cat and dog food

[Muffincake]

Is it bad for a cat to eat dog food and vice versa?

just curious.... my friend has a cat and dog and they eat each others food and I thought it was unhealthy for them...

We have a large Starbucks coffee bet on the answer

S

[Longblades]

Generally cats need more and a higher quality protein than is in most dog food. And cats need taurine added to their food. Most dog foods don't fit cats nutritional needs. Some dog foods do have taurine added but not enough for cats.

Cats are obligate carnivores that cannot survive on vegetables and grains. Dogs are omnivores or opportunistic carnivores. Dogs can live happy, healthy lives with no meat at all, with a little work from the owner. Cat food needs more meat sourced food in it. That's why cat food is usually more expensive per unit than dog food.

Dogs don't need the level of protein or the quality of it, generally, that is in cat food and since cat food costs more it's cheaper to feed dogs dog food.

Some high end dog foods might be ok for cats but it depends on the food. In your friend's case I would worry for the health of the cat. It would be a good idea to research cats' nutritional needs and carefully read the labels of each food. Snacks and nibbles of each other's food won't matter if each is eating mostly the food meant for his/her species.

[Muffincake]

Thanks for the information.