Is it unhealthy for kittens to eat dog and puppy food if they prefer it?

Answer 1

Yes, puppies can eat cat food but kittens need food especially for them as there are certain amino acids they need to get from their food. Puppies/dogs are able to make their own so they are not added to dog food.

Another Answer

Letting a kitten eat dog food frequently is not ideal at all, although the occasional mouthful is unlikely to be harmful. Cats have far more nutritional needs than a dog and dog food doesn't contain these essential nutrients such as taurine.

Cats, kittens especially, have a higher protein requirement than dogs. Meat is mostly made out of Protein and Fat, and cats use these as their primary energy source.

Taurine: Cats cannot synthesize this compound (unlike dogs and most other mammals), so they must get it straight from meat. Animal tissues such as poultry and fish are natually high in taurine. Not enough taruine in the cat's diet can lead to heart problems and blindness.

Vitamin A is another component cats cannot produce. Dogs can use a compound called "beta carotene" (its what gives fruits and vegatables such as carrots the red-orange colour) and turn that into Vitamin A. Cats cannot. They need to get Vitamin A from meat.

There are also number of fatty acids cats cannot synthesize in their bodies but dogs can, so feeding a cat food specially made for them is the safest option as all the nutrients are included in the food.

Another Answer

as the person stated above. cats CAN eat dog/puppy food, it's perfectly fine for them, but they cannot eat it ALL the time. Cat food has certain things cats NEED in it. There really is no substitute for complete and balanced cat food.

Though personally, I'd say your cat just doesn't like the food you gave him. It may sound silly, but they DO have preferences. My suggestion is buy SMALL (sample sized) packs of different kinds of food, and lay them out for your cat. When he gets hungry he will decide on his own what he likes.