Cats are cute, affectionate, curious, but sometimes too independent, masterful, stubborn creatures. These pets are especially picky about food. And you will never guess their preferences. There are frequent cases when such creatures, abandoning the most exquisite delicacies, suddenly arbitrarily begin to eat what seems to be completely unsuitable for them. For example, dog food. Is it possible to feed a cat in this way? On this topic, as well as on some others, concerning the interesting nuances of the nutrition of these pets, we have a conversation.
About the benefits of protein
Despite the unpredictability, the tastes of cats, dictated by their nature and ancient instincts, to predict is still possible. For example, it is difficult to find a four-legged one from this caudate genus who would prefer a pie with jam to a juicy piece of meat cut into small pieces. This is the natural desire of a predator, which this animal is. Therefore, guessing which cat food is the best is not necessary. Of course, one that contains enough protein.
Another thing is that many of the mustachioed pets, preferring animal food, persistently choose a delicacy of a particular type. For example, they refuse ground beef in favor of fish or with the whole heart strive to fill their stomach with chicken, squeamishly sniffing and snorting at something else.
There can be many explanations: strength of habit, lack of a certain type of substance in the body. But all this is physiology. And what pushes the cat to look into the plate of the owner or four-legged neighbor in the apartment, while refusing the exact same food served to her, as they say, on a platter? Often, dog bowls are especially affected. And the explanation again lies in the nature of the predator.
Cats versus dogs
The eternal confrontation of the most common types of pets has long been the reason for the appearance of sayings and entertaining stories. Well, dogs and cats don’t want to live together! Of course, there are quite a few exceptions to this rule, but nevertheless, the spirit of confrontation and rivalry between these four-legged animals, all too often by the will of fate finding themselves under one roof, is rarely eradicated to the end.
It is for this reason that stealing from a dog bowl for a mustached brisk prankster sometimes becomes a matter of honor. So what is the best cat food? Sometimes it’s the one that is in the bowl of the innocent dog. The hidden instinct of the hunter manifests itself in this way. Cats are especially guilty of predatory and unprecedented theft, to themselves, apparently, believing that prey is always better than a housekeeping.
Convenient type of feeding
When compiling a diet for dogs, more and more owners prefer to use dry food. Indeed, it is very convenient for many reasons. The ritual of cooking does not require hassle. And the portion, remaining half-eaten, may well lie for some more time so that its contents are consumed by the animal a little later. Therefore, if a cat looks into a dog bowl with the remains of food, the owners usually do not see anything wrong with this, not always thinking about whether it is possible to give a dog food to a cat. But carelessness often results in pet diseases.
Negligent bipeds can be understood. Mustachioed picks with their whims and stubbornness are able to force anyone to follow their lead. And if it’s easy to feed the dog, it’s much harder to please the cat. Largely for this reason, food for industrial dogs, being in less demand, is always available. And even the most expensive dog food is usually cheaper than cat food. And owners, for the sake of convenience and economy, resign themselves to the preferences of their pets, allowing the cat to do what she likes.
What threatens dry food?
Usually problems do not manifest themselves too clearly, and in the absence of easily noticeable signs, it is very difficult to immediately understand the harm of dry dog food for cats. But what exactly is this manifested in?
To begin with, dry food is generally not the most preferable for the mustachioed family. Cats thus often spoil their teeth, in a short time rubbing enamel on them. Moreover, the intestines work worse from such food, because it is not quite natural for the animal’s body, although high-quality feeds are well balanced. In addition, cats often get fat from dry food.
It is not always easy to get rid of the habit of such food that arises quickly. It comes to the point that the mustachioed stubborn ones flatly refuse to eat normal dishes, blackmailing the owner with hunger strikes.
Canned dog
Continuing the conversation about whether it is possible to feed a cat with dog food, we ask ourselves a question: if dry granules are not suitable for this type of four-legged, then semi-moist and wet analogues may be suitable for this? They do not spoil the teeth and intestines, contain valuable substances, trace elements and vitamins, and in comparison with ordinary homemade food they clearly benefit in usefulness and nutrition.
Can a dog have canned food for a cat? They are, of course, more expensive than dry food, but nevertheless more accessible are cat mousses, pastes, chopped and lumpy meat of industrial production. Unfortunately, here again a categorical negative answer should be given. There is no universal feed that is ideally suited for two species of these animals at once. The physiological characteristics of dogs and cats are too pronounced, and their needs are completely different.
About the significant difference in nutrition
At first glance, both of these representatives of the four-legged kingdom are predators, have sharp teeth and adore meat, experiencing the need for protein food. But dogs are omnivorous animals that need a plant-based diet along with protein nutrition. In this they are similar to people experiencing an urgent need for vegetables, legumes, cereals. Unlike dogs, cats are obligate predators, that is, by their nature they are intended to eat only other animals, albeit of relatively small sizes. They hunt with pleasure not only mice, rats and other small rodents, but also lizards, birds and small insects. And is it possible to give a cat dog food if both species of the mentioned animals need relatively different diets for a healthy state of the body? This is the explanation.
Essential Vitamins
So, in the dog’s body, animal and vegetable food is processed with equal success. In the manufacture of industrial feed for the most faithful four-legged friends of a person, manufacturers seek to enrich it with vitamin A, which is urgently necessary for them. However, its excess can cause significant harm to the cat. Especially this danger applies to young pets, whose body is in the process of formation. This is fraught with improper development of the skeleton. The furry purr needs vitamin E more. After this, is it worth talking about whether it is possible to feed a cat with dog food?
Cat physiology features
But that is not all. Protein for dogs for their life requires a percentage much less, due to the relatively low intensity of processes in organs and biological tissues. That is why in cat food this element is contained in larger quantities with a significant difference of 15%. In addition, in the diet of a charming purr, special amino acids must be present that are not produced by the body, but come only with food. An example of this is taurine, without which the cat's nervous and urinary systems, as well as its visual organs, suffer. As part of high-quality industrial feed, this is necessarily taken into account.
About proper feeding
Having clarified the question of whether it is possible to feed a cat with dog food, and giving a categorical negative answer, it is necessary to move on to other important questions of feeding a mustachioed pet. The examples given earlier showed that the owners should not follow the lead of these four-legged stubborn people. Masterful purrs are not always able to understand what exactly their small organisms really need.
How to feed an adult cat? Industrial food has many advantages and includes everything you need. However, a much more natural and healthy natural diet. At the same time, it is enough to make a successful menu once to subsequently fully satisfy the four-legged pet, because cats in food have always been famous for conservatism, suspicious of changes.
It is better to give meat and fish boiled and rolled through a meat grinder. Also, these animals need milk. But such products should be given carefully, taking into account the characteristics of the animal, since not every one of them takes such food. If you eat cereals in the diet, then only very well-cooked. And from vegetables, these convinced predators by nature are recommended to give only carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes.
Some additions
How many times a day is it best to feed an adult cat? Two meals a day is ideal. It is carried out in two stages: morning and evening. Volumes are calculated depending on the size of the animal, more precisely 1 kg of its weight requires about 60 g of high-quality food per day, the energy value of which should be approximately 70 kcal.
When using industrial finished products, how to feed an adult cat? It is better to choose products of the same brand, taking into account the preferences of the animal and its financial capabilities. In this case, it is necessary to alternate dry granules with wet and semi-moist samples of the same line.
As for the behavioral problems and theft from a dog’s bowl: to train and educate mustachioed stubborn people is almost hopeless, given their nature. But a well-thought-out diet of full-fledged ingredients, the cat’s confidence that she will always be fed with her favorite foods on time, usually solves all problems.