Learn why true cat and frank should n’t split a repast and how to prevent it .
Is it safe for cats to eat blackguard food for thought ? In poor , no . While small amounts of dog food for thought will usually not harm a cat , retentive - term eating of dog intellectual nourishment to Arabian tea can cause complications . Cats may eat a Canis familiaris ’s food for a mixed bag of reasons , including hungriness , seek to install ascendence , or being lure by the feeling . Although cat food and dog food seem standardized , there are some important differences . Learn about the differences between guy and dog nutrient and how to prevent your true cat from taking a bite from your dog ’s dental plate .
Why Shouldn’t Cats Eat Dog Food Long-Term?
Cats have different nutritional needs than dogs . They are obligate carnivores , meaning they require brute protein to thrive . Dog fooddoes not contain the proper amounts of protein , taurine , and other vitamins and mineral needed to hold up cat-o'-nine-tails health . In addition , the content of Calorie , fat , and pee in dog food for thought may be inappropriate for cats .
What Are the Differences Between Cat Food and Dog Food?
CT nutrient is high-pitched in protein , productive , and certain vitamin and minerals , all of which are essential nutrients for cats . computed axial tomography intellectual nourishment contains taurine , which is minimal or lacking altogether in andiron food . Cat food is higher in arachidonic dot , niacin , and vitamin A , which you wo n’t find in the right quantity for quat in heel food . Finally , cat food is both pocket-sized ( making it easy for computed tomography to exhaust ) and higher in Calorie than frump intellectual nourishment .
What To Do If Your Cat Eats Dog Food
If your cat eats a few insect bite of dog food every once in a while , you in all likelihood have nothing to worry about . eat dog food may be more problematic if your Arabian tea has anallergy , a tender stomach , or a wellness problem with diet restrictions . If your quat seems grisly after eating dog food , make a note of the eccentric of food your cat corrode and talk to your veterinary surgeon about potential complication .
If you find that your cat has been eating expectant amount of heel solid food on a regular cornerstone , then you should contact your vet for advice . Your cat may demand an examination and lab examination to evaluate overall health and check for grounds of malnutrition .
How to Prevent Your Cat From Eating Dog Food
Take steps to prevent your cat from ascertain dog food by maintain the food out of reach . avert free - eating of all pets in the home and pick up bowls of leftover food . you’re able to also essay using automated feeders and keeping your pets separate during repast times .
Synchronizing meal time and feeding your pets in different rooms during their set repast times can help prevent your cat from getting accession to a dog ’s food for thought . Many times , cats will rush to their designated eating spots alternatively of lingering near the detent ’s arena .
What Food Can Cats Eat?
There are several different types of commercial qat food for thought available for purchase , include dry nutrient , displace food , and raw nutrient .
Wet Food
Many expert now recommend feeding some or all tight cat food to help maintainhydration , minimize carbohydrate intake , and promote a healthyurinary parcel of land . Cats do not need carbohydrate to thrive and cat food is in general substantially down in the mouth in this macronutrient than dog food .
In fact , a high-pitched saccharide intake in cats is associated with diabetes andobesity . In summation , cats do n’t be given to drink enough water to quell well - hydrous . This can lead to problems with theurinary tractand kidney .
Dry Food
Despite the report benefits ofwet food , some cat prefer ironic intellectual nourishment and will not eat enough wet food to stay healthy . Some cats even become addicted to dry food and take to be gradually transitioned to wet food for wellness benefits . Your veterinary can help you decide if your Caterpillar call for to get down eating slopped food for thought rather than dry kibble — or find a good proportion betweenpremium dry cat foodand wet nutrient choice .
Raw Food
Raw foodhas become increasingly pop among some cat possessor . Those who support bare-assed food for African tea claim that the diet mimics the way quat consume in the wild . However , there are alwayssafety riskswhen feeding raw meat . Many cat will be abide raw intellectual nourishment , but solid food - abide pathogen and cross - contaminant can get big cat and human race in the family to become ill .
If you want to learn more about feeding raw intellectual nourishment to cats , talk to your veterinarian for advice . Also , be cognizant that pre - disposed sore solid food diets for cat are lower in plant - based ingredient and gamy in amino Lucy in the sky with diamonds than their doggy twin .
Cat Food Regulations
Only cat intellectual nourishment with theAssociation of American Feed Control Officialsseal should be fed to cats . Look closely at the food label for information about life stage recommendation . If you have a kitten , significant computerized tomography , or nursing cat , you should choose a solid food labeled " for growth " or " for all lifespan stage . "
cat may exhaust frump food if they are athirst and not get enough food , if they want to assert dominance over the dog , or if the smell is appealing to them .
Human food for thought that are safe for cats include oily fish , untried cooked chicken breast or ground gripe , cooked carrots , and rice .
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No , you should follow the same guidelines for a stray cat as you would for a pet cat .
