Why can’t cats eat dog food?

Why can’t cats eat dog food?

Dogs and cats are both meat eaters, but they have very different nutritional requirements and require different foods as part of their diets.

That’s a fact.

But exactly how and why do dogs and cats differ in their dietary requirements?

There are some obvious anatomical differences. As a general rule, most breeds of dog are bigger than the average cat and need to eat a higher volume of food per day. Cats also have a shorter digestive tract and smaller stomach than dogs. They are designed, and prefer, to eat small and frequent meals, rather than one or two larger meals.

More importantly, there are differences in nutrients that cats need to get from their diet to survive.

Cats are obligate carnivores with different essential nutrient requirements.

Cats are obligate carnivores because some essential nutrients they need to survive are only found in animal meats. “Essential nutrients” are nutrients that must be obtained from dietary sources because the body can’t make them in adequate amounts on its own.

Dogs and cats have 40 essential nutrients that they must obtain from their diet¹. There are some nutrients that cats can’t make themselves, but dogs can, and nutrients that cats require higher amounts of than dogs do. These include:

• Some amino acids (nutrients derived from proteins) like arginine and taurine, which are important for growth, heart health, eye health, and the removal of waste products (ammonia) from the body
• Certain fatty acids, including arachidonic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) which is important for the function of the skin, the digestive tract, and the reproductive system
• Vitamins like vitamin A and niacin (a B vitamin), which are important for eye and skin health and energy production

If cats don’t receive adequate amounts of these essential nutrients in their diets, it can lead to significant health problems.

Cats need animal meat as part of their diet, but they can also digest and utilise other ingredients. 

Despite being obligate carnivores, a diet consisting solely of muscle meat will not be complete and balanced for cats. In the wild cats will eat all parts of their prey, not just the muscle meat, so they get the rest of their nutritional needs this way. Non-meat ingredients, like carbohydrates, vegetables, and appropriate supplements can be added to cat diets to help provide these nutrients that may not be found in the meat products used.

These added ingredients may have other benefits too. Grains and grain-derived products like rice and psyllium husks are great sources of energy and fibre. Vegetables like carrots and broccoli provide nutrients like vitamins A and C and fibre.

The Nosh Project cat bowls are complete and balanced diets.

Filled with high-quality ingredients, Nosh provides all the essential nutrients your cat requires as part of their daily diet. Nosh is a great way to add interesting, nutritious variety to your cat’s usual food while ensuring they get everything they need to thrive.

Shop Nosh today

Want to learn more?

1. Waltham pocket book of essential nutrition for cats and dogs 2^nd Edited by D. Grandjean & R. Butterwick.