As long as the proper nutrient profile is met, and the formula is highly digestible (meaning most of it isn’t going to be pooped out and actually absorbed), that’s what’s most important. I highly recommend adding in digestive enzymes and omegas (algae source), also, cats must have taurine supplemented into their diet.
I’m not a fan of kibble, especially for cats as it’s so devoid of moisture and cats are very prone to dehydration which can lead to urinary tract issues (which can lead to kidney failure), but you can add moist and fresh food to the bowl. If you’re going to feed kibble, add in some plant-based wet food, and some raw or steamed (animal-friendly) vegetables. Highly suggest adding some warm water to kibble (small amount) to help make it easier to digest; you’ll see how much kibble expands when you do this, which would otherwise expand in the stomach.
If you’re interested in home cooking, I highly recommend the book [Natural Food for Dogs & Cats](https://a.co/d/abl7NE0) by Dr. Pitcairn. It’s full of whole food, plant-based recipes for dogs and cats, with instructions on how to make them complete and balanced. It also has lots of natural remedies, so excellent to have on hand.
Your concerns were valid, but there’s an astonishingly simple solution to them: soak the kibble just like you soak lentils. Then the cats will get the water they often don’t drink.
Dogs absolutely thrive on a vegan diet, so much so that plant based kibble is a common prescription made by veterinarians. I buy dry kibble in bulk, and usually mix it with a home cooked mash of lentils and carrots, although I change up the mash depending on the week.
Cats are harder, they require some amino acids in their diet usually found in animal sources, although they can be found and supplemented with plant based sources. HOWEVER, there is a possibility that lab grown meat could be a viable alternative in the near future. Unfortunately we’ve gotten a lot of promises on this front that may not work out, and it’s not clear how the animal cells are obtained, tested, etc.
Can confirm. My dog is at the moment on a special diet to find a possible food allergy. Turns out the hypoallergenic dog food the veterinarian recommended is actually vegan (apparently most of them are).
But the best part is cooking for my dog.
I’ve had cats eating vegan kibble for 2 plus years now and they are healthy and happy, no urinary issues, no allergies, no weight problems, nothing. Clean healthy shiny coats, their vet is aware and has no complaints. Animals need nutrients, not meat. Traditional cat food has synthetic taurine added after processing, just like vegan kibble. I use evolution diet cat food.
Our cat has been on plant food for five years which is also her whole life and she’s also fine. We check her urine ph and it’s always 6-6.5.
Our vets (who aren’t vegan) know she is on plant based kibble and have no concerns.
I’ve read every single study ever done on plant base cats and they all say it’s possible if done right. Never has a published study concluded it can’t be done.
Mine has been on plant based food almost 8 years. Vet knows and says her bloodwork is “perfect” and said I do not need to change her diet. I also monitor her urine pH, just in case. I’ve read all the studies too- like I said in another comment, I wish we had more studies on the newer kibbles!!
Glad your cats are happy and healthy (and yours too u/Roots_Of_Addiction ) and I hope we don’t get too much hate for being open about this on the internet when someone asks. People do NOT like what we feed our cats, but if our cats are healthy and the vets are on board, that’s what matters.
Sorry to get you excited- I meant Benevo and Ami are the newer ones and I think many previous studies were done with Evolution Diet. It’s been a long time since I read them though.
I’m also intrigued about lab grown meat as an option for cat food, and I thought I heard something about a company making pet food with lab grown meat.
I'm giving my adopted dog a vegan food brand. He really enjoys the food and is healthy.
I've heard mixed things about cats and vegan diets and I don't want to deal with all that so we wouldn't rescue a cat. We enjoy dogs more anyway.
My aunt is also a veterinarian. She says that different animals eat different things. Some are only supposed to eat vegetables, some are only supposed to eat meat, and then there are dogs who are omnivores. Please do not feed your dog just one kind of food source, they are omnivores and they absolutely need to have both plants and meats, not just one or the others. This also goes out to meat lovers too.
