What’s the Difference Between Dog Food and Cat Food?
Dogs are omnivores and therefore can consume a more varied diet that includes both plant-based and animal-based ingredients.
On the other hand, cats are true carnivores, meaning they eat solely animal protein and have greater protein and fat requirements than dogs.
Additionally, cats require 11 essential amino acids to be provided by their diet, whereas dogs require 10 amino acids. The additional amino acid required by cats is taurine.
To meet these greater nutrient requirements, commercial cat foods must provide greater protein, fat, and taurine concentrations than commercial dog foods. This implies that all commercial dog food is nutritionally deficient for cats.
For dogs, however, the greater protein and fat contents of cat food make it more tasty, fragrant, and therefore enticing, and allow it to meet or even exceed a dog’s nutrient requirements.
Is It Safe for a Dog to Eat Cat Food?
A dog eating their feline friend’s food—either as an occasional treat or even in place of their own food—is not necessarily “bad” for the average adult dog.
Cats and dogs might venture into each other’s food bowls from time to time. If you’re wondering if cat food is bad for dogs, read our article to find out why and how to keep dogs out of your cat’s dinner.
Have you noticed your dog making a beeline straight for your cat’s food? In this article we’re looking at why dogs love cat food so much, we’ll be answering the question is cat food bad for dogs and discussing what to do if you discover your dog has raided the cat’s dinner.
The occasional stolen bite of cat food is unlikely to cause harm to your dog. However, it is not recommended to feed dogs cat food, especially not long-term as part of a regular meal.
Feeding cat food to your dog is likely to have unintended consequences for their health and wellbeing. Cats and dogs have different nutritional needs. Cats are obligate carnivores which means their meals consists of higher levels of meat, while dogs are omnivores, meaning that they need different balance of nutrients to remain healthy.
The same is true when it comes to treat time. If you’re wondering whether dogs can eat those delicious cat biscuits, it’s not recommended to use them as dog treats on a regular basis. Also, be mindful that offering even the smallest morsel of cat treat to your dog can stimulate their future appetite for it. As cat food can often have a stronger smell and flavour, it can be difficult to break the habit once it’s formed.