cat is eating the dogs food

I've noticed that my cat occasionally nibbles on the dogs dry food. I mentioned this to an acquaintance and she told me that her vet said it is very bad for the cat...that it can cause urinary tract/bladder problems...she did not remember the details but she sounded concerned about it. Should I heed that warning and keep a watchful eye on his food? It is a bit difficult because I always have some kibbles in the dish for him and there is no place to put it where the cat can't get at it, so if it is a serious hazard I can keep it empty and only feed him twice a day while I'm present to watch. He eats Performatrin Ultra, Lamb & Rice, hormone-free, all natural meal.

I know it isnt good for the dog to eat cat food, not sure the other way around, but I would just be safe or ask a vet.

it is not a good thing but a little wont harm

Agreed with Sharky, however even though it might be worth while to not free feed your dog, That way your cat can't get into the food at all.

Occasional bites aren't harmful, but if your kitty eats more of the dog's food than his/her own, then something needs to be done. Dog food does not have all of the nutrients that a cat needs, so if too much of the kitty's diet is replaced by dog food, nutritional deficiencies can develop. I second the idea of meal feeding, even if it means you need to invest in a feeder with a timer.

My cat does this as well. But I've noticed she only does it if the pup has ticked her off, i.e. is the pup has chased her from the room she was napping in. When I asked my vet about it, I was told it could be a dominance issue. If your kitty isn't replacing her food for it, I wouldn't worry too much about it. However if it turns out that she's eating a lot of it, or you aren't sure how much of it he's getting, I would check with your vet.

Originally Posted by Plebayo

Agreed with Sharky, however even though it might be worth while to not free feed your dog, That way your cat can't get into the food at all.

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need to clarify that one, sounds like you said not to feed the dog at all!,lol

thanks for the help Diego only nibbles on it once in awhile infront of me but I have decided to feed the dog only when I'm around just to be sure he's not snacking more than I know. He, the cat is a voracious feeder so I rather be safe than sorry and deny him access to the dog food all together.

Dog food is lower in protein and is not good long term for cats as they require higher protein then dogs (plus they need the taurine to prevent blindness).

Vice versa on the dog eating cat food - its too "rich" for them. An occasional bite or two won't hurt either dog/cat, but long term is not a good thing.

Our lab cleans her bowl and never leaves food around for the cats to eat and we keep the cat's food away from the dog too.

That is what I do. Skittles has no interest in Babies food but man baby does in Skittles....

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Dog food is lower in protein and is not good long term for cats as they require higher protein then dogs (plus they need the taurine to prevent blindness).

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Nibbling or stealing the occasional bit won't hurt.
Feeding long term is bad.
I just wanted to point out though that a lot of quality dog feeds these days actually have added Taurine.

Recent studies have linked taurine deficiency to Dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.

That is interesting I did not know that. I think I will start reading more labels. I think I will go read my Nutro again

Thanks Arlyn - never knew that in dogs

Dagmar doesn't eat the cat food because he can't get at it..I have it perched high on a rad cover. Otherwise, I'd be spending oodles more than needed on cat food!
I took a look at the ingredients of my dogs food and taurine is include. Its a holistic pet food, that goes as far as using free-range lamb!..its loaded with good stuff. I won't post them cause the list is really long but if anyone is curious I've added a link to it. They also have cat food but I have never tried it, I mean my kitty hasn't tried it . I feed my kitty Chicken Soup for the kitten lovers soul and Merrick's wet food. Actually, I need to start looking around on the site for info. on switching the kitten over to adult food (although the wet stuff I feed is good for both). Some people recommend it earlier some later so I'm a bit confused.
this is the dog food link:
http://www.performatrinultra.com/dog/ddi_lamb.htm

cat food link:
http://www.performatrinultra.com/cat/cdi_lamb.htm