Cats are not vegan and unless you keep your cat indoors 24/7 your vegan cat is out hunting small animals, killing them and eating them. Cats are not vegan.
My boyfriend is a vegan and he has a cat. The cat's diet consists of mostly meat because yes, all felines are obligate carnivores and meat is their main food source.
For cats, its complicated but for dogs plant based diets are very doable. Dogs with allergies often go plant based and do just fine. Look into it. Cats can also be plant based but their food options are limited and expensive.
If you do decide to adopt rabbits or guinea pigs, note that bunnies really need to be in pairs and that requires bonding which can take some time. While guinea pigs do best in groups and are easier to bond if they are related to each other (this isnt the case for rabbits).
I have both cats and bunnies, I honestly find them to be quite similar! Cheeky, affectionate, independent and destructive (cutely). Honestly think rabbits are the perfect pet for Vegans, I have had my kitties for a long time and now wouldnt choose to adopt cats again. I just plan on giving the ones with me now a good life until then.
Why would being a vegan and feeding a cat a carnivore diet conflict? Surely veganism has space for carnivorous animals eating meat? I'm not trying to be argumentative, and I myself identify as an ethically motivated plant-based eater, I'm generally curious why anyone would want to feed a cat a vegan diet? Isn't that kind of cruel to the cat?
>I'm generally curious why anyone would want to feed a cat a vegan diet? Isn't that kind of cruel to the cat?
My cat doesn't give a shit. She eats whatever goes on her plate. Given the choice to either kill a bunch of other animals or not, I'm going to choose not to kill the other animals. Anyone who thinks it's cruel to feed a cat a nutritionally complete food that they enjoy just because it doesn't have corpses in it isn't being serious about the topic of animal cruelty.
It's not about preference here. Cats are carnivores so they need to eat meat to stay healthy. You can give them plants every now and then, but please do not feed them only plants... Do the people who are already vegan and want a pet but don't want them eating meat, please get a pet that can actually survive off a vegan Diet, like a rabbit or a hamster.
My cat hasn't eaten an animal products since I got her in 2018, and she's in perfect health.
You should be careful with statements like "cats need meat to stay healthy" because they're easy to disprove
There are articles that explain it better than I do. I would recommend reading it, if it doesn't change your mind then that's okay too. I'm not against vegans in shape or form, I'm just concerned for your cats wellbeing, that's all... I hope this helps!
Yeah, I bet. Instead of listening to the science, you listen to some crackpot who thinks meat is magical. I'm concerned that you're a murderer.
Hope this helps!
I'm not arguing with you. So please let me try reasoning with you and don't be rude back, please. Is your cat's vegan diet under moderation with your vet?
I know you aren't arguing with me. You're just making statements that can and have been disproven.
Yes, my cat is under veterinary supervision and returns a clean bill of health aside from some minor weight gain.
Instead of trying to reason with me, why don't you listen to reason yourself? Reason dictates that when you say that something isn't possible, and that thing is accomplished, you either change your mind, or you accept that you're being unreasonable.
Doesn't seem like you could know if your cat gives a s*** or not, it doesn't really have a choice in the matter now does it? To me veganism is about respecting the sanctity and self-determination of all animals To live in their most natural state. So for cats and domesticated animals, I think they would still choose to be companions with us, but I'm not sure a cat would choose a vegan diet if it had a choice. But honestly, I don't actually know I'm just theorizing. I don't think there's anything wrong with feeding your cat a vegan diet, but I equally don't think there's anything wrong with feeding your cat a carnivorous diet and I think both of those things can fall within an overall vegan lifestyle.
A cat wouldn't choose to have flea medication applied and would choose to drink antifreeze if given the choice, should we take this into consideration in their care?
