Content
- How is dog food made
- How is cat food made
- Can cat eat dog food?
- How to prevent the cat from eating dog food
If you have cats and dogs at home, you have certainly been seized on more than one occasion as to whether your cat can eat dog food and vice versa. You might even be tempted to buy a single type of food for everyone, after all, they look alike and smell almost the same, right?
However, the truth is that each food is specially formulated for a specific species, so in this article we will analyze the positives or negatives of this practice. Keep reading and find out directly on PeritoAnimal what happens when your cat eats dog food!
How is dog food made
As with cat food, the dog food it is cut into different shapes, has several flavors according to the ingredients it contains and is sold in different sizes, depending on the age, breed and size (small, medium or large) for which it is intended. Despite these similarities, both types of feed are formulated differently.
In this sense, dog food contains high concentrations of beta-carotene that the dog needs to convert to vitamin A, crucial for its proper development. This food, moreover, is characterized by being rich in vitamins and fiber and poorer in protein and fat than cat food, as dogs tend to gain weight easily when these components become elevated, which is what happens if they eat cat food regularly.
For this reason, it is best for your puppy to eat foods according to his species, breed and age. Now, what does the cat need for its nutrition? We'll tell you next!
How is cat food made
Unlike the canine diet, cats need food. high in protein and fat, with less fiber. Despite this, a diet containing vitamin A is crucial for dog and cat, as your body is unable to metabolize it on its own. The same happens with the taurine, an amino acid that wild cats obtain from meat (especially from viscera such as liver or heart), but which the cat cannot produce, so it must be provided in food. Taurine is extremely important for the health of cats, since a diet deficient in this substance will bring various health problems for your pet, including heart disease. See the article on "Taurine-rich Cat Foods" for further information.
Likewise, when you think about your cat's diet, you need to keep in mind that it is a carnivorous animal by definition, that's why it's important that your food contain a high amount of protein. This is necessary for your cat to have the energy necessary to perform physical activities. Although cats seem like lazy animals, the truth is that during their play, jumps and climbs, they burn large amounts of energy and their protein intake provides them with a lot. A cat with a deficiency in this food group will end up sick.
Another mandatory component in the cat's diet is the arachidonic acid, an important fatty component for feline health. Dogs don't need it in food, as their body already produces it, while cats need it to be included in food.
With that in mind, you're probably worried that your pets are stealing each other's food while you're not looking, and you're probably wondering: Can cat eat dog food? What are the consequences of this?
Can cat eat dog food?
Picture the scene: you fill your dog and cat's bowls, you are distracted for a moment, and the cat has already stuck its head in the dog food, which it devours greedily. Do you panic, is it poisonous?
The truth is, when it happens one time, no problem let your cat eat the dog food, then you can rest easy. The downside comes when this becomes common practice, either because you've decided to buy the same food for both of you or because you can't find a way to get everyone to eat their own food.
As we've said, the food is specially formulated for each species, so if your cat is used to eating dog food instead of yours, your nutritional needs will not be met.. The consequence of this? Your cat will get sick, with signs that are confused with any other discomfort, such as vomiting, diarrhea or shedding of fur, but in the long run it can cause malnutrition as well as kidney and liver disease that, in many cases, are lethal to cats.
If you're in a situation where you don't have cat food at any given time and can't buy it, check out the following article to find out what to give it without damaging its health: Homemade Cat Food.
How to prevent the cat from eating dog food
Now, if your cat eats dog food or vice versa and you don't know how to stop it, here are some tips to get it.
- use different bowls.
- Dogs and cats distinguish shapes and sizes, so having two identical bowls for both pets can make it difficult to identify your food. Buy bowls of different shapes and sizes to avoid this mess.
- Set meal times.
- Regardless of whether you spend all day at home or not, having a time for meals is crucial, this way you control the amounts your animals eat and prevent them from approaching the first bowl they find at any time of day. Review the Daily Cat Food Amount in this article.
- Serve food in different places.
- Your dog and cat can eat at the same time of day, but if you find they have a passion for each other's food, it's best to serve them in different spaces in the house and always have the same space for each other. This way, both will know that that is their food and they should look for it in that place.
- establish discipline. When you notice that your cat is eating dog food or vice versa, say a forceful "No!" no need to yell and move to the right bowl so he knows what his is.
As you can see, these simple tips are all you need to know what to do if your cat eats dog food and thus prevent future illnesses.