?is It Ok, Cats To Eat Dog Food - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Baby Blessing · 12-20-2006, 10:38 PM

We have a cat that started coming and pouncing up onto our front entry door just this week, in the wee hours of the night. We have never had a cat and don't know the first thing about them. It kept huddling up by our door tonight. It is so cold out so I just went out and put a box with bedding in it on the front porch, I put some of Baby Blessings dry dog food out for it and it ate it up in a hurry. This is the first time for me to feed it, hope giving it dry dog food is okay?????

but I don't want to encourage it to stay, however, I feel so sorry for it, and it seemed so content to get into the box. Golly we are wanting another little yorkie not a cat.

Patti

yorkiepip · 12-21-2006, 12:22 AM

I have 2 cats and they both will eat my dogs food, the cats are now 14 and 15 years old and have always been very healthy in fact 1 has never been to the vets only for jabs and the other only once when he hurt his paw and they have been eating dog food for 10 years!!! So i personally cant see any harm in it.

yorkieK9trainer · 12-21-2006, 12:29 AM

Feeding a dog cat food; or a cat dog food is FINE.
Just so long as it's not long term. I mean, if it's all you have for say a week, then you do what you have to do. It's better than nothing. But ultimately you will want to provide each animal w/ a proper balance of nutrition and feline diets are lacking in some areas or may be too rich in some areas for our canine counterparts and vice versus.
Make sense?

Chelsey · 12-21-2006, 02:55 AM

Awwww Patti, You so sweet for helping the little kitty... it's cold out. Poor thing. I know it's hard to refuse anything like that, ive done the same in the past with cats, they stayed around my house outside, i fed and watered them.

friesianlady · 12-21-2006, 03:30 AM

Just to let you know, a dog can eat cat food however a cat can not eat dog food... A few days are fine but not long term... A cat will also stay around while it is fed. That's wonderful that you are providing shelter for it..

.We just got two kitties over the week-end, they are Oriental Shorthairs..

OLIVIA_KARHIS · 12-21-2006, 05:03 AM

Once you feed a cat, it never leaves. Poor thing. as long as you dont feed it dog food for a LONG time, it sould not hurt it or anything.

amyd · 12-21-2006, 07:13 AM

This is an answer to the same question that I found on "ask the Veterinarian"

It's only very harmful if they are eating it as their staple diet. Cats require a higher protein intake than dogs do. By eating dog food regularly, the cat will develop a protein deficiancy which can lead to serious health problems.
Dogs do not need as much protein in their diet. By eating cat food, the dog then will receive too much protein and will then face problems like bladder stones, urinary obstructions, fatty liver, etc. Now, if your dog or cat happened to steal some food out of the other's bowl, there is no need to worry. My cat steals a few pieces of my dog's food just about everyday.
Hilary Schiavone-Brensinger, DVM

SweetCuteness · 12-21-2006, 07:17 AM

Feeding a cat dog food long-term can make it go blind. This happened to two of my aunt's cats over the years and the vet said it was because they were eating the dog food.

Baby Blessing · 12-21-2006, 08:37 AM

I will be going to pets mart today so I will get some dry cat food, and whatever they suggest. I shall post a card on the bulletin board at the post office in trying to locate it's owner. Hopefully this cat is spayed or neutered. It ate more food than Baby Blessing eats at one feeding so I knew it was hungry. Just hope it doesn't try to dart in the house

Thanks everyone for your help.

yorkiepip · 12-23-2006, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yorkiepip

I have 2 cats and they both will eat my dogs food, the cats are now 14 and 15 years old and have always been very healthy in fact 1 has never been to the vets only for jabs and the other only once when he hurt his paw and they have been eating dog food for 10 years!!! So i personally cant see any harm in it.

Just to put all your minds at rest..i do feed my cats their proper cat food but they also like to pinch the dogs food too. And as i stated they have done for 10 years, maybe we have just been lucky as mine have had no problems, maybe its because they have cat food too?

doortego · 12-23-2006, 01:58 PM

I think I know how you feel. Our next door neighbors moved away & apparently left their cat. I ignored it for several days because they were still coming & going & I thought maybe they were feeding it. After several days when they had not came back, I started feeding it Little Bit's food. Then after another few days I went to Pet Smart & got some cat food. Now there are 3 of them & they don't get along. I didn't want one but I sure don't want 3 and at least one of them seems to be a mean tom cat. You know if I keep feeding them, they are going to multiply and none of them will come up to me. Just sit around & cry for food & try to chase each other away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Blessing

We have a cat that started coming and pouncing up onto our front entry door just this week, in the wee hours of the night. We have never had a cat and don't know the first thing about them. It kept huddling up by our door tonight. It is so cold out so I just went out and put a box with bedding in it on the front porch, I put some of Baby Blessings dry dog food out for it and it ate it up in a hurry. This is the first time for me to feed it, hope giving it dry dog food is okay?????

but I don't want to encourage it to stay, however, I feel so sorry for it, and it seemed so content to get into the box. Golly we are wanting another little yorkie not a cat.