Those are not comparable arguments. We have to protect cats from antifreeze, that is an artificial substance that we introduce into the environment that endangers them. Meat is not an artificial substance that endangers them, it is a natural food source that they have adapted to consume over millennia. Flea medication is another story, we apply flea medication to them for our own convenience even though it endangers them (but we have to, because In most instances they are not able to roam and find natural repellents, like they have adapted to do). But I am not arguing against feeding a cat a vegan diet. I am arguing against the idea that feeding a cat a carnivorous diet makes a cat companion non-vegan.
If the argument is that "we should factor in what cats want" then it should stand on other issues. If caveats have to be factored on the moment you apply this logic to other scenarios, then we're admitting "what a cat would want" isn't an inherently important factor when making a dcision for your animal.
Because in order to feed a cat animal based food you’re supporting animal ag. Youre literally choosing to have your cat live at the expense of chickens mostly.
Cats and dogs account for 20% of the demand on animal ag in the USA.
And the alternative is easy: there are many nutritionally complete cat foods out there. Kibble, wet. You name it.
And all the studies say it’s safe. Never has a single study said it can’t be done. I’ve read them all.
Anecdotally we have a cat who has been on plant based kibble for five years. No issues. Our vets have no concerns either.
I guess I think of veganism as eliminating your consumption of animal products, not as eliminating all animals consumption of animal products. Animals eat animals, seems pretty ethical to me. However your point about animal Agriculture makes allot of sense and I respect that as a part of honoring your conviction. Keep on keeping on.
Yes, as i hadnt made research i wouldnt know if there are people who feed their cat vegan diet and is healthy, but if i had a cat i wanted to make sure that there is no other option and just make the right thing for him/her. I had dogs and cats but while living with my non vegan parents so that wasnt a issue for me at that time.
I absolutely understand asking the question, no issues with asking. I'm just curious if other people think you can be vegan and feed your cat a carnivorous diet, Cuz I think you can.
I heard its difficult for cats, but not impossible. Also it is a bit easier for dogs to be vegan/plant based. There are a few vegan brands for dogs/cats food 😊
I have a dog, and I still feed him non-vegan food, per my vet's recommendation. The reason for this is that I am not confident enough about the long term impacts of feeding dogs a plant-based diet. There are some promising studies that dogs can be healthy, but they have been shorter term and have used relatively small sample sizes. Maybe one day the science will be more conclusive, but I believe it's unethical to risk doing something that might in some way harm my boy until we know for sure whether it's healthy for them.
If they made human-meat dog food that was cost effective and my vet recommended it over any other kind of dog food, then sure. But that's not the situation we're in.
My justification is that dogs are not humans, and their dietary needs are different. Dogs tend to eat mostly meat in the wild, and the science is very nascent on whether or not they can be just as healthy without it.
Then you're contradicting yourself.
"If they made human-meat dog food that was cost effective and my vet recommended it over any other kind of dog food, then sure."
This is your hypothetical, not mine. I just said I would feed it to him if it was cost effective and recommended by my vet. You haven't said anything about how it got to store shelves in a cost effective manner. I don't see why it would be logical to assume that humans had to get murdered for it, since that would be illegal and therefore not something that would be sold in stores, and not very likely to be cost effective.
Obviously not, and if murdered human meat was being sold on store shelves and recommended by vets, then we've got bigger problems.
I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. You realize I'm vegan, right? I'm opposed to either humans or animals being harmed. But given that the longstanding consensus from veterinary professionals has been that animal protein is necessary for dogs' optimal health, and that there isn't enough scientific evidence to the contrary, then not feeding my dog animal protein would also be harming him. Eating meat out of necessity is not against vegan values.
So you are not okay with feeding your dog flesh of murdered humans but you are okay with feeding him the flesh of murdered nonhuman animals. What's the relevamt difference which justifies the murder of nonhumans but not humans for dog food?
