I've always heard that the food specific for the two animals isn't good for the health of the other. I only feed my two dogs a controlled amount at each of two meals. They eat all of it. Surprisingly, the cat will try to gorge on everything I put into his bowl. Usually a cat will only eat what it needs, but this adopted neighborhood cat must feel there's some competition for his food. The dogs don't bother his bowl.
Probably best to just feed a controlled amount then pick up the dog's food and put it away so the cat can't get it, or get a dog dish that can be closed to prevent either dog or cat from getting into it.
Read ingrediads and other data on label. Some dog foods are too "fat" or have other issues when a cat eats them.
Cats often like wet foods because gets more of water intake from food not the water bowl.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Does the dog eat its food in a few minutes? Put the cat in a different room with its own food for the few minutes it should take the dog to eat. If you leave food out all the time like some people do, that should be fixed by having meal times. When the dog food isn't there, the cat wont eat it.
Don't leave the dog food out all day. Dogs will learn a lot faster to finish the bowl when you put it out then trying to train a cat. Trust me on this. We also were getting the expensive multiflavored food and one day picked up some generic food and the cats loved it. They seem to like the stuff that is colored and left the brown food in the bowl.
Side note my favorite cat would play fetch. Roll up a sock and throw it and she would bring it back and sit waiting for me to do it again.
Purina, Meow Mix and most grocery store brands are absolute garbage. Read the ingredient labels, usually the first ingredient is corm meal or another grain. Cats are carnivores, and grains have ZERO nutritional value for them.
Most likely they are eating your dogs food because they need the protein they are not getting with their current food. There are lots of quality brands, and yes they will cost more. If you want the cat to survive, then it's worth the extra cost. Plus they will tend to eat less, since they are getting MUCH better nutrition, so the cost difference is actually not too bad.
No cat food should contain grains of any kind, it's filler only to make it cheap.
Some good brands: Blue Buffalo Diamond Naturals 4 Health (Tractor Supply Company brand) Taste of the Wild (what I get) Blue Wilderness
To show just how bad Purina is - here is a breakdown/rating of their dog food (don't have a link for cat chow, but still gives you the idea) https://www.dogfoodadvisor....ews/purina-dog-chow/ Basically, Purina Dog Chow is one of the worst things to give your dog, so I would imagine Cat Chow is similar garbage.
I have done a lot of research on both dog and cat food, as I have had several "special needs" pets. Changing their diets to a quality food made significant differences, and substantially increased the quality of their lives.
Purina, Meow Mix and most grocery store brands are absolute garbage. Read the ingredient labels, usually the first ingredient is corm meal or another grain. Cats are carnivores, and grains have ZERO nutritional value for them.
Most likely they are eating your dogs food because they need the protein they are not getting with their current food. There are lots of quality brands, and yes they will cost more. If you want the cat to survive, then it's worth the extra cost. Plus they will tend to eat less, since they are getting MUCH better nutrition, so the cost difference is actually not too bad.
No cat food should contain grains of any kind, it's filler only to make it cheap.
Some good brands: Blue Buffalo Diamond Naturals 4 Health (Tractor Supply Company brand) Taste of the Wild (what I get) Blue Wilderness
To show just how bad Purina is - here is a breakdown/rating of their dog food (don't have a link for cat chow, but still gives you the idea) https://www.dogfoodadvisor....ews/purina-dog-chow/ Basically, Purina Dog Chow is one of the worst things to give your dog, so I would imagine Cat Chow is similar garbage.
I have done a lot of research on both dog and cat food, as I have had several "special needs" pets. Changing their diets to a quality food made significant differences, and substantially increased the quality of their lives.Click to show
We just adopted a great little guy from SCRAPS. A young Pitbull and Lab mix that spent three months there. He is the most loyal and loving creature that I have ever had the opportunity of meeting. Our best decision ever!
I am a fairly intelligent and learned individual, but you just made me feel like a potato. I am going to do my own research. We eat rather healthy in this household, and so should our newest member.
Originally posted by Tony Kania: I am going to do my own research. We eat rather healthy in this household, and so should our newest member.
Thanks for the insight.
That was a good informational resource.
quote
The sixth ingredient includes poultry by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of slaughtered poultry after all the prime cuts have been removed.
In addition to organs, this item can also include feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs and almost anything other than prime skeletal muscle.
On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
The quality of this ingredient can vary, depending on the caliber of the raw materials obtained by the manufacturer.
We consider poultry by-products slightly lower in quality than a single-species ingredient (like chicken by-products).
I work for a large poultry producer and can attest to the bold emphasized quote. They waste nothing, and make money on it. Even the manure. We sell that to some fertilizer producer.
My underlined part of the quote, ... is interesting. Chicken is poultry.
Tony, define healthy eating. Are you a vagen, ?
Is your great little guy going to get prime beef ? I never let my dog eat table food. That just might be a better choice. I have always felt guilty that Otis each the same zhit everyday until the bag is empty (50lb). Then he gets a new flavor.
Poultry byproducts sounds like something that they serve in Pennsylvania, called Scraple. Basically, just take every thing left after cutting the meat off the bones and boil it. What comes to the surface you scoop out and let solidify and that is Scraple.
Poultry byproducts sounds like something that they serve in Pennsylvania, called Scraple. Basically, just take every thing left after cutting the meat off the bones and boil it. What comes to the surface you scoop out and let solidify and that is Scraple.
I've had it...kinda reminds me of "canned luncheon meat substitute or other by-products"
I work for a large poultry producer and can attest to the bold emphasized quote. They waste nothing, and make money on it. Even the manure. We sell that to some fertilizer producer.
My underlined part of the quote, ... is interesting. Chicken is poultry.
Tony, define healthy eating. Are you a vagen, ?
Is your great little guy going to get prime beef ? I never let my dog eat table food. That just might be a better choice. I have always felt guilty that Otis each the same zhit everyday until the bag is empty (50lb). Then he gets a new flavor.
I could not live with the smell of a chicken farm. Chicken shat is my nostril kryptonite.
No vegan, but I prepare and cook almost every meal that we eat. Rarely do we spend money on eating out.
No table food. He is skinny and not well fed. Spent three months at SCRAPS. Giving him Kibbles and Bits Savory with Pedigree canned, about 4:1 with 8 to 10 ounces of water 5 times a day. Just under 50 lbs., but really slim.
Again, thanks for the thoughts and advice on proper food for our pets. I will no doubt do the best that we can, and am happy to learn something new and important.
Try Temptations (catnip fever flavor), they are like crack for my cats. If it does like those.... it's not a cat, and you've found your problem.
I use them too for treats. He likes it so well, ive had to run him off the counter trying to tear open the package. Now I keep them in a jar with a lid. I just say 'treat' and hes on the couch in seconds from anywhere in the house. this is the first time Ive had to run him off a counter or shelf in 14 years. Hes never messed with anything anywhere hes not supposed to. He wont even go after my food on the couch. He will go for it after he KNOWS im done.
Please don't take that seriously.
I am going to do my own research. We eat rather healthy in this household, and so should our newest member. 
