Hmmm, puppy eating the cat food at every given opportunity?

[ScarlettInSpace]

I have spent 8 years resolutely keeping the cats off the worktops, and our kitchen isn't very big so no place for the cat bowls except the floor.

Puppy seems to love their food and is at their biscuits whenever he goes in the kitchen [which I do try to keep him out of as much as possible but he has to go through there to the garden, and it's not always practical to keep the door shut]; mind you, the cats jump at any chance to go in his pen and nick his food in return, usually when he's out in the garden...

Will he grow out of it [am thinking not likely] or should I just resign myself to having cats with glossy coats and a dog with no hairballs? I guess I'm more concerned it may be actually doing them harm eating food formulated for a different species?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

We had the same issue with our brown lab pup, so we moved the cat's food upstairs onto the landing, and put a stairgate up. Tbh, I thought that, as the boys were 13, 15 and 17, I was a bit past that stage!

It works generally, though if someone leaves the stairgate open, both dogs will take advantage, and the first thing we know about it is the merry chiming of the dogs' name tags against the china of the catfood bowl, and as we drag them away, catfood sprays all over the landing as they try to get one last mouthful!

[yesbutnobut]

My pup loves cat food too (and my cat loves dog food!). TO be honest I feel I've got enough training to do to get the pup to stop eating cat poo (her favourite treat - gross) without having to teach her not to eat their food. So I've just moved the cat bowls to the hall and feed the cats there. They don't seem to mind even though the dog is trying to break down the kitchen door to get to them! I don't leave food down for the cats so it's just a twice a day routine for us, and I could see it being more of a problem if you like to leave biscuits out for them.

[suburbandream]

My pup also loves the cats' food (not to mention trying to eat their poo and litter - eugh!!) I hate the cats going on the worktops too but we have a very wide windowledge/bow window thingy, so they sit up there and have their food, and they can come and go through the window. I just bulk buy antibacterial spray

[ScarlettInSpace]

Hmm yes we have re-installed the stairgate, as puppy learnt how to bound up the stairs at the weekend [but can't get back down again] but the cats don't really go upstairs.

AT least he hasn't found cat poo yet [we don't have a litter any more as they don't use it unless they are grounded].

Now how to stop him trying to eat the cats - that's a different question!

I feel like I should wear a gunbelt with a bottle of dettol spray in it at the moment

[ScarlettInSpace]

And stones, in the garden, he tries to eat them too

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

I have another cat food a poo eater she goes crazy for a pooey nappy

We feed them all at the same time. Anything left over is binned. If cat wants more during the day I have to guard him when he eats !

Enough training to do without pulling your hair out over cat biscuits though. I'm hoping beau will grow out of it, but I suppose it's a tasty snack

[nooka]

We feed our cats on the top of a bookcase in the living room. They have kibble which given the chance our dog will hoover up. He does let the cats eat his food though, he'll just stand there and watch! He did growl at one of them when he had a particularly good bone the other day (and he does eat their poo whenever he can find it)

[ohbugrit]

He doesn't know that it's cat food though - it's just a bowl of something tasty. It's not fair to expect him to learn not to eat it. Just move it so he can't get to it. Your cats will soon learn to go upstairs for food.

Cat foods are too rich for dogs really anyway.

[tabulahrasa]

I put the cat's bowls in a covered litter tray, it didn't stop the dog getting cat food completely, but it slowed him down enough that I could catch him at it before he emptied the bowl.

[batteryhen]

I feed my cat, then once she leaves it I lift the remainder up and out of reach of the pup. He will eat it if he can, and I don't think he will ever be trained not to. The dog sleeps in the kitchen, and the cat has the run of the house so at night I put the food back down (in the dining room) so she can eat overnight too. If she is eating her food during the day the dog would not dare go near her, but as soon as she walks away I have to be quick to move it!

[MaryWiselyornotatall]

New puppy eats cat biscuits, and the cats snaffle her puppy food whenever the opportunity arises. Puppy also seems to relish sheep and cow poo, and has just made inroads into rabbit poo. Her flatulence has to be smelt to be believed. We call her botty the arse of Satan.

[Choufleur]

Our cats' food is upstairs so that the dogs can't get it - they are not allowed upstairs. If it was downstairs they would eat it - dogs generally will eat practically anything.

You need to move the food.