# Could a human being eat dog and cat food and be healthy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355 "2011-06-21T23:24:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/21 "2011-06-22T21:06:54Z")
I often wonder if it’s cheaper to eat pet food? OK maybe if you don’t have access to a place where you can cook food, perhaps. But for instance, I bought a 20 pound bag of rice for 10 bucks. That’s a lot of rice. And I eat beans and lentil and basically I eat that to live, as right now I’m poor. But I can cook it. It seems to be cheaper than pet food. But then again, as I said, I can cook it. If you can’t cook the rice and dried lentils/beans, you’d sort of be SOL ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/22 "2011-06-22T22:10:47Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > .. A surprisingly large (and sad) number of Americans survive mainly on canned cat food. This kind of shit is only trotted out by people who aren’t buying cat food _for their actual cats._ That shit gets expensive after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/23 "2011-06-22T23:54:43Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I think if I was going to exist on dog or cat food, I’d want to go with one of the premium brands. But don’t go with the single serve sachets… those little 100g packets just aren’t filling… what? what? 😛 Oh, and if you’re going for the dry cat food, the Chef and Whiskas are fine, but avoid Purina One, that stuff is just nasty. :eek: (When my son was younger we had to hide the cat biscuits as he’d take them from the cupboard and chow down on them like poporn… as a responsible parent I tried some of them myself… tasted rather like eating dry instant soup mix. The lad didn’t seem to experience any health problems from the cat food… we made sure he got plenty of water and if anything his coat seemed glossier… 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![wbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/439d5e/32.png) [@wbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wbeaty)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/24 "2011-06-23T05:51:42Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > For the purposes of this thread, let’s restrict it to dog and cat food only. PET FOOD If you limit your food to neighborhood pets found in your trapline, it might be wise to plant a vegetable garden as well. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/25 "2011-06-23T06:43:27Z")
The high end canned stuff like Alpo or canned kibbles and bits cost more than a can of Campbells soup, or Armour Corned Beef. Heck, even raw, cheap hamburger meat that’s on sale is cheaper than Alpo. The store brand canned dog food is cheap, but I’d be concerned about the fillers used in it. How much actual meat is in the cheapest generic brand dog foods? Do most dog foods still use horse meat? ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/26 "2011-06-23T13:15:11Z")
There may have been a time when Alpo was high end, but now it is cheaper. Many of the highest end stuff don’t offer canned. Thus they can brag about not being caught in the big melamine poisoning. No dry dog food uses any fillers, and I don’t think many canned ones do other than water. ‘‘Fillers’’ is marketing double speak for grains. Properly processed, grains are quite digestible by dogs, see [http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/articles-companion/2004-Hill-%20Alternative%20proteins%20in--.pdf](http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/articles-companion/2004-Hill-%20Alternative%20proteins%20in--.pdf) I think the labeling laws would require listing it if if a food used horse meat. There are a few low end products that list ‘‘meat meal’’ which I guess could include horse meat. I don’t know what is done with horse carcasses, but as far as I can see very little horse meat ends up in dog food. Dog food discussions are full of misinformation and I don’t even see false allegations of it. I am sure the expensive foods would use horse meat to bash the common ones. If you really want to know more about dog food, see [http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/images/nutrition-off.jpg](http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/images/nutrition-off.jpg) It is one of the more balanced sites on the net, but I think it still has links to dishonest, biased sites such as [www.dogfoodanalysis.com](http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com) Dog food is highly profitable and responds well to emotional hype. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/27 "2011-06-23T15:06:08Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > (When my son was younger we had to hide the cat biscuits as he’d take them from the cupboard and chow down on them like poporn… as a responsible parent I tried some of them myself… tasted rather like eating dry instant soup mix. The lad didn’t seem to experience any health problems from the cat food… we made sure he got plenty of water and if anything his coat seemed glossier… 😃 ) When I was a kid I had some friends whose family raised hunting dogs, so they always had these huge containers of dry dog food. As my friends walked by, they’d often grab a handful and munch it down. They were nonplussed at my horrified reaction, and didn’t understand what the big deal was. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/28 "2011-06-23T15:16:19Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > When I was a kid I had some friends whose family raised hunting dogs, so they always had these huge containers of dry dog food. As my friends walked by, they’d often grab a handful and munch it down. They were nonplussed at my horrified reaction, and didn’t understand what the big deal was. When I was little and we had a dog, I used to eat Milk Bones whenever I could get away with it. They were yummy! The only thing I liked better was these cheaper ones the used to have at our supermarket, called “Fives Kibble.” They came in different colors and the green ones were the best! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/29 "2011-06-23T15:20:21Z")
> [@thelabdude](#): > > …I think the labeling laws would require listing it if if a food used horse meat. There are a few low end products that list ‘‘meat meal’’ which I guess could include horse meat. I don’t know what is done with horse carcasses, but as far as I can see very little horse meat ends up in dog food. . . AAFCO definition of “meat meal” is “The rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.” So, horse meat if you’re _lucky._ ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/30 "2011-06-23T16:37:24Z")
