Stop My Dog From Eating Cat Food?
A Reader Asks…
Okay. Read this, don’t answer something I consider, “stupid.” Okay?
Don’t answer this:
Put food up too high for the dog to get to.
Put cat food away at certain times.
Put up electric fence.
Put food in separate rooms.
These are BAD answers, because they don’t work for us. The cat’s aren’t allowed up on the counters, and one of my cats is about 15 years old, and obviously has difficulty getting around. Meaning jumping is a no-no for him. He can barely get onto our couch. Let alone something higher – and our dog lays on that same couch, so they can jump just about as high as one another at this point.
We go out sometimes and don’t always stay home to take care of our pets, so we have other people take care of them for us when we do, and we like it easiest for them as possible. But our dog’s devouring our cats’ food the second we leave the house! So it’s not fair that they only get a small snack and then it’s suddenly gone and all is left are two dog slobber-covered bowls.
It’s not good for my dog, either. She’s 14 or 15, and I don’t want our dog having health issues further than she already has. (Do not argue with me on this – cat food does harm dogs.)
So… any suggestions that doesn’t cause animals harm (shock fences), and my elderly cat can get to at ALL times of the day? Neither of my cats can be sealed off in another room than the dog because they are all capable of all going throughout the entire house, and the only place our dog wouldn’t go is the basement, but it looks like it hurts my older cat to walk very far, especially down stairs, so downstairs is also a no-no.
(Scroll down to see responses)
Disclaimer: This is a review site about dog steps, dog stairs, dog ramps and other dog mobility aids. I am not a vet or medical expert. Terms encountered may include details market price, vertmenutitle style padding, class vertmenutitle style, deluxe doggy steps, doggy steps kitchen, petmate 29530 carpeted, dog steps suv, dog boat steps, dog steps large dogs, folding dog steps, portable dog steps, dog stairs steps, petco dog steps, dog ramps steps, folding dog stairs, foam pet stairs, pet ramps stairs, dog stairs beds, pupstep plus dog stairs, telescoping dog ramp, dog ramps suv, tri fold dog ramp, paws aboard dog ladder, skamper ramp, solvit dog ramp, pet gear dog ramp, doggy steps kitchen, stairs compare prices, steps compare prices, solvit deluxe telescoping, stylish stairs allow, steps rubber grips, petmate 29530 carpeted, store solvit pupstep. Although I hope you can find a dog step that works for you, no guarantees are implied. Thanks for visiting!
Related Stuff:
DOG WALKING CANE - 36 inch solid wood - from Lorraine's Canes -- Why be boring. Be WILD with an animal cane. When life calls for a cane - Step Out In Style. -- See all our unique canes for kids and adults - click on other products from Lorraines Canes.Why be boring! ----------Canes dont have to be dull pieces of medical equipment, RATHER they can add to your personal flair. ---------- Lorraine is an... Read More >
Pet Gear Travel-Lite Tri-Fold Pet Ramp for cats and dogs up to 200-pounds, Pet Ramp, Chocolate/BlackTL9371CH Features: -Polypropylene material. -Easy fold ramp for compact storage and reduce of space in trunk. -Skid resistant surface in wet or dry ... Read More >
CHILDS PLAY PINK WALKING CANE 30 inch solid wood - from Lorraine's Canes -- Why be boring. When life calls for a cane - Step Out In Style. -- See all our unique canes for kids and adults - click on other products from Lorraines Canes.Why be boring! ----------Canes dont have to be dull pieces of medical equipment, RATHER they can add to your personal flair. ---------- Lorraine is an... Read More >
Lift-N-Aid Mobility Harness-LargeWith age and certain illnesses, some dogs lose the ability to move like they once did. Lift-n-Aid allows you to maneuver larger dogs without lifting t... Read More >
Our Pets Lift-N-Aid Large Mobility HarnessLift n Aid allows you to maneuver larger dogs without lifting the entire weight of the dog. This mobility aid is perfect for dogs suffering from: arthritis, hip dysplasia, old age. The handles allow maneuverability by supporting the rib cage. Adjustable straps ensure close fit and comfort.
Users who found this page were searching for:
- "dog eating cat food"
- dog eat catfood
Perhaps you need some kind of “box” to put the food bowl in that has a kitty door.. something that the cats can get into, but not the dog..
I know I’ve seen something like this before.. let me see if I can find an example for you…
OK, so this is meant for a litter box, but something like this might be what you need..http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr…
I agree that cat food is bad for dogs! Ashy you are WRONG! There is a reason why there is “dog” food and “cat” food,.. if it was ok for them to eat either one, then it would just be called “pet” food! Cat food is too high in protein and other nutrients. My aunts dog needed to have bladder stones removed a few years ago.. she fed the dog cat food and table scraps. The vet was more concerned about the dog eating cat food than table scraps! He told her that cat food is the WORST diet to feed a dog!
When you run out of dog food, you’re better off to make some boilded chicken and rice for your dog!
cat food isn’t bad for dogs it’s just like dog food for them i give my dogs cat food and they enjoy it more than anything. the reason why i give my dogs cat food is only when we have ran out of dog food.
cat food ain’t going to hurt your dog my old man dog use to eat cat food all the time and he started at a young age he lived a full long live.
Well; if your not willing to separate the dogs from the cat food, there is not much that we can do for you. Dogs actually prefer cat food because the manufacturers put flavour enhancers in it for picky cats. Given the choice, a dog will choose cat food every time.
And cat food is not bad for dogs. A dog can live quite the full life eating nothing but cat food. My dog would eat all the cat’s food if we didn’t put the cat’s food in the basement.
If you have a fenced yard with some shelter (back porch, dog house) then why not feed the dog outside? Ofcourse, when the weather gets colder, you may have to reconsider feeding them in separate rooms with a door closed between them. If your basement is comfortable, you could carry your elderly cat up and down the stairs (and the younger one, too), set them up with food and water, some toys, and maybe some old furniture or something comfy to rest on while you’re out. That way, it would be easier for your pet sitter to let the dog in and out as needed, the dog wouldn’t eat any cat food, and the cats could eat all they wished to.
Is there a door in your house [perhaps the one leading to the basement] where you could install a cat door–one the dog couldn’t fit through? You could leave the food on the first or second step–far enough to wear the dog can’t snag it–close enough to where the cats don’t have to traverse a whole flight of stairs to get to it. Sorry about your situation, I’m sure it’s frusterating!
I’m not sure how big your dog is but the first thing I thought of when I read this question was a baby gate. It would depend on how skinny your cat is, as my kitty is a lean boy and fits through the rungs in a baby gate with no problems. If you choose one room, with a narrow doorway, as the place to keep the cat’s food then your pooch won’t be able to get to it but your cats will. You could also set up a comfy bed in there as well and then, as an older, arthritis-y cat, your girl would also have somewhere calm and comfy to curl up away from any fuss that is going on elsewhere.
We used a baby gate to stop a puppy we were looking after having free range of the whole house and to keep him in one puppy proofed room while letting our cat come and go. We just got a second hand baby gate that adjusted with padded bolts to fit any narrowish doorway. My cat actually quite enjoyed it and showed off in front of the puppy that he could go out while the pup couldn’t, cheeky boy!
Good luck with your dilemma, sounds like you’re just trying to do the best by all your pets!