Is it OK to let my Dog and Cat Eat each other's Food?
Is it OK to let my Dog and Cat Eat each other's Food?
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Do your pets try to eat each other’s food? If so, it’s not a good idea to let your cat eat the dog’s food or your dog eat the cat’s food.
A little dog food now and then probably won’t hurt your feline friend. But a steady diet of dog food could make a cat ill. Cats are strictly carnivores—meat eaters—so they need more protein than they’ll find in kibble that’s meant for omnivorous dogs. Cats also need specific B-complex vitamins and amino acids that aren’t found in dog food.
On the other hand, a dog’s occasional nibble out of a cat’s bowl probably won’t hurt him. But cat foods are high in calories, so a dog that heartily eats cat food could become obese. And obesity is a serious health risk.
So if your pets try to snatch food from one another, keep them separate while they eat.
– Dr. Andrea Looney, DVM for the “Purina® Animal Instincts” Podcast Series