Pet owners with both cats and dogs understand the difficulty in keeping these two creatures separate is considerable. Cat food is often enjoyed as treats by dogs; though occasional consumption won’t pose much harm, regular consumption could cause pancreatitis or nutritional imbalances that require medical intervention.
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Hide the Cat’s Food
Cat food often contains higher protein and fat concentrations than dog foods, making it unsafe for most dogs to ingest on an ongoing basis. Doing so could result in stomach upset, gas, or diarrhea symptoms for your pup.
Animal Planet reports that dogs will sometimes consume cat food out of curiosity, playfulness, or to satisfy a desire for protein. If this happens frequently, it could be an indicator that their meals don’t provide enough. Try switching to Health Extension dog food that contains more meat and less grain.
Your best bet for protecting the cat food from your dog is hiding it somewhere he or she cannot reach, such as high shelves or their cat tree. In addition, scheduled feedings could help stop him or her from stealing the food of another animal – although this requires close supervision to prevent new habits from developing. Make sure to use puzzle feeders so your food becomes harder for him/her to access.
Gate the Cat’s Feeding Area
Cat food theft often results from natural behaviors: dogs are natural scavengers and opportunists; when they see a plate of cat kibble, they’re more than likely going for it. Luckily, there are multiple solutions for this issue – some simple while others require some creativity.
The most obvious solution is to place your cat’s food bowl somewhere the dog cannot reach; perhaps placing it on a counter so he cannot jump on. But be wary if your feline has issues jumping up; this solution might not work in their case.
Another way is to stagger feeding times between your dog and cat. That will allow them to remain separate at meal time and help stop meal swapping altogether. Furthermore, ensure your cat food is stored in an airtight container that seals well against moisture, heat or odors that could compromise it over time.
Train Your Dog to Stay Away from the Cat’s Food
Your dog must understand that cat food should never be fed to them as this type of diet often contains higher levels of proteins and fat than dog food and could lead to digestive issues, obesity and pancreatitis if eaten on a regular basis.
There are various strategies available to you for keeping your dog from eating your cat’s food, such as feeding at different times or placing their bowls high up where your pup cannot reach them. Another solution may be feeding them in a small pet crate with closed door and then opening once done before letting out again.
Positive reinforcement training techniques may also help your dog understand that reaching for cat food is off-limits, with “leave it” working especially well in this scenario. With practice, your pup should learn not to reach for it so easily. Also consider trying slow-feeding bowls or puzzle toys so your pup doesn’t grab their food so quickly.
Give Your Dog Treats
One effective strategy to prevent your dog from eating cat food is giving them something more engaging – like freeze-dried liver or cut up jerky treats that last a longer period.
Settling on a feeding schedule for both cat and dog may help keep them away from each other’s food sources, and may reduce any chances of your pup reaching out for cat food that’s out of reach for him or her. However, this could prove challenging since disrupting regular mealtime routines may require constant supervision.
No matter the quantity consumed, feeding dogs cat food can lead to nutritional deficiencies and increase their risk for digestive disturbance, obesity and pancreatitis. Although an isolated incident might not cause issues, regular exposure could have detrimental results for their health.
