Can Dogs Eat Cat Treats?

Yes, a dog can eat a cat treat now and then, and what matters is how much, how often and what the bag says the treat is for. A single stolen treat is a small event. A dog that has found the cat's stash is a different one.

Why cat treats appeal to dogs

Cat treats are often fish or poultry, small and strong smelling, which is exactly the kind of thing a dog's nose goes to first. A dog does not know whose treat it is. It knows the bag smells like a good reward.

Merck Veterinary Manual describes cats as obligate carnivores, with dietary requirements that dogs do not share. That is the reason cat treats and dog treats are made as separate things, and the reason the bag names a species. A single cat treat will not matter. A daily habit is a question for a licensed professional who cares for your dog.

Dogs learn quickly, too. A dog that has been handed one cat treat will remember the rustle of the bag, because the sound of a pouch is a signal the same way a dog treat bag is. That is a reason to keep a cat's bag closed and out of sight.

Size and calories per piece

Cat treats are tiny, since a cat eats a few at a time. A dog can swallow one whole without noticing, which defeats the point of a treat. If you hand a dog a cat treat on purpose, break it to give a taste or give two as a reward.

The more useful question is calories per piece. VCA Hospitals puts treats at a small share of a day's calories for dogs and cats alike, and VCA's ceiling of 10 percent is a very small number for a cat. A dog that finishes a whole pouch of cat treats has eaten many days of a cat's allowance in one afternoon.

Look at the printed label for calories per treat if it gives one. If it does not, count pieces and keep the number low.

A small dog is the closest match. A cat treat is about the size a small dog would be handed anyway, which is why a small dog is the one most likely to be given one on purpose. A large dog needs a handful for the same effect, and a handful is where the calories pile up.

Treats labeled for both

Some treats are made for both species and say so on the label. Sniff and Shift's Freeze Dried Minnows are labeled for dogs and cats; they are whole imported fish, freeze dried in small batches in Malvern.

A dual labeled treat ends the argument over whose it is. The trade off is fit: one piece is rarely the right size for both animals, so a minnow suits a cat as a whole treat and a small dog as a whole treat, and a large dog wants several or a bigger bag. The comparison in treats for dogs and cats lays out the options, and cat treats shows the cat side of the shelf.

Read the label before you hand a dual treat to the other species. Look for the species named on the front, the ingredient list on the back, and the feeding directions, which for a cat are written for a cat's size. When the label gives a number of pieces a day for a cat, a dog needs its own count worked out from its weight and its food.

Keeping the dog out of the cat's stash

The fix is mostly a matter of height. Keep the cat's treats on a high shelf or in a cupboard with a latch, not in a bag on the counter. Cats jump and most dogs do not, so a shelf a cat can reach and a dog cannot is most of the system.

Feed the cat in a room the dog cannot enter. A baby gate that a cat can hop over and a dog cannot is one way; a door with a cat flap is another. A bowl of cat food left on the floor is a treat to a dog just as a bag is.

A treat jar on the counter is the usual failure. A jar with a loose lid is a bag with a view, and dogs open them. Use a tin with a snug lid, or a drawer, and put the cat's treats away right after a session, not at the end of the evening.

If the other side of the question is the one at your house, can cats eat dog treats covers the cat's end.

Common questions

What if my dog ate a whole bag of cat treats?

Take the bag away and keep it, so you can read the ingredients and the amount. If your dog seems unwell or you are unsure, call a licensed professional who cares for your dog and tell them what was in the bag.

Do cat treats have more calories than dog treats?

Per piece they are usually smaller, so each piece carries few. The label may give calories per treat, which is the number to use. A dog that eats many pieces adds up quickly.

Are there treats made for both dogs and cats?

Yes, some are labeled for both, including freeze dried fish. Check the label for the species named. Piece size is the usual mismatch.

How do I stop my dog stealing the cat's treats?

Store them where only the cat can reach, on a high shelf or in a latched cupboard. Feed the cat in a room the dog cannot enter.