog food isn't balanced for cats so I wouldn't let them eat it too often

2. dogs can get upset if someone takes their food...I lost a kitten that way and wouldn't recommend it, so please keep them separate at feeding time until they are bigger

Answer 5

it's the same sh*t. If it makes you feel better I had to take my cat to the vet last month and all the meds they gave her were for dogs-when I aksed them about it the said it's the same.