catfood

Question
i'vr recently gotten two rat terrier puppies. i already have two older cats. they hace discoved the wet and dry cat food. it is unsafe for them to eat ? thanks  jim

Answer
Try to find a place for the cat food the puppies can get to.  Dogs and cats have different nutritional needs.  You can expect problems with the puppies' internal organs over the long term if much of their diet is cat food.  It would be a big help if the cats went ahead and ate their food.  I know very little of cats, but perhaps the same advice as I give on dogs that don't eat, would work for them.  

If the dog never did eat very well, and has seen the vet since the problem existed, you may be over feeding it. A vet check still won't hurt. Many dogs will snarf down more than is good for them and look for more. Others refuse to eat more than than they need. Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition. Some German Shepherds and other breeds may refuse to eat enough to completely hid their ribs. As long as you are feeding a concentrated, meat based chow, the best thing is to accept it.

The worst thing you can do is to bribe a dog with rich foods into eating more than it needs. Instead, Put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.

Browse the Purina site and see if they give the same advice for cats.  My dog advice contains material from Purina, but it is confirmed by training from a large dog guide school.  The material was also accepted to be published in the JAVMA.