Patti

Baby Blessing · 12-23-2006, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doortego

I think I know how you feel. Our next door neighbors moved away & apparently left their cat. I ignored it for several days because they were still coming & going & I thought maybe they were feeding it. After several days when they had not came back, I started feeding it Little Bit's food. Then after another few days I went to Pet Smart & got some cat food. Now there are 3 of them & they don't get along. I didn't want one but I sure don't want 3 and at least one of them seems to be a mean tom cat. You know if I keep feeding them, they are going to multiply and none of them will come up to me. Just sit around & cry for food & try to chase each other away.

Thank goodness there is only one coming around our home, don't know who it belongs to but I did get it some dry cat food and now put the bedding box in the storeage shed,left the door ajar so it can go in at night ( No more of it pouncing on our front entry door in the wee hours for us

it only seems to come around here at late night or the wee morning hours.) Hopefully it's owner is just temporarily gone, but if thats the case they should have taken it to a place to board it

It is terrible that someone moved away and left their cat there by you Doortego, and now you have three

Years ago some folks sold their home in our area and left their Ram behind in the field, had water an plenty of grazing to be had, but that was not right.

12-20-2006, 10:38 PM	#1
Baby Blessing Our Blessings R Many Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the shelter of God's Loving Care. Posts: 3,095 Blog Entries: 1	?is It Ok, Cats To Eat Dog Food We have a cat that started coming and pouncing up onto our front entry door just this week, in the wee hours of the night. We have never had a cat and don't know the first thing about them. It kept huddling up by our door tonight. It is so cold out so I just went out and put a box with bedding in it on the front porch, I put some of Baby Blessings dry dog food out for it and it ate it up in a hurry. This is the first time for me to feed it, hope giving it dry dog food is okay????? but I don't want to encourage it to stay, however, I feel so sorry for it, and it seemed so content to get into the box. Golly we are wanting another little yorkie not a cat. Patti

12-21-2006, 12:22 AM	#2
yorkiepip Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Brittany France Posts: 2,420	I have 2 cats and they both will eat my dogs food, the cats are now 14 and 15 years old and have always been very healthy in fact 1 has never been to the vets only for jabs and the other only once when he hurt his paw and they have been eating dog food for 10 years!!! So i personally cant see any harm in it. __________________ Anne, Pippa, Jake Woody

12-21-2006, 12:29 AM	#3
yorkieK9trainer YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: North eastern Illinois Suburbs Posts: 1,669	Feeding a dog cat food; or a cat dog food is FINE. Just so long as it's not long term. I mean, if it's all you have for say a week, then you do what you have to do. It's better than nothing. But ultimately you will want to provide each animal w/ a proper balance of nutrition and feline diets are lacking in some areas or may be too rich in some areas for our canine counterparts and vice versus. Make sense? __________________ "Big things come in small packages" http://www.myspace.com/yorkiek9trainer

12-21-2006, 03:30 AM	#5
friesianlady Donating YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NEW HAMPSHIRE Posts: 426	Just to let you know, a dog can eat cat food however a cat can not eat dog food... A few days are fine but not long term... A cat will also stay around while it is fed. That's wonderful that you are providing shelter for it...We just got two kitties over the week-end, they are Oriental Shorthairs..

12-21-2006, 05:03 AM	#6
OLIVIA_KARHIS Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: GERMANY Posts: 1,544	Once you feed a cat, it never leaves. Poor thing. as long as you dont feed it dog food for a LONG time, it sould not hurt it or anything. __________________ Bunny &Bella Supporting The Troops

12-21-2006, 02:55 AM	#4
Chelsey My2Pearls Chelsey & Chanel YT Donator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: N Posts: 4,097	Awwww Patti, You so sweet for helping the little kitty... it's cold out. Poor thing. I know it's hard to refuse anything like that, ive done the same in the past with cats, they stayed around my house outside, i fed and watered them.

12-21-2006, 07:13 AM	#7
amyd YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 299	This is an answer to the same question that I found on "ask the Veterinarian" It's only very harmful if they are eating it as their staple diet. Cats require a higher protein intake than dogs do. By eating dog food regularly, the cat will develop a protein deficiancy which can lead to serious health problems. Dogs do not need as much protein in their diet. By eating cat food, the dog then will receive too much protein and will then face problems like bladder stones, urinary obstructions, fatty liver, etc. Now, if your dog or cat happened to steal some food out of the other's bowl, there is no need to worry. My cat steals a few pieces of my dog's food just about everyday. Hilary Schiavone-Brensinger, DVM __________________ Amy Lou - Lily & Elvis too Lily's page: http://www.dogster.com/?411879 Elvis' page: http://www.dogster.com/?411982

12-21-2006, 07:17 AM	#8
SweetCuteness I <3 Ferdinand Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,444	Feeding a cat dog food long-term can make it go blind. This happened to two of my aunt's cats over the years and the vet said it was because they were eating the dog food. __________________ Britta ...and Ferdinand too

12-21-2006, 08:37 AM	#9
Baby Blessing Our Blessings R Many Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the shelter of God's Loving Care. Posts: 3,095 Blog Entries: 1	Thanks Everyone I will be going to pets mart today so I will get some dry cat food, and whatever they suggest. I shall post a card on the bulletin board at the post office in trying to locate it's owner. Hopefully this cat is spayed or neutered. It ate more food than Baby Blessing eats at one feeding so I knew it was hungry. Just hope it doesn't try to dart in the house Thanks everyone for your help.