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My cat ran out of food. Can I feed him dog food just for one night?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old

My cat ran out of his food today and I accidentally bought a bag of dry dog food instead of cat food. I don't have reliable transportation to go out again tonight to get the correct food but I don't want my cat to be hungry all night. Will feeding him a little bit of the dog food just this once harm him?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on December 14th, 2017

It will probably not harm him if it is just for one day, some cats have sensitive stomach and such a change in food may cause diarrhea or even vomiting but most cats won't be affected if it is just for a couple meals, that is if your cat is not fussy as dog food is much less palatable than cat food.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on May 26th, 2017

    Feeding a single meal of dog food should not cause any problems - this would not be appropriate as a long-term diet because dog food does not contain all of the nutrients that cats need, but eating some every now and then won't hurt them.

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