Can I feed my dog’s food to our cat (or the cat’s food to our dog)?
No, you should not feed your dog’s food to your cat, or vice versa. Dogs and cats need different nutrients, which means commercial foods designed for dogs do not meet cats’ nutritional needs, and foods designed for cats do not meet dogs’ nutritional needs.
How are commercial cat and dog foods different?
Several nutrients are distinctly different between cat and dog foods:
- Cats require taurine (an amino acid), while dogs do not.
- Cats need higher amounts of other amino acids (like arginine) than dogs and an overall higher level of protein.
- Both dogs and cats require the essential fatty acid called linoleic acid, but cats also need a fatty acid called “arachidonic,” which only comes from animal sources.
- Dogs can make their own vitamin A when they have beta-carotene in their food, but cats lack an important enzyme and cannot convert beta-carotene, which means they need pre-formed vitamin A directly in their diet.
- Both cats and dogs need niacin for a balanced diet, but cats need significantly more than dogs.
What can happen if dogs eat only cat food, or vice versa?
A healthy adult dog that eats only cat food every day would likely gain weight and eventually become obese. Once a dog meets its essential amino acid requirements, the excess protein in cat food can get converted (or metabolized) to fat. To minimize the chance of a dog gaining weight, it should not be fed cat food.
A cat that eats only dog food can develop signs of illness — sometimes within hours or over several days or weeks. Clinical signs may include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, or even seizures. A morsel or two of dog food won’t hurt most healthy cats, but commercial dog diets are not intended to be the sole source of nutrition for cats.
Can I feed my cat’s treats to the dog, or vice versa?
Most cat treats are small and have few Calories, usually only 1 to 4 Calories per treat. For that reason, feeding one or two small cat treats to an otherwise healthy dog each day would not pose a problem.
Dog treats, however, can vary widely in size and Calories, so only a small treat with less than 5 Calories per piece should be offered to cats.
Avoid feeding excessive amounts of either dog or cat treats to reduce the chance of weight gain or obesity.
How do I calculate the number of Calories my pet needs each day?
Ask your veterinary healthcare team to help you calculate each of your pet’s daily Calorie needs. You should also talk to them about the volume of food to offer your pets at each meal.
Commercial dog and cat foods have different amounts of energy (or Calories) in each gram, which means you can measure out one cup of two different pet foods and each cup will have a different number of Calories.
A general guideline for treats is that no more than 10% of a pet’s total daily Calories should come from treats, snacks, or people foods. This rule applies to both dogs and cats.
Does each pet need their own food bowl?
Many pet owners prefer to use one food bowl for multiple dogs or cats, but there are two important reasons to always feed each pet from its own bowl.
- Dogs and cats have unique Calorie needs, which means each pet needs a different volume of food. Feeding measured amounts in separate food bowls is the best way to ensure each pet is not over- or under-fed.
- When dogs and cats don’t feel well, they don’t eat as much (or they don’t eat at all). If they are being fed in separate bowls, it will be clear that they don’t feel well and should be taken to the family vet for an evaluation. When only one food bowl is used, it could be days or weeks before a pet parent realizes that one of the pets is not eating its usual amount of food.
Can all our pets drink from one water bowl?
Yes, pets can share and drink from the same water bowl; however, there should be one source of fresh, clean water available for each pet in the home. For example, if there are two dogs and two cats living in a home, then there should be four bowls of fresh clean water placed in various areas around the house.
Water bowls and water fountains can be strategically placed in a kitchen, basement, backyard, office, mud room, laundry room, or garage, depending on where the animals spend time and where they eat.
Can our new puppy or kitten eat the same food as our older dog or cat?
It is not recommended that growing puppies or kittens share the same food as adult pets in the home. Puppy and kitten foods are formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of “growth” rather than “adult maintenance.” Products designed for growth often have different nutrients and different amounts than what is typically found in adult foods.
Growing puppies that primarily eat adult dog food are at risk of nutritional deficiencies that could show up as bone, joint, skin, or hair/coat issues. Growing kittens eating strictly adult cat food might be at risk for some nutritional deficiencies, too. Any puppy or kitten that is not eating well or is rapidly losing or gaining weight should be examined by their veterinarian.
Most healthy adult dogs that regularly eat puppy food will gain weight and eventually become obese. The same situation would be expected for many healthy adult cats eating strictly kitten food. Since obesity leads to several other serious disease conditions, all pet owners should help their pets stay in lean body shape by practicing body condition scoring. Ask your veterinary health care team for more information.
Some pet food manufacturers market their brands as appropriate for “all life stages,” which suggests the product is suitable for growing animals as well as adults. These products are designed to meet the nutrient needs of growth and will have excess nutrient levels for adult animals (e.g., Calories, protein, fat). For that reason, adult pets eating foods marketed for “all life stages” are at risk of becoming overweight or obese.
How do I keep my puppy or kitten out of our older pet’s food?
Separate feeding areas. The “low tech” and least costly approach to keeping your puppy or kitten out of an older pet’s special diet is to feed each animal from its own feeding bowl and in separate areas of the home. Older pets may prefer the quiet space of a bedroom or bathroom, while younger pets can be fed in or near the kitchen and given access to a litterbox or outdoors, so they can eliminate shortly after eating.
Automatic feeders are another option. These feeders are set on a timer to release a controlled amount of food at specific hours during the day or night. Some models are designed to read a pet’s microchip and only release food when that pet is nearby. Your veterinarian can calculate the number of Calories your older pet needs and help determine the volume of food to be released at each meal. Automatic feeders range in price from about US$55 to US$300 and can be found at a variety of online stores.
Food puzzles can keep a pet busy and engaged while slowing their pace of eating, and are valuable for pets of any age. Some pet owners use food puzzles every day (instead of placing food in a bowl), but puzzles can also be used a few times per week to deliver treats or meals.
This approach takes some patience while you teach your pet how to work a puzzle or food toy to remove the food. Some dogs and cats enjoy certain puzzles more than others, and it may be helpful to read online reviews from people who have tried them. Commercial food puzzles range between US$10 and US$50, or you can check online websites for instructions on making your own.
