View Full Version : Cats and dog food
rex123
Nov 3, 2008, 01:05 PM
Well I need a bit of help here. See I know my dog can't eat cat food because of the stuff to prevent hairballs, but is it bad for my cat to eat some of the dog food?
tickle
Nov 3, 2008, 01:39 PM
Sometimes it can't be avoided. My cat and dog eat in the kitchen. Cat on top of the dishwasher, otherwise dog would demolish her food. But as soon as I put dog food in dog bowl, the cat gets some. It hasn't done her any damage and the pieces are too big for her anyway,but she makes a big show of eating it.
rex123
Nov 3, 2008, 02:44 PM
Well I feed the cat and rex on the step and at the same time, rex knows not to eat the cat food but she always eats rex's food.
homebirthmom
Nov 3, 2008, 02:46 PM
I had a similar problem with a couple of strays that I was feeding. I called the vet, and the vet said though it's not necessarily good for them, they would have to eat quite a bit of the food from the opposing animal to have any negative effects from it.
Fiona2003
Nov 6, 2008, 07:23 PM
The important thing to remember is that cat food has more protein than dog food because cats need more of it than dogs. While it is not harmful for the cat, it is not going to provide enough nutrition.
If your cat seems to prefer the dog's food to its own, I would consider letting your dog eat first and picking up the bowl after she is done.
Does the cat try to shove her way into the fray while the dog is eating? That behavior shouldn't be encouraged as it is dangerous for both your cat and your dog (given their relative sizes). I know huskies are very gentle, but mistakes happen and I'd hate to have someone lose an ear!