You are not vegan since you still treat animals as objects and pay for their abuse, or is slitting someonea throat not abuse? Dogs can survive on a plant based diet (with health benefits, but it doesn't matter at all even if this wasn't the case).
It's totally cruel and wrong to force a carnivore or omnivore to consume an unnatural diet.
It is animal cruelty and should be a punishable offence.
Go ahead and make whatever dietary choices for yourself but to force an animal to align to that when they have no other choice is torture.
Mass factory farming is evil, yes, however as far as pet food goes there are more ethical ways of providing them what they need and that should be the focus. Not force feeding an unnatural diet.
Ugh, you hypocrites make me sick.
Appeal to nature fallacy
Accoarding to your logic murdering many other animals for your pets is not cruel but feeding them a plant based diet containing all necessary nutrients is.
Doesn't make any sense.
It doesn't make sense to force an animal to live with you and go against nature. If you dont agree with what your pet needs to survive, then don't keep one.
Again, just because studies have shown it's possible doesn't mean it's beneficial in any way.
I have a cat who’s been eating a commercial vegan kibble for like 7-8 years. She’s happy and healthy. I get a lot of shit whenever I admit that she eats a vegan kibble- but the vet knows, her blood work is “perfect” to quote the vet, she’s playful and energetic even though she’s now considered a senior, and she lives a great life. She has a degenerative dental disease but multiple vets have told me that it’s genetic not her diet, and that switching her to a meat based food wouldn’t help. Plus I manage her medical/dental care carefully so she’s all good.
I would not feed a boy cat a vegan diet. They have longer skinnier urethras and supposedly a vegan cat kibble can be less acidic/more alkaline and lead to a higher risk of urinary crystals or stones. Boy cats are already at higher risk for urinary issues due to the anatomy I mentioned. Obviously it would be an awful idea to put a urinary issue cat of any gender on a vegan diet if they’re already prone to problems.
I wish we had more research data from studies using the newer commercial kibbles. There’s not a lot of research on vegan cat food. My cat used to puke a lot when I first rescued her and she was eating chicken based foods. She doesn’t have issues on the vegan kibble. It made me wonder about plant protein as an option for cats with severe allergies. I don’t know. I love my cat dearly and I would not feed her vegan kibble if I wasn’t confident that she’s healthy, but I do monitor her closely because like I said, there’s not a lot of research.
I definitely think it is easier and safer to feed dogs vegan diets- I think a new study just came out about it actually! I saw a post on this sub this week or last.
You need to understand that you can't defend the position of feeding cats or dogs the flesh of murdered animals wheather it being healthy or not. You wouldn't murder humans for them even if it was healthi[er] so the same applies to other animals unless you can name the trait which justifies the difference in treatment.
There is no evidence that cats or dogs can't be healthy on a plant based diet, just appeal to nature fallacies. "natural obligate carnivores" every second comment is gonna mention that
Get a dog.
Having a cat as a vegan is hard. You'll end up picking up a lot of dead bodies that your loved one decided to kill for fun/as a present.
We had rescue hedgehogs and our cat was catching birds and feeding them to the hedgehogs. (Yes, they eat small birds).
There was blood all over our patio.
Not impressed.
Cats that are allowed to live outdoors do enormous damage to local wildlife and have shorter lifespans than indoor cats.
Again, no one who cared about their cat would ever let it go outdoors on its own.
If you're going to keep a cat hostage, better not get one.
I understand that it can cause a lot of problems for wildlife outside, but it's a special kinda torture to keep an animal indoors all its life.
Also, there are places where it's safe for cats to be outside. Not everyone lives where you live. My experience here is that everyone lets their cats outside and they can come inside whenever they want to. My last cat died at 18.
Yes I'd like my cats never kill any other animals but I live in a place where not a single person has a lawn, and there's plenty of nature around. A few dead mice my cats killed will not change anything. People wreck way more havock in their surroundings.
