# Why do dogs eat the fecal matter of cats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2000, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780 "2000-10-05T15:18:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/1 "2000-10-05T15:18:42Z")
They really seem to like it. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/2 "2000-10-05T15:27:29Z")
I’ve heard that it has to do with a housecat’s usual diet, wich is more protein rich than a typical dog’s diet. The feces probably have some nutritional quality that benefits the dog. Or, it could be that dogs are disgusting, dirty creatures, none too bright. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/3 "2000-10-05T15:42:43Z")
Actually, coprophagy (aka poo-eating) seems to be practiced by just about every mammal except humans. All mammal moms who clean their babies with their tongues are ingesting a fair amount of feces, and as they grow up and lick their own bits, they’re ingesting their own. Carnivores eat herbivores, and they eat the flesh only after eviscerating them and eating their bowels in order to get the enzymes needed to digest the flesh of an animal that eats only vegetables. Also, dogs in the wild are scavengers, and will eat just about anything short of a rock, (though some will also eat rocks) so a pet dog is pretty proud of himself when he stumbles across a nice convenient snack bar in the litterbox or yard. What would work out really well is if you could get your cat to eat your dog’s poo, and your dog to continue eating the cat’s poo, and then you’d just have your own happy little ecosystem and save heaps on the food bils. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/4 "2000-10-05T15:44:29Z")
Because they can. Especially fresh out of the litter box; it’s like eating Tootsie Rolls with sprinkles. And the devious cats bury it to hide it from the dogs, but the dogs find it anyway. Which just goes to show who’s more highly evolved: you’ll never catch a cat eating dog shit, not to mention drinking out of the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/5 "2000-10-05T16:04:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by panache45 \* > \*\* > Which just goes to show who’s more highly evolved: you’ll never catch a cat eating dog shit, not to mention drinking out of the toilet. \*\* Or eating it’s own vomit. ---
**Author:** ![dietrologia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@dietrologia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dietrologia)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/6 "2000-10-05T16:07:51Z")
As alluded to above, eating feces is usually a sign that the dog isn’t getting enough protein in its diet. Eating feces is its attempt to “augment” its diet. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/7 "2000-10-05T16:11:17Z")
Am I the only one who’s thinking of Major League Baseball? Remember the slogan? Baseball Fever – CATSHIT! ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/8 "2000-10-05T16:17:57Z")
It’s not just cat poo that dogs consider a delicacy. We have horses on our property and our dogs love nothing better than a steaming pile of poop, the fresher the better. The protein content of horse dootie isn’t that high because a lot of a horse’s diet is roughage (grass, hay, etc…). Of course then the pooches have the audacity to come over and try to plant a big wet kiss on the humans. Eeewwwww. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/9 "2000-10-05T19:59:23Z")
[Read This](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=15904) Not the most definitive answer, but you might find it interesting. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/10 "2000-10-05T21:10:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Which just goes to show who’s more highly evolved: you’ll never catch a cat eating dog shit, not to mention drinking out of the toilet. One of my cats drinks out of the toilet. He gets up on the seat and put one front paw in the bowl above the water line. Its very funny to watch. I’ve only seen him fall in once. ---
**Author:** ![Shatzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Shatzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shatzi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/11 "2000-10-05T21:29:56Z")
Heh. Funny you should mention the disgusting habits of dogs…however /none/ could top my revolting German Shepherd. She loves to sneak into the basement in the middle of the night to snack on crunchy little kitty sh\*ts, she chews on dirty underwear, and here’s the wicked nasty one; eats discarded feminine napkins, especially those with plenty of that tasty red sauce on them. Why I let her lick my face to wake me up in the morning I don’t know. Ahem. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/12 "2000-10-05T21:35:08Z")
I knew I shouldn’t have clicked on general questions… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/13 "2000-10-05T21:48:03Z")
One of my earliest childhood memories was seeing the family dog running around the house with a used Tampax in his mouth. I didn’t understand what it was, or why my mother was frantically trying to get it away from him, or why everyone else was laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-eat-the-fecal-matter-of-cats/35780/14 "2000-10-05T23:32:35Z")
We have two dogs, same breed. One does, one doesn’t. Go figure.