If you have dogs and cats at home, surely on more than one occasion you have been assailed by the question of whether cats can eat dog foodand vice versa. You might even be tempted to buy one type of food for everyone, because, after all, they look similar and smell almost the same, right?
However, the truth is that each food is specially formulated for a specific species, so here we tell you what is negative or positive about this practice. Keep reading and discover from our site what happens if your cat eats dog food!
What is dog food made of?
Just like cat food, dog food comes cut in different shapes, has several flavors according to the ingredients that contains and is even marketed in different sizes depending on the age and the race (small, medium or large) to which it is directed. Despite these similarities, both types of feed are formulated differently.
In this sense, dog food contains high concentrations of beta-carotene, which the dog needs to convert into vitamin A, crucial for its correct development. This food is also characterized by being rich in vitamins, fiber and lower in protein and fat than cat food, since dogs tend to increase gain weight easily if these components are elevated, which is what happens if you let your cat eat regular cat food.
For this reason, it is better for your dog to eat food according to its species, breed and age. Now, what does the cat need for his nutrition? Coming up next, we tell you!
What is cat food made of?
Contrary to the canine diet, cats need a food that is rich in protein and fat, andlower in fiber Despite this, it is crucial for the feline diet that the feed contains vitamin A , since its The body is unable to metabolize it on its own. The same happens with taurine , an amino acid that felines obtain from meat in the wild (especially from viscera, such as liver or heart), but which cat cannot produce, so it must be provided in the food. Taurine is extremely important for the he alth of cats, since a diet deficient in this substance will cause various he alth problems for your pet, including heart disease. See the article on "Foods rich in taurine for cats".
Similarly, when you think about your cat's diet you should always keep in mind that it is a carnivorous animal by excellence, hence the importance of their food containing a high proportion of protein. This is necessary for your cat to have the energy he requires to perform physical activities. Although felines seem like lazy animals, the truth is that during their games, jumps and climbs they burn large amounts of energy, and the consumption of protein provides them with a large part of it. A cat deficient in this food group will end up sick.
Another essential component in the cat's diet is arachidonic acid, an important fatty component for feline he alth. Dogs do not need it in their diet, as their body produces it, while cats require it to be included in their food.
With this in mind, you're probably worried about your pets stealing each other's food while you're not looking, what are the consequences of this?
Is it bad for a cat to eat dog food?
Imagine the scene: you fill the bowls of your cat and your dog, you are careless for a moment and the feline has already inserted its head into the dog's food, which it devours greedily. You panic, is this poisonous?
The truth is, for once it happens, no problemwith your cat eating the dog's food, so you can rest easy. The inconvenience comes when this becomes a habitual practice, either because you have decided to buy the same food for both of them, or because you cannot find a way to make each one consume their own food.
As we already told you, the feed is specially formulated for each species, so if your cat is used to eating dog food instead of his own, his nutritional needs will not be satisfied The consequence of that? Your cat will get sick, which can start with signs that are confused with any other discomfort, such as vomiting, diarrhea or hair loss, but which in the long run can lead to malnutrition, as well as kidney and liver diseases that, in many cases, result lethal to cats.
If you find yourself in the situation of not having cat food at a certain time and not being able to buy it, check the following article to find out what to give it without damaging its he alth: "What can I give my cat if you don't have food".
How to prevent the cat from eating dog food?
Now, if your cat eats the dog's food or vice versa and you don't know how to avoid it, here are some tips to achieve it.
- Use different bowls Dogs and cats distinguish shapes and sizes, so having two identical bowls for both pets can make it difficult for them to identify what is your food Buy containers of different shapes and sizes to avoid this confusion.
- Set meal times Whether you spend all day at home or not, having a meal schedule is crucial, so That way you control the amounts that your pets eat and prevent them from approaching the first bowl they find at any time of the day on their own. Check out the "Amount of Daily Cat Food" in this article.
- Serve food in different placesYour dog and your cat can eat at the same time of the day, but if you have already noticed that they have a weakness for each other's food, it is best to serve them in different spaces of the house and that it is always the same space for each one. In this way, both of them will know that this is their food and they should look for it in that place.
- Set discipline. When you see your cat eating the dog's food or vice versa, say an energetic "No!", without having to shout, and change the bowl for the correct one, in this way it will know which one belongs to it.
As you can see, these tips are very simple, it's all you need to know what to do if your cat eats dog food and thus avoid future illnesses.