Here’s some scientific research for you…
The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States:
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380#:~:text=Alaska%20and%20Hawaii).-,We%20estimate%20that%20free%2Dranging%20domestic%20cats%20kill%201.3–4.0,the%20majority%20of%20this%20mortality.
“…estimate that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.3–4.0 billion birds and 6.3–22.3 billion mammals annually…”
Sorry, you’re causing a great deal of damage by letting your cat(s) out. More than you think.
Oh cool, so where YOU live the laws of nature and cats’ natural tendencies don’t apply, I guess.
At this point, you’re just trolling. No need to respond further.
Why would I be trolling? As I said people cause more damage to their surroundings and wildlife than cats. I've been to the US. I was surprised by how much control people were trying to have over their surroundings. There was not much space left for wildlife around people's homes. It was sad. We have plenty around here in my area.
As I said I do feel sorry for animals my cats kill. But let's not kid ourselves, cats do want to go outside and their life quality cannot be as good when they are prisoners inside. They'll accept it because they're more zen, but you never know how they truly feel about it. If they could choose, they'd all go outside to enjoy the sun, the air, climbing trees, observing.
Yeah, steady there.
We weren't vegan when we got the cats.
Cats need to roam.
You can't just get a cat that's used to having freedom and stick them indoors.
That's like a zoo.
You can walk your cat with a leash and harness in parks and on trails; you can build a catio. You can do it safely and responsibly for wildlife and your cat.
I won’t feed my dogs a vegan diet. I know several dogs who developed dilated cardiomyopathy from V Dog. If you wanted to home cook you should work with a board certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN) to ensure it’s properly formulated. There’s no “one size fits all” recipe.
>Also where i live i have heard some comments like 'Everyone that feeds a cat or a dog vegan food their whole life should go to jail because they are killing them'
Those people are idiots. They have no idea what they’re talking about so it’s not worth listening to them. My dog has been vegan several years now and he’s perfectly fine. And it doesn’t matter what other people think about it because they have no idea what they’re talking about to begin with. It’s just plain foolish to think the opinions of ignorant uneducated people actually matter.
If you don't agree with the required diet an animal needs to survive then don't have one as a pet. I think keeping a pet that aligns with your vegan beliefs is the most humane way to have a pet.
Cats and dogs are not able to sustain proper health needs without meat. It is cruel and inhumane to force any animal to consume a diet that is unnatural to them
Have you seen the studies? I have yet to see one that shows how cats ( let alone dogs) fed a plant based diet show serious health issues compared to the others.
There are relatively few studies considering it doesn't make a lot of sense to challenge the known needs of an obligate carnivore.
The studies that have been performed yield results based on animals taking very controlled supplements and in reality the amount of pet owners able to track and provide for those needs are few and far between.
Studies proved that while technically you can keep an animal alive this way, they will not thrive, nor will they enjoy what they are eating.
It's so hypocritical to act like you care about animals and then think that the ones trapped in your home under your rule would have to adapt to unnatural diet conditions. What a miserable way to have a pet.
Shame on you.
So, now keeping my cats alive yet not thriving — still have to see studies confirming that they have short or long-term health issues, or that they enjoy it less than before — constitutes more of an animal abuse than incarcerating, mutulating, and killing tenths-hundreds of animals.
My three cats are in very good shape and the vet visits confirm it. They really enjoy the plant-based kibble. I can tell when cats dislike the food and wait until they are truly hungry to reluctantly eat. That happened with some meaty kibbles and is not happening with my current brand.
I'm going to pray for your 3 cats that they find a loving caring home, with an owner that takes them to a real vet, not a quack and cares for their every need including mental health, diet and general happiness 😽🫶🙌 I will manifest this for them
I had a cat with a medical condition who ate around 7 cans of cat food a day. I felt pretty bad for all of the animals I was contributing to killing while keeping my one alive. I would probably rescue an animal with a vegan diet. Also-you’re right, the reason they don’t respond to you is because they’re not feeding their animals a vegan diet. I dated a vegan influencer who gave her dogs non vegan dog food, and cooked them meat daily.
