Can My New Persian Kitten Eat My Dog’s Food?

If you’re a dog person, but have finally seen the light and are looking to buy a Persian cat or kitten, please don’t think you can feed your dog and your new Persian cat the same pet food!

It’s true that dog food and cat food are made using similar meat ingredients, and the foods might look the same from a distance, but your new cat is going to have specific nutritional needs that your dog does not have.

Beta-carotene. Dog food often contains beta-carotene to provide vitamin A, but cats cannot use beta-carotene. They get their vitamin A from different sources, so cat food contains ingredients other than beta-carotene for vitamin A.

Arachidonic acid. This is a fatty acid that dogs produce, but cats are not able to produce. They need it to be supplemented in their diet for the best health, so food for your Persian kitten will contain this ingredient.

Protein/Fat. Your Persian kitten will need a higher level of both protein and fat in her diet than your dog, which is why cat foods have more of both.

Taurine. This is another amino acid that dogs produce, but cats cannot. Your Persian cat will need this in his diet, so the cat food contains taurine. If your Persian cat does not get enough taurine in her diet, it can cause heart disease and other health problems.

More calories. Believe it or not, your Persian cat requires more calories, so cat food is higher in calories than dog food.

Vegetables. Dog food contains more vegetables because dogs are able to survive on an omnivorous diet. Cats have to have a meat-based diet to survive.

Zinc/Vitamin E. Cat food contains less zinc and vitamin E than dog food because cats don’t need as many of these ingredients.

We’ve talked a little bit about what can happen if you feed your cat dog food, but what if your dog eats the food for your Persian cat for a long time?

Well, the pooch might get a gastrointestinal problem, and start to vomit or have diarrhea. Cat food can also cause pancreatitis in dogs, because of the higher fat content. You might also see your dog gain too much weight because the cat food has more calories.

How do you keep your dog from eating the cat food, and vice versa? You can put the food bowls in separate rooms, for one thing, or put your cat dish higher than the dog can reach, like on a counter or shelf.

You can also set up a barrier, like a dog gate or cat door, separating the places where the different pet foods are placed. As a final tip, you can feed your Persian cat when the dog is outside.

If you decide to buy a Persian cat for sale, you will be delighted with the pleasant demeanor and beautiful fur coat these cats have. It will be important, though, to properly take care of your cat’s nutritional needs by buying the right pet food.

Treasured Kittens have set the trend for Persian cat breeders in using the right food to produce the healthiest Persian kittens. For your dog’s safety, though, you need to make sure your dog does not eat cat food.