Is it Dangerous for Cats to Eat Dog Food?

Cats are sneaky, and some cats find dog food a tempting meal even if you discourage them from eating it. Although nothing in dog food is poisonous to a cat, dog food contains different nutrients than those which cats require, making a long-term dog food diet dangerous to a cat's health.

  1. Danger

    • Never encourage your cat to eat dog food, as it will not provide her with the protein, taurine and arachidonic acid she needs. However, as long as your cat's primary diet consists of cat food, dog food will not hurt him when he sneaks a bite.

    Protein

    • Because they are carnivores, for optimal health cats need a meat-based diet with more energy-inducing protein than omnivorous dogs need--which means dog foods will not contain enough protein to sustain a cat.

    Taurine

    • Dogs manufacture their own taurine, but cats need to eat it in their diet to prevent problems such as heart disease, respiratory issues and even blindness.

    Arachidonic Acid

    • Dog food also lacks the fatty acid arachidonic acid--which cats cannot make themselves--that is essential in a cat's diet.

    Calories

    • Cat food has more calories than dog food because the metabolism of cats is much different than that of dogs. If your cat is eating only dog food, she will likely lose weight because of the lower protein count in dog food.