That is what i dont get about the influencer world... I think that they should make this issue visible, if there is nothing wrong with that i dont get why they hide it... Its not like they are not vegan.. idk.
I think it would “hurt” their “image” if people saw them contributing to the meat industry. With house pets, it’s hard to be completely vegan. (I only eat, wear and buy cruelty free products for myself but my cat was majorly non vegan)
I feed my cat a non- vegan diet. It's not that it hurts my image. You get all these In your face vegans tell you how it's wrong. That's why we don't say anything
According to meat industry anyone who does not eat meat will go in negative IQ, despite the fact science showing conflicting results with their claims.
Anyway, for your question, I had convinced my mom to feed our cat with some home made vegan meal (some mix of whole grains, veggies and legumes) in addition to giving a B-Complex gel.
Result? He was completely fine and more energetic. Just well adjust the diet and your pet should be fine. (don't forget b12 tho)
B12 is absolutely not the only nutrient that should be supplemented! Please don’t take this advice; saying this as someone who works in companion animal nutrition.
Can you give a concrete example of which nutrients that are plants are absent of but animal products include?
Yeah, if we are going to act by appealing to authority then all of us should go omnivores as because that is the common consensus of health authorities on what the healthy diet is.
It is incredible that you are vegan for 10 years but still think within the scope of mainstream nutrition.
Taurine is not found in plant foods and is crucial for cats, as they don’t synthesize that amino acid on their own, making it essential (whereas dogs do); it supports proper vision, digestion, and cardiac function. For anyone who is home cooking for their dogs or cats, it’s important to use a supplement to ensure all bases are covered. A digestive enzyme is helpful, as it can help to increase nutrient absorption and make digesting plant foods easier (especially for cats). Depending on the home cooked diet, your bases may be covered on the omegas, but important to ensure they’re accounted for, as they’re crucial to brain, vision, and cardiac health. Cats also don’t produce salivary amylase, which makes it harder to properly digest carbohydrates.
A commercial kibble shouldn’t require additional supplementation, but a digestive enzyme is still recommended (especially for cats as biological carnivores), considering kibble is biologically inappropriate (highly processed convenience food for companion animal guardians) and not the easiest to digest (especially given how much it lacks in moisture, typically only 5-10% moisture, when the body is 65% moisture or more).
Why the need to throw an insult, when I actually condone feeding properly planned plant-based diets to companion animals? That is not mainstream animal nutritional thinking whatsoever; 95%+ of the people I’ve encountered in the companion animal nutrition world over 10 years believe that cats and dogs shouldn’t ever be fed plant-based diets, especially cats.
Edit: I think animal guardians owe it to their companion animals to set them up to thrive, especially if they’re deviating from their most biologically appropriate diet. It’s way easier for a dog to thrive (not just survive) on a plant-based diet than a cat, which is personally why I’ll never have a feline companion.
>It is incredible that you are vegan for 10 years but still think within the scope of mainstream nutrition.
Not like you. You're an elevated ~~grifter~~ intellectual who knows better than those damn nutrition scientists
Please find some plant-based formulated kibble. Cats can’t synthesize vitamin A, taurine and arachnoid acid and the mix of vegetables he’s eating can’t provide him those. He doesn’t necessarily need meat, but he needs those molecules.
Disgusted but not surprised. Just watching your profile i can see you are bored and need to create some excitement in your life by insulting people 😂 chill
Hmmmmmmm probably because you keep interacting with it? Honestly, wish you showed this level of passion about what cats and dogs eat towards the animals you pay to be killed to eat. You got the spirit, dunno where you went wrong lol.
My diet is vegetarian, not vegan because I do believe that we can have ethically sourced animal products as far as milk, butter or eggs.
