Cats and dogs belong to two different species, not only have different body structures, but also different food needs . Dogs are mainly carnivores, but they are omnivores, and some other foods other than meat can be eaten; while cats are pure carnivores, which is closely related to its digestive system and nutritional needs. Therefore, the composition of cat food and dog food is very different. If a cat often steals dog food, it is likely to have physical problems due to long-term eating of food that does not conform to its own eating habits.
Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats, and pure carnivores have very limited ability to synthesize cysteine into taurine. But dogs don’t have this problem. Therefore, when pet nutritionists design cat food formulas for cats, they will add and supplement the nutritional needs of taurine according to the different physiological stages of cats, but when designing dog food, they will not deliberately add taurine. acid. If a cat often steals dog food, it is likely to be deficient in taurine. If a cat is deficient in taurine, it will cause very serious problems, such as central retinal degeneration or blindness in cats. Moreover, arginine has different effects on cats and dogs. When cats lack arginine in their food, it is likely to have high blood ammonia. Cats lacking arginine will react much more strongly than dogs. Therefore, the ingredients in dog food do not meet the physiological needs of cats. If the cat steals dog food for a long time, it will inevitably cause harm to the body.
In terms of trace elements in pet food, vitamins in cat food and Vitamins will also vary. Just like vitamin A, dogs can effectively convert beta carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, to vitamin A, but cats can’t. Therefore, in the formulation of cat food and dog food, the ratio and addition method of vitamin A, a micronutrient, are completely different. If the cat steals dog food for a long time, it is likely to cause it to lack vitamin A. The difference in the requirements of trace elements between dogs and cats also exists in terms of B vitamins. In addition, in terms of protein content, fat, minerals, etc., the difference between cat food and dog food is also very large. Because cats and dogs have different physiological needs, when pet nutritionists design pet food, they will also treat them differently according to different nutritional characteristics, so the food of the two cannot be mixed.
In fact, not only are the ingredients of cat food and dog food different, but the digestive systems of cats and dogs are also very different. For example, crude fiber and carbohydrates, which are difficult for cats to digest, are not difficult for the dog’s digestive system, and the design of dog food and cat food will also take these aspects into account. Therefore, if the cat often steals dog food, it is likely to cause a lot of pressure on the stomach. And if the cat eats high concentrations of carbohydrates for a long time, it is likely to cause urinary tract syndrome, which is extremely detrimental to its health. So if the pet owner finds that his cat often steals dog food, he must do everything possible to stop it. If you have other related questions, you can also consult your veterinarian.