> [@thelabdude](#): > > I think the labeling laws would require listing it if if a food used horse meat. There are a few low end products that list ‘‘meat meal’’ which I guess could include horse meat. I don’t know what is done with horse carcasses, but as far as I can see very little horse meat ends up in dog food. Even if the pet food you ate did contain horse meat, horse meat won’t kill you. According to Wikipedia, horse meat is high in protein and low in fat, so it might even be good for you. > [@](#): > > ‘‘Fillers’’ is marketing double speak for grains. Properly processed, grains are quite digestible by dogs And cats. According to my Luna, the corn fillers are what make cheap cat treats so tasty. > [@Apollyon](#): > > (When my son was younger we had to hide the cat biscuits as he’d take them from the cupboard and chow down on them like poporn… as a responsible parent I tried some of them myself… tasted rather like eating dry instant soup mix. Was it as salty as dry instant soup mix? I’d be surprised if it were. One of the reasons I’ve seen for not feeding your pets too much human food is that the human food has too much sodium in it for pets. My cats turn up their noses at smoked salmon, and we suspect this is because it’s too salty for them. They seem to prefer unseasoned raw fish and meat. OTOH, it could be ordinary feline finickiness. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/31 "2011-06-23T18:15:42Z")
I don’t own a cat and have paid so little attention to cat food and cat nutrition that I am not comfortable saying much about it. I suspect that if I dug into it, I would find much of the same thing except for the differences to meet feline nutritional requirements. I would also guess finicky cats tend to be over fed the same as dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/32 "2011-06-23T19:12:57Z")
> [@thelabdude](#): > > I would also guess finicky cats tend to be over fed the same as dogs. I admit that both my cats are spoiled and Luna is overfed. My dad ate a sample of dry cat food once. He came back looking for more later on (and then noticed the picture of a cat on the package). It must not have tasted too bad, and he never said anything about it making him sick. Of course, he didn’t eat much of it. Cat and dog food would presumably have less salt and sugar than a lot of human food. It would probably also be less tempting to eat too much of it. Those factors would make it healthier than the stuff a lot of people eat. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/33 "2011-06-23T21:34:49Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > Oh, and if you’re going for the dry cat food, the Chef and Whiskas are fine, but avoid Purina One, that stuff is just nasty. :eek: > > 😃 ) Purina One is one of the better dry cat foods. The first ingredient in the salmon and tuna flavor is salmon. What you look for in dry cat food is that the first ingredient is a meat or meat by-product, as cats are obligate carnivores. But they need more than just muscle meat. In the wild, they eat the organs and other parts of animals which provide them with necessary vitamins and minerals. Some people contend that corn is just filler and that it is not needed. One of the ingredients in Purina One (Smart Blend) is whole grain corn. Others maintain that grains such as corn or rice, provides fiber for cats. I note that cats will eat grasses when available, and I believe it is for the fiber. It should, of course, not be the first ingredient, as it is in cheaper brands of kibble. Taurine is a necessary amino acid for cats. Smart One contains taurine in addition to any taurine that the meat or fish will provide. Purina One (Smart Blend) also contains niacin, vitamin A, thiamine, folic acid, vitamin D-3, calcium, and a source of vitamin K activity. Purina One is relatively cheap compared to some of the “higher” grade brands, but the ingredients seem well suited for cats. Some highly priced dry cat foods do not contain grains, and proudly advertise that fact. Is that really a positive? There is a school of thought that grains do provide necessary fiber. With all the supplementation that Purina One has (and many others have) these foods would be OK for people, but cats need taurine in large amounts. It definitely will not kill you. Both of my cats like the Smart Blend, salmon & tuna flavor, and I believe that is a good thing. I also provide other brands in a buffet I leave on the floor for them. I feed them wet food twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The Medley brand, if you must know. Although Medley is fairly expensive compared to some others, it is not as expensive as many so-called superior brands, which my cats won’t eat anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/34 "2011-06-23T21:41:16Z")
When my daughter was just learning to walk and eat solid food, her favorite thing to eat was guinea pig food. It is mostly dried ground vegetable and molasses so it wasn’t too bad of a snack. ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/35 "2011-06-23T22:28:56Z")
I recall reading once that animal digest – common ingredient – was not held to the same standards regarding mad cow disease. I can’t say I researched the issue any further though. ---
**Author:** ![feritq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6a8cbe/32.png) [@feritq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feritq)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/36 "2015-05-30T10:52:57Z")
those poor people do not need to do that. 4.23 oz kippered herring at dollar general is 1.25. one 3.5 oz can of whiskas food is 1.33. fish is a whole food, it is enough to sustain you (as it sustains seals) as long as you eat some fruit. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/37 "2015-05-30T12:30:31Z")
2011 thread, fyi ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/38 "2015-05-30T12:39:08Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > They used to contain a lot of bone meal. That has mostly been replaced with cereal meal. > > Trivia of the day: this is also why dogshit no longer turns white. I noticed that a few years ago and was a little puzzled but always forgot to look it up when my walks were over. A bit of trivia I will use in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/39 "2015-05-30T14:20:50Z")
Didn’t Cecil do a column about the myth of seniors having to eat pet food? I did a quick search but couldn’t find it. As others have pointed out, it seems unlikely simply because it isn’t really that much cheaper. For what it’s worth, I can remember the very first (and more importantly _ **only** _) example of seeing this being portrayed on TV. It was in an episode of the old Angie Dickinson cop show _Police Woman_ from the early 70s. The cops caught an old guy breaking into poor seniors apartments to leave them food. I think he was also dressed as Santa Clause. Although sympathetic they still arrest him. However when they go to leave they hear the old woman who lives there coming up the stairs and the old ‘Santa’ guy insists they not let her find out so as not to embarrass her. The cops are obviously hesitant, so the old guy picks up a can and says, “This is cat food! She doesn’t own a pet, this is all this poor woman can afford!” So they’re next seen all coming down the fire escape. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355/40 "2015-05-30T16:58:24Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Oh I’m not too worried about bone meal or anything gross. I’m Chinese 😃 I eat guts and eyeballs and feet so I’m perfectly fine with that stuff. I just don’t wanna get sick Eyeballs? Tell me more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-human-being-eat-dog-and-cat-food-and-be-healthy/586355.md?page=3)