Better to skip it
A few bites of dog food will not harm a cat, but cats should not eat it regularly. Dog food lacks enough taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A and protein for cats, and long-term feeding can cause heart and eye problems.
| Can cats eat it? | Caution |
| Calories | Not recommended as a treat |
| Main benefit | Not toxic |
| Main risk | Too little taurine can cause heart disease (DCM) and blindness |
| Kittens? | No |
A small amount is unlikely to cause serious harm in a healthy cat. Remove any remaining food, offer fresh water and watch for vomiting, diarrhea, a painful belly or lethargy over the next 24-48 hours. Call your vet if your cat ate a large amount, is small, young or has health problems (such as pancreatitis), or if the food contained onion, garlic, chocolate or xylitol.
Related: Cat food calculator
These are safe for cats in treat-size amounts:
Check your cat's full daily needs with the cat food calculator.
A few bites of dog food will not harm a cat, but cats should not eat it regularly. Dog food lacks enough taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A and protein for cats, and long-term feeding can cause heart and eye problems.
For a day or two it will not cause harm, but switch back to cat food as soon as possible.
Occasionally, yes, but cat food is richer in fat and protein and can upset a dog's stomach or cause weight gain.
No. Kittens are smaller and more vulnerable than adults, so it is best avoided entirely.
Browse lists: human foods cats can eat · foods cats can't eat
This guide is general information for healthy adult cats. Cats with medical conditions (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or food allergies) may need different advice from their vet.
Caution
A few bites of dog food will not harm a cat, but cats should not eat it regularly.