Can cats eat dog food?

I'm sure a LOT of people have instead thought of giving their cat dog food, just to prevent them from coming back to the store.

But is it really safe? Can cats eat dog food for a day or two? Or is dog food bad for cats?

To discover the answers to these questions, we will need to examine the nutritional needs of each species, determine exactly what dog food contains, and then gather all the information to determine if cats can eat dog food.

When dogs and cats cohabit, it is not uncommon to see their food steal each other! In fact, cats are a very curious natural and do not hesitate to chew the croquettes of their congeners ... Dogs are for their part very greedy and pleasant with the pleasure of chewing cats if they are accessible. 

Different diets

Dogs and cats have different nutritional and energy needs. The cat is a strict carnivore unlike the dog who is a carnivore with an omnivorous tendency. The kibble for dogs and for cats therefore have different compositions.

In the wild, cats feed mainly on prey. It is a low carbohydrate and high protein diet. Cat food is higher in protein and more energy than dog food.

Cat kibble generally contains less starch than dog kibble. Indeed, cats hardly digest starch: too much starch content can be responsible for digestive disorders as well as overweight. On the contrary, most dogs have developed over time the ability to digest starch (with the exception of some breeds that remain sensitive like Nordic dogs).

Good to know: all croquettes contain starch which is necessary for the production of croquettes. Contrary to popular belief, cereal-free croquettes also contain starch, and sometimes in larger quantities than in kibble containing cereals.

Cats also need a taurine diet. It is an essential amino acid that cats are not able to synthesize in sufficient quantity (unlike dogs that make enough). Cat kibble gives cats enough taurine, unlike dog kibble.


Is it dangerous?

If your cat eats your dog's kibble punctually and in small amounts (and vice versa), then there is no reason to worry. On the other hand, if it eats a large quantity, there is a risk of digestive disorders. Indeed, dogs and cats are sensitive to sudden changes in diet without food transition. Ingestion of a new food may be responsible for diarrhea.

In the long term, there are risks of protein and taurine deficiencies for cats. Taurine deficiency can be responsible for heart (dilated cardiomyopathy), visual (retinal degradation) and reproductive problems.

If your dog regularly eats your cat's kibble, then he may gain weight because kibble cat food is more fat, especially if he eats more kibble .... Likewise, a cat who eats the dog's kibble in addition to his ration is overweight.

There is also a risk that the animals will leave their food if the croquettes of their congeners are more palatable.

How to prevent them from stealing their food?

To prevent your dog from eating your cat's kibble, you can first place your cat's bowl high. There is also a SureFeed feed dispenser where you can place your cat's kibble: it opens only after recognizing the animal's microchip.

To prevent your cat from eating your dog's croquettes, we advise you to distribute the meals to him at a fixed time, and to remove his bowl after 20 minutes even if he has not finished his croquettes. You can watch your cat during your dog's meal.