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Is it that cat food is bad for dogs or dog food bad for cats?
Some of us have multiple pets, dog as well as cats. It can be a rewarding experience to have two species of pet animals that are known for their mutual enmity, go ahead and become friends and add spice and a few laughs to our lives. When we do have cats and dogs in the same house, we might be tempted to feed them the same food. The dogs might relish the food that we buy for the cats and the cats might take a taste to the dog food. Most owners will not think twice about interchanging their pets’ foods and seeing their pets taking a liking to a certain kind of food, they might be tempted to feed the same food to both the dog and the cat. So, is this fine or is there a problem with feeding cat food to a dog or dog food to a cat? Let’s ponder a little more...
The facts:
It is for a reason that there exists separate food for cats and for dogs. Cats and dogs are two different kinds of animals that have different needs. But is feeding one’s food to the other going to have any serious effects? First of all, the food habits of both animals differ; a cat is a complete carnivore, it can not survive without meat. A dog, on the other hand is part carnivore and part herbivore and people have raised dogs on completely vegetarian diets, which is impossible in the case of a cat. The nutritional needs of a cat are also different from a dog.
Why a cat eating dog food is a bad idea
- First of all, a cat is an obligate carnivore, it gets all its nutrients from meat, and the vegetable content of dog food is completely useless to a cat.
- The most important reason why a cat must not be given dog food is a substance called taurine. This is an amino acid that is naturally produced by our bodies and by canines as well. But our feline friends are incapable of producing them on their own, and need it to be supplemented in their food.
- Lack of taurine can cause blindness in cats and worse, even heart failure which can be fatal. All cooking processes destroy taurine, so cat food is supplemented with it, which is not the case with dog food.
- Cats need more protein than dogs and dog food falls short of fulfilling their fatty requirements.
- Another point to note is that, unlike humans and dogs, cats cannot process beta-carotene into vitamin A; dog foods predominantly don’t have vitamin A in its pure form, so this will lead to a deficiency of this essential nutrient.
- Unlike humans and dogs, cats are capable of producing vitamin C in their bodies, so the excess vitamin C that dog food is supplemented with is going to be an overdose over a period of time and have adverse affects.
Why a dog eating cat food is a bad idea
- Dogs love cat food! That is a well known fact; cat food is higher in protein, fat and nutrients and dogs seem to take an instant liking to it.
- Being higher in fats and proteins, cat food is much higher in calories than dog food, so consumed over a period of time, it is sure to make your dog fat and obese.
- Dog food has vegetable based nutrition as well, which is mostly absent in cat food as it is mostly meat based; though the dog gets the essential nutrients, it misses out on the plant nutrients that dog food provides.
- Cat food has added Vitamin A, which is unnecessary for dogs as they can synthesize beta-carotene in their bodies. Vitamin A overdose can have adverse effects.
- Since dogs source their protein from plant and animal matter in dog food, their kidneys don’t work as hard as when they have to eat the completely meat based proteins in cat food; eating cat food over a prolonged period of time can be quite taxing on the dog’s digestive and excretory organs.
So, to sum it all up, letting your cat eat from the dog dish or your dog lap up the leftovers of your cat’s meal once in a while isn’t going to cause any damage in the long run. But, to choose to feed the same food to both your feline and canine companions over a long period of time is not advisable. Cats and dogs have their own unique nutritional needs, which are best met by the foods meant for them.
Is it that cat food is bad for dogs or dog food bad for cats?
Should you feed your cat Wet cat food or Dry cat food?
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