Your household may have cats and dogs. Though both of them are four legged animals, the rules about their diet are slightly different. If your cat has eaten your dog’s food in small amounts by mistake, it may not cause any harm.
However, the long-term consumption of the dog’s food by cats can lead to some negative effects. For the right amount of nutrition, you have to feed the cats just the food, exclusively made for them. The nutritional requirements of the cats are quite different from that of the dogs. The cats may turn out to be malnourished, while provided with a diet intended for the dogs.
Protein Amount in the Food of Two Animals
Dogs are usually omnivorous animal and may get the necessary nutrients from both the animal and plant based sources of food. Unlike the canines, the feline animals may be considered obligate carnivores.
In other words, they have to consume only the proteins, based on animal to achieve the nutrients for the survival and the maintenance of the physical condition. In accordance with the FDA, the minimum protein amount that is necessary to a dog in foodstuff is about eighteen percent. It is about 8 % lower than the protein amount essential for any cat’s food. Thus, most of the dog foods have less amount of protein than what is required for any cat.
Time of Feeding
While you have both kitty and a doggie in your household, you have to make certain that the two animals consume just their individual foods. In case of the pooch, you may place a big bowl that is easily accessible. But, this simple solution may not be applicable for your cat when it is constantly nibbling on its food. Give your pooch the meals twice during daytime, according to the everyday intake of calorie, suggested by the manufacturer of pet food.
Observe the doggie at the time of its feedings to make sure that the cat is not popping round and stealing some dog’s food. As the cats are likely to have the meals almost twelve to twenty times on a daily basis, free-feeding will perhaps be more effective only for the kitties. Place the plate of cat’s food on any table, shelf or counter top, where your doggie cannot access and may not be able to eat. In fact, the cat’s food to dog and the dog’s food to cat- both are not the safe options.
The Difference of Cat’s and Dog’s Food
The main difference, found between cats and dogs is that the canines are somewhat scavanging carnivores, while the kitties are the obligate ones, and this point is already mentioned. The cats may have the ability to consume the plants. However, they do not have the necessary digestive enzymes in order to get the nutrients completely crashed to the practical form.
The liver of the cats is continuously performing its function at some extreme enzyme activity that is ideal for a diet with high protein. Unlike the feline animals, the humans and the dogs have the ability to lessen the activity of the liver enzyme, while they intake some low protein-based foodstuffs. Thus, as the cat owner, you should make certain that the major meal of the cats is the food, made for them and not for dogs.
And due to this notable difference, the foods of the cats have more amount of supplementation in order to make sure that the felines get sufficient levels of nutrients, which they always want:
- Taurine – It is one of the necessary nutrients in case of the feline pets. The food of the dogs does not have sufficient taurine that may fulfill the usual needs for any kitty.
The shortage of taurine (absent in the canines’ food) in the cat’s food, can lead to the sightlessness, heart issues and also deafness. Some other potential effects of the inappropriate level of vitamins, required by felines, are lethargy, bad posture, seizures, poor skin condition, improper reproduction or also death.
Besides, the unacceptable amount of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins may bring about gastrointestinal problems in the cat, when it consumes a huge quantity of dog’s food. Chips are not recommended to your furry friends as much as they are not healthy to humans.
- Vitamin A – A doggie has the capability of transformation of beta-kerotene into vitamin A. Alternatively the cats also require the pre-produced vitamin A in the foods that may be available only in the tissues of animal. The kerotene is present mostly in some vegetables, like carrots. Thus, dog foods are made in a different way to comprise Vitamin A. As the cats are not able to utilize beta-kerotene, these animals will have lack of vitamin A.
- A type of essential fatty acid, Arachidonic acid, may be made by a canine animal, with the use of linoleic acid. Moreover, the cats are not able to accomplish it and have to consume arachidonic acid, present in the diet. It is also another substance, which may be seen only in the tissues of animal,
- High content of protein – Cats want more amount of protein than that of the doggies. Though the lower quantity of protein will not lead to any disease, it will possibly make them weary or loose mass of muscle.
A Cat Consuming the High Amount of Dog Food may be An Issue
One of the suggestions, which the experts always give, is that the treats must not go beyond 10 percent of the calorie intake of a pet. Moreover, you may try to observe the amount of calorie on the foods, and find how much amount of the food of dog food is ten percent of the cat’s food ingestion. It will help you to know whether it is risk-free practice or something that may make you concerned.
When the Cats Get Attracted to Others’ Foods
Many of food varieties are striking to the kitties. It may be the aroma or the flavor of the foodstuff, which stimulates them to gulp it down.
Moreover, there are also some components in the foodstuffs, which are very delicious to the cute cats. But, the appetizing food item may not always denote that it is healthy and nourishing food for your pet. For example, we often eat the snacks, which are generally made of salt and grease. The brownies and potato chips are never the healthy options; however, these are definitely alluring to most of the people. Fruits such as pineapples are not ideal for cat consumption, too.
In the same way, the felines perhaps do not possess sweet teeth. However, they may have desires for some foods, which aren’t essentially fit for them.
Can the Doggies Eat Cat’s Food?
It may be said that a dog may survive on only cat food. But, still, this is not high recommendable. The dog that is eating cat’s food for several days may turn out to be cat obese. It can also experience some gastrointestinal diseases. Vomiting, diarrhea and also pancreatitis are some of the potential outcomes either for long term or short term feeding of feline foods to a doggie. The food of the kittens, with its higher fat and protein levels, is also quite less suitable for the dogs.
Thus, you have to be careful, when you have a cat and a dog in the same house.
