Cats and dogs often have overlapping needs. For example, they both require their owner's care and sufficient exercise to stay happy and healthy. But when it comes to their food, there is no doubt they are very different animals. If a cat eats a little dog food, it won't be poisoned or suffer any serious health problems, but frequent consumption of dog food can lead to illness, vitamin deficiency, stomach discomfort, and even death. It is important to separate the food of our furry friends at feeding time.

The dietary needs of cats and dogs differ greatly. Cats need vitamin A as a supplement in their food, while dogs only require β-carotene (they can convert carotene into the vitamin A they need). Cats also require a fatty acid called arachidonic acid and an amino acid called taurine, which dogs can produce themselves. Arachidonic acid helps keep your cat's kidneys healthy and its coat looking good. If your cat does not get enough taurine, it may cause blindness, deafness, and other issues. Cats require higher protein levels than dogs; they are strict carnivores, while dogs are omnivores. Dogs should also stick to their own food. Because cat food has high calories along with large amounts of fat and protein, dogs eating cat food for a long time are prone to becoming obese. This can cause health problems and stomach-related issues like vomiting and diarrhea, as well as pancreatitis, which can be fatal.

Although dog food does not contain ingredients harmful to cats, it lacks several essential nutrients that cats must supplement. Long-term consumption of dog food means cats naturally cannot keep up with essential nutrition, leading to more serious health problems due to poor resistance. Taurine is an essential amino acid critical for cats. Pregnant female cats lacking taurine can experience reproductive failure. This includes kittens with extremely weak immunity, small size, few offspring, and more. Vitamin A is a very important nutrient for cats and has many roles in their development: maintaining and protecting visual function, protecting and promoting bone development, facilitating growth and reproduction, and building the immune system. Dog food does not contain vitamin A mainly because dogs have the basic ability to convert β-cryptoxanthin into vitamin A.

Besides these, the formulation design of cat food and dog food involves different ingredient ratios, so they need to be distinguished. Therefore, cats have their own food and should not eat dog food.