Answer Dogs and cats each have special dietary needs and should be fed the appropriate pet food. Cats should not eat dog food because it does not provide all the essential nutrients a healthy cat needs. In short, dog food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of a dog and cat food is designed to meet the needs of a cat. The ingredients in pet food are listed in descending order by weight from largest to smallest. For example, if chicken is the first ingredient on the label then the pet food contains more chicken than any other ingredient.
Every ingredient used in pet food is there for a reason.
Decades of research have gone into making pet foods that meet the nutritional needs of dogs and cats. The makers of pet food do not put in anything that's not needed. Some people incorrectly believe pet food makers split up ingredients to give the illusion that some ingredients are at higher concentrations than others. Pet food makers are required to carefully label their products according to stringent government regulations. Just as the case with food for people, pet foods must clearly state what ingredients are included in the product.