Is it okay for a cat to eat dog food?

[Rainbow Dash]

Because my cat keeps eating my dogs' food as well as his own food :/

[DeadlySin]

It's not really good for their digestive system. Cats can eat this one thing that dogs can't. If its not a lot on a daily basis, not a big deal. But over time it can make them really sick.

[Nenya]

Feed your dog when the cats out?

I don't know how bad it is for them though but I'm assuming there's a reason they have separate foods.

[Fucking Done]

Nah I don't think anyways, one of my cats does it all the time.

[abj.]

I was easily annoyed whenever I came home from college because my brother
would feed our cat and mixed it with the dog's food, I don't think it's harmful to the cat if it ate only a little of it but I don't think it's safe for the cat to continue to eat the dog's food on regular basis,don't know exactly what will happen to your cat if it does it all the time but my suggestion to you, if you feed them at the same time, put them in a separate room, I sometimes put the cat outside when it eats, sometimes the dog. But I don't think is that it's really safe and okay if the cat eats the dog's food on daily basis and cats have the need for specific nutrients that are not required for dogs you know? Best of luck love! [:

[SessyRocks]

Actually it all depends on what type of food you are feeding. Most commercial dog foods are not even very healthy for dogs. They contain ingredients such as corn, animal by products, soy, sweeteners. If you are feeding a high quality dog food, such as Diamond, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Innova, Blue Buffalo, Billjac, Wellness. Then it shouldn't be a problem. I used to feed my cat my dog's food when I first got her. She was a stray so I didn't bother with buying cat food, I just fed her my dog's food for a while. Then, once she was more tamed around me I bought her a bag of high quality cat food. A tip, a good quality dog food will not contain any of the following: Animal By-products or Meat By-products, Animal Digest, Sweeteners, Corn, Soy, Cellulose, Artificial Colors, Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT (evidence has been found that these cause cancer). A good quality food will have an ingredient list that has things you would find in your own kitchen. Like chicken, lamb, beef or some other form of meat as the first ingredient. The best foods have real meat, not meat by products or corn as the first ingredient. You may have to go to a pet store like Petsmart, Petco, or feed store to find a good food. Or, if you have a Costco where you live their brand, Kirkland Signature, is very good and also affordable. What I've listed goes for cat food too

[Sidhe.]

It shouldn't have any serious effects, but it's not a good thing to encourage.

[Melody Pond]

It doesn't harm them directly but it doesn't contain certain nutrients that cats need which will eventually harm them.

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodfaqs...oodforcats.htm

Question: If you feed cats dogfood, can it cause them to go blind?

Answer: It's not a strange question at all. There's nothing in dog food that will directly harm a cat within a short period of time, but the point is what is lacking. Simply put, dog food does not provide the nutrients required by cats. Eating a little bit of dog food won't kill a cat. But a cat fed exclusively on dog food can not only go blind, but can develop a heart condition, called feline dilated cardiomyopathy.
The difference primarily is taurine, found in muscle meat, heart, and liver. Studies have also been done that showed pregnancy failure in queens with long-term taurine depletion, including increased resorption of fetuses, reduced litter size, and increased incidence of stillborn kittens.

Taurine supplement has been added to commercial cat foods for several years, for these reasons.

I would never suggest feeding cats dog food, but rather food specifically formulated for their own, unique nutritional needs.

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandn.../f/dogfood.htm

Question: Can I feed my cat dog food?

Answer: I can answer this question with an unequivocal "no." Cats have very explicit nutritional needs, including taurine, and dog food simply does not contain the sorts of ingredients needed by cats to meet those needs.
Perhaps your question was prompted by a desire for the convenience of feeding your cat and dog the same food, or as a means of saving money. If so, you've missed the mark entirely. In the long run, the veterinary bills you'll run up in treating a malnourished cat will far outnumber the small savings you might gain by feeding it dog food.

[Rainbow Dash]

Awesome Thanks. He has his own food too but he just likes to eat both. I'll try and keep him away from it as much though.

[Awakening]

A couple of my cats do the same thing. They've become a bit chubby from eating their food and then going and eating the dogs food. When I notice it I usualy move them away from the dogs foo and call my dog over to eat it.

I dont think its that big of a deal if its just like once in awhile.

[DarkSeph]

We have 3 cats, and one day they tried tinned dog food and are now absolutely addicted to it. We occasionally feed it to them as a treat sometimes and they love it. They've been very healthy for the past few months so it doesn't seem to be having any negative effects, and their main meal is cat food as always.

I think the important thing is to make sure they eat mainly cat food to get all the necessary nutrients. And make sure the dog food is good quality, also important for your dogs health. If in doubt you can always ask a vet.