Catfood

[Edith & "Lucy"]

Does your doodle like to eat the cat food? I am constantly trying to get Lucy off the table where the cat food is stationed. A lot of time she will just gulp it all up. Then, Lucy will have an upset stomach. How do you train your doodle not to go after the kitty food?

[Tante & Jordan & now Annie!]

I block the cat food so only the cats can get to it.Its like maze! If given the chance both Dogs will eat the cat food.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It took Jack a few weeks to adjust to his new home before he got up the nerve to eat Dinah's food. I knew the cat had not eaten it, because she never leaves the bowl completely empty and shining with that "licked clean" look. I moved her bowl to the counter top on the kitchen peninsula. Jack could reach it if he really tried, but he has very good house-manners and never takes anything from the kitchen counters.
Dogs really love cat food, because it is much higher in protein and fat than dog food. That's also why they like cat food after it's been digested by the cat, lol.

[Eileen Ross and Cody]

Thank goodness for baby gates. I have the area blocked off with a gate that my kittys can get thru. If my hubbie leaves the gate open, Cody makes a mad dash to get to the food. He also loves their poop.

[Meg (Murphy's Mom)]

I have the opposite problem our kitty eats the dog food. Murphy eats Purina One lamb and rice and the cat prefers it. I don't know if it is bad for him or not but he likes it. The dog food is small chunks. Murphy never begs to be fed but the kitty screams for food or water.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Meg, it may be okay for the cat to eat a little bit of the dog food, but if he's eating any substantial amount, that's not so good. Cats need way more protein than dog food provides, and they have very specific nutritional requirements. From Cornell Veterinary Center:

"Cats are obligate carnivores and are very different from dogs-and people-in their nutritional needs. What does it mean to be an obligate carnivore? It means that cats are strict carnivores that rely on nutrients in animal tissue to meet their specific nutritional requirements. In their natural habitat, cats are hunters that consume prey high in protein with moderate amounts of fat and minimal amounts of carbohydrates. Cats also require more than a dozen nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. These nutrients are the building blocks of various structural body tissues; are essential for chemical reactions (metabolism, catabolism); transport substances into, around, and out of the body; supply energy for growth and maintenance; and provide palatability.

The important thing to remember about nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals, is that your cat needs the correct amount-but no more. It is possible to have "too much of a good thing" when it comes to vitamins and minerals; the use of supplements not only is unnecessary but also can be potentially dangerous to your pet's health. A key point to remember is that cats are neither small dogs nor people. Because of cats' unique metabolism, what might be good for you might be detrimental to your cat. A high-quality cat food assures an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals in your cat's diet; supplements should never be added without a veterinarian's approval."

[Meg (Murphy's Mom)]

Thank you so much for the wealth of information! My kitty eats his kitty food but I haven't been able to keep him from munching on the dog food. I find him in the dog food when his bowl on a higher stand is full. We always keep both bowls full and let the dog and the cat just graze during the day but after reading your note I was thinking that maybe we should have supervised meal time for them both. I hope that it hasn't hurt him to eat the dog food.

[Linda and Murphy]

Murphy has very nice manners and doesn't touch the cat food....the cat's bowl is on a stool/bench and I think she "explained" it to him early on. He could definitely take it if he wanted. I free feed both of them, but the cat is the only one that "demands" to be fed.

[Edith & "Lucy"]

Thanks to all of your responses. Lucy gets a lot of timeouts these days. She is trying to hit the cat food daily. As soon as I turn around, she hits it.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

We keep our cat Cleo's food on a kitchen counter far enough from either end and up against the wall. Harlow hasn't been able to reach yet... but she is still growing :-o

[Jeannine]

Our cats have to eat in the basement so the girls can't rich their foods.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Well, I jinxed myself by posting about Harlow not getting the cat's food....

This morning while surfing DK =) I heard the sound of breaking dishes in the kitchen. Yep you guessed it; Harlow pulled the cat food off the counter. I guess now I will have to put the food in Cleo's second favorite spot... on top of the upper kitchen cabinets.

[Cynthia Meldrum]

I feed my three kitties in a different room and Maddie is not allowed in there. Dogs will eat just about anything....yuck.