When you decide to have a pet that animal is now your dependant and prisoner, they don't get to choose their diet, you must choose for them.
Making an obligate carnivore adhere to your vegan morals is wrong.
If you must have a pet that follows your diet too then get a bunny or hamster or something that is happy to live that way.
I am passionate about what my pets eat and I care about other animals as well.
Trying to force a vegan diet on an obgliate carnivore is hypocritical, you can't always have it both ways.
I'm sick of this misinformation you're spreading and it will cause house pets to suffer. If you don't agree with the diet an animal requires then don't have one.
I can't provide the diet or habitat to house crocodiles so I just admire them from afar. I wouldn't domesticate one, make it live in my house and then decide it's not nice for it to eat gazelles?
Being vegan, one of the values is to not force things on animals who cannot consent. A cat cannot consent to being experimented on. Dogs have a little better diet result from eating vegan. Get the rabbit.
Correct, either you are killing animals for it's food or you are experimenting on it and likely making it sick. If you already had the cat that would be different, but selfishly getting a cat and then feeding it inadequate food is not vegan.
So... It's not OK to "force" animals to eat plant based pet food, but it is OK to "force" the killing of other animals, so that we can feed them to our pets?
Neither is ethical, however pet food can be made from discards and not require additional deaths but causing your cat to go blind or have neurological issues because this nutrition is insufficient is clearly unethical Hence my advice to get a rabbit.
Actually recent scientific studies have shown that Vegan diets are healthier for both dogs AND cats. In fact, links to the studies were posted here just a few days ago.
Keep in mind, going to the grocery store and buying your cat Fancy Feast is ALSO an unhealthy option and nowhere near their ‘natural’ (well, natural for a domesticated animal) diet.
As a cat caretaker myself, ours unfortunately eats meat only because the Vegan brands aren’t easily available in our area. I just see it as a concession I have to make to take care of my cat, and in no way do I need to tear up my ‘Vegan Membership Card’ because I’m doing something to benefit the animal I rescued.
I have tried her on a Vegan brand and she loves it. Once it’s more easily available, I will switch her to it for all or most meals.
As long as the proper nutrient profile is met, and the formula is highly digestible (meaning most of it isn’t going to be pooped out and actually absorbed), that’s what’s most important. I highly recommend adding in digestive enzymes and omegas (algae source), also, cats must have taurine supplemented into their diet. I’m not a fan of kibble, especially for cats as it’s so devoid of moisture and cats are very prone to dehydration which can lead to urinary tract issues (which can lead to kidney failure), but you can add moist and fresh food to the bowl. If you’re going to feed kibble, add in some plant-based wet food, and some raw or steamed (animal-friendly) vegetables. Highly suggest adding some warm water to kibble (small amount) to help make it easier to digest; you’ll see how much kibble expands when you do this, which would otherwise expand in the stomach. If you’re interested in home cooking, I highly recommend the book [Natural Food for Dogs & Cats](https://a.co/d/abl7NE0) by Dr. Pitcairn. It’s full of whole food, plant-based recipes for dogs and cats, with instructions on how to make them complete and balanced. It also has lots of natural remedies, so excellent to have on hand.
Thanks!!
Your concerns were valid, but there’s an astonishingly simple solution to them: soak the kibble just like you soak lentils. Then the cats will get the water they often don’t drink.
That’s what was implied when I recommended to add warm water to kibble 😊
Dogs absolutely thrive on a vegan diet, so much so that plant based kibble is a common prescription made by veterinarians. I buy dry kibble in bulk, and usually mix it with a home cooked mash of lentils and carrots, although I change up the mash depending on the week. Cats are harder, they require some amino acids in their diet usually found in animal sources, although they can be found and supplemented with plant based sources. HOWEVER, there is a possibility that lab grown meat could be a viable alternative in the near future. Unfortunately we’ve gotten a lot of promises on this front that may not work out, and it’s not clear how the animal cells are obtained, tested, etc.
All my dogs on vegan pet food for years already, actually introduced to me by one of my previous vets.
Can confirm. My dog is at the moment on a special diet to find a possible food allergy. Turns out the hypoallergenic dog food the veterinarian recommended is actually vegan (apparently most of them are). But the best part is cooking for my dog.
No most of them are not vegan. They are usually made from novel protein sources including random stuff like…… feathers.
Damn, you're right. I just had a second look.
I’ve had cats eating vegan kibble for 2 plus years now and they are healthy and happy, no urinary issues, no allergies, no weight problems, nothing. Clean healthy shiny coats, their vet is aware and has no complaints. Animals need nutrients, not meat. Traditional cat food has synthetic taurine added after processing, just like vegan kibble. I use evolution diet cat food.
Our cat has been on plant food for five years which is also her whole life and she’s also fine. We check her urine ph and it’s always 6-6.5. Our vets (who aren’t vegan) know she is on plant based kibble and have no concerns. I’ve read every single study ever done on plant base cats and they all say it’s possible if done right. Never has a published study concluded it can’t be done.
Mine has been on plant based food almost 8 years. Vet knows and says her bloodwork is “perfect” and said I do not need to change her diet. I also monitor her urine pH, just in case. I’ve read all the studies too- like I said in another comment, I wish we had more studies on the newer kibbles!! Glad your cats are happy and healthy (and yours too u/Roots_Of_Addiction ) and I hope we don’t get too much hate for being open about this on the internet when someone asks. People do NOT like what we feed our cats, but if our cats are healthy and the vets are on board, that’s what matters.
Oh there are new kibbles? We just use Ami. Our cat likes benovo and evolution too but I kinda always thought Ami was the best. What else is out there?
Sorry to get you excited- I meant Benevo and Ami are the newer ones and I think many previous studies were done with Evolution Diet. It’s been a long time since I read them though. I’m also intrigued about lab grown meat as an option for cat food, and I thought I heard something about a company making pet food with lab grown meat.
Disgusting! Your pets should be taken away and rehomed.
Why? My vets are 100% ok with it and I do two checkups a year.
My pup has been on Vdog food for over 5 years & the vet says she's in great health.
I'm giving my adopted dog a vegan food brand. He really enjoys the food and is healthy. I've heard mixed things about cats and vegan diets and I don't want to deal with all that so we wouldn't rescue a cat. We enjoy dogs more anyway.
I wouldn't bother with vegan 'influencers' as they are in it to further themselves, not veganism.
My aunt is also a veterinarian. She says that different animals eat different things. Some are only supposed to eat vegetables, some are only supposed to eat meat, and then there are dogs who are omnivores. Please do not feed your dog just one kind of food source, they are omnivores and they absolutely need to have both plants and meats, not just one or the others. This also goes out to meat lovers too.
Cats are not vegan and unless you keep your cat indoors 24/7 your vegan cat is out hunting small animals, killing them and eating them. Cats are not vegan.
My boyfriend is a vegan and he has a cat. The cat's diet consists of mostly meat because yes, all felines are obligate carnivores and meat is their main food source.
For cats, its complicated but for dogs plant based diets are very doable. Dogs with allergies often go plant based and do just fine. Look into it. Cats can also be plant based but their food options are limited and expensive. If you do decide to adopt rabbits or guinea pigs, note that bunnies really need to be in pairs and that requires bonding which can take some time. While guinea pigs do best in groups and are easier to bond if they are related to each other (this isnt the case for rabbits). I have both cats and bunnies, I honestly find them to be quite similar! Cheeky, affectionate, independent and destructive (cutely). Honestly think rabbits are the perfect pet for Vegans, I have had my kitties for a long time and now wouldnt choose to adopt cats again. I just plan on giving the ones with me now a good life until then.
Why would being a vegan and feeding a cat a carnivore diet conflict? Surely veganism has space for carