Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?
I have two cats and a dog. They eat dry food that
is left on the floor, in food servers, as they
wish. They are all healthy and not overweight. The
problem is, the dog likes the cat food best and
one cat prefers the dog food. Is this bad for
them?
The dog got very sick eating canned cat food once
and my vet says the dog food can cause liver
problems in the cat, but it’s what they like.
Even if I put the cat food up so the dog can’t
get it, I can’t keep the dog food away from the
cat.
Susan
Asan, Republic of Korea
Dogs and cats have unique nutritional needs. High quality foods are specifically tailored to the dietary requirements of the intended species. Therefore, it is not wise to feed an exclusive diet of dog food to cats, nor cat food to dogs.
Cats most definitely cannot subsist on dog food alone. Their dietary needs are harder to meet than those of dogs. For instance, cats must consume an amino acid called taurine to prevent heart problems. Dogs do not need to consume taurine–they can synthesize it internally. Therefore, cat foods are supplemented with taurine. Dog foods generally are not.
Because dogs are natural scavengers (cats are natural predators), their dietary requirements are less stringent than those of cats. Some cat foods may, in fact, be nutritionally replete for dogs. Others are not. However, cat foods are generally richer and more fattening than dog foods. Dogs that eat cat food may gain weight or suffer upset stomachs, even if they don’t develop nutritional deficiencies.
The moral of the story is that your dog should eat dog food, and your cats should eat cat food. The simplest way to make that happen could be to end the feeding free-for-all and offer meals to your pets in separate rooms. For more information on keeping your pets from eating each others’ foods, click here.
Finally, please note that most cats and dogs can tolerate an occasional nibble of each others’ foods. However, serious problems may occur if cats eat only dog food, or vice-versa.
You have questions. 
well my dog has no trouble eating the cat food. Cat isn’t too impressed though haha
another note to the poor argument of “i can’t keep them away from the food”
crate the dogs when feeding. remove the food when done .
the cat can’t get in the crate .
I want to say thank you for this helpful post.
My cat was raised on dog biscuits prior to rescue, and he has a lot of long term health problems that the vet says is directly related to this poor diet. Since he’s been on proper cat food he has put on a lot of muscle mass, has become more active, and is less clumsy. I dont know what his heart is like, but he is slowly becoming healthier and happier since he started eating the good stuff!
2 questions, 1st, My local shop has run out of cat food, so is it ok to give her dog food as a substitute, just for 1 week ? also, What cat food is best reccomened ? As i have heard many bad rumours about leeding brands, such as whiskas .
thanks this helped me with my school projject