Can you feed cats...tinned dog food ?

stumpycat

The dog food is cheaper 'cos it's a blend of cereals & meat - cat food has to be more nutrient dense and contain high levels of taurine and something else I cant remember the name of at the moment.

As an extra treat, my cats occasionally get one of those dog 'Chub' things - they're really cheap & I just slit open the plastic & let them loose. I'm sure they pretend they're lions ripping out a wildebeest's guts or something... :rotfl:

Humphrey10

No I don't think so. Cats have quite different requirements to dogs (or humans in fact).

ebayqueen_2

Morning

Thank you for all your comments. It really was only a query about something that I have thought about for a while.
I have 3 cats and we live in the countryside. They hunt for rabbits and leave headless field mice at my back door (cause they love me:p). They are fed either Felix or Whiskas canned food, plus they do eat leftovers from the kitchen. One is a great fan of Spag bol!!!!
I do also buy good dry food so it really only was a question that I thought more informed cat lovers could clarify for me.

I have to say there are quite a few people on the boards now that can be quite harsh. Surely people post for advice or help. Making harsh comments is obviously very unMSE. So I think people should realise what these threads are for and it certainly isnt to be judgemental.:A

Beckyy

Hello.

No, dog food is not suitable for cats as they have different requirements. Cats need more taurine and vitamins in different quantities to dog's and dog food doesn't contain, or contains different amounts of them.

Honestly, I would maybe looking at differnt wet foods. Whiskas and Felix are both big bands which have the monopoly of the market, but aren't necessarily good quality - have a look at the ingredients and they will probably contain very little meat.

I feed my cats Applaws wet and dry food, and the improvement I have seen in their general health, coats etc. is amazing. It's also not as expensive as it seems, because it doesn't contain bulking ingredients like Whiskas etc does they don't need as much of it. You can also buy large bags of dry food, making it much better value in the long run.

jamespir

i wouldnt feed them dog food could amke them sick have you tried like dry food its cheaper and can be good for them

threemuttleys

as you have already read, you cant feed dog food to cats (nor vice versa) have you considered feeding a raw diet? My cats (and dogs) get minces (made by me so I know whats in them) you could mince chicken, but add liver/kidney/small amounts of other meats to give variety or maybe eggs etc

morg_monster

If you're looking for a cheap but OK quality canned supermarket food, have you tried Butcher's classic cat food? They sell it in tesco, sainsburys and waitrose, and by weight it looks like it's a little cheaper than felix cans (11 or 12p per 100g vs 14 or 15p for whiskas/felix)
We've just introduced it into our cats' diet, although they are on Smilla and Animonda carny which is really good, high meat % food, it has to be ordered online and so someone has to have a day off for delivery! We've added butchers to make the super food last longer; also the fact we can just pick it up from the supermarket is a massive bonus.
Although it just says the usual 4% nonsense on the label, I know someone who's contacted them and the meat/meat derivatives content is "approximately 50%", also it has no preservatives and importantly NO CEREALS! From what I've read, to get that level of meat in whiskas/felix you have to get the higher cost cans which are more like 30 or 40p/100g

Anyway it is a little cheaper and hopefully better for the cats (assuming you are already feeding "bog standard" whiskas/felix).
Rach x
PS if anyone is obsessively iterested in this stuff, like me, the https://www.petforums.co.uk forum has a great health and nutrition section where there are comprehensive A-Z lists of wet and dry food.

zzzLazyDaisy

I don't know if this helps, but my cat will only eat Royal Canin and it is very expensive, so I buy it when it is on bogof. My last lot has just run out and luckily there was another offer and have stocked up with another 6 months supply (thanks to MSE'rs). So even good cat food doesn't have to be expensive. (He does supplement his diet with a regular supply of mice/rats/pigeons etc though )

Sid_Wolf

dog food doesnt contain taurine, which is vital for cats, so nope

Mice_Elf

Have you a Pet Food Wholesaler near you? We've just discovered one & they sell packs of White Fish, Rabbit, Beef and Chicken & Tripe. I haven't tried the Beef or Chicken yet, but my previously pouch fed moggies love the White Fish & Rabbit. Plus I'm feeding them less than if they were on pouches alone, as it seems to fill them up for longer. They still have good quality dry food available though.

They used to hunt for rabbits & mice, but my most prolific hunter is now down to 3 legs after a tumour caused his back leg to require amputation and while he now gets about just fine, I think his major hunting days are over. I do still find mice in the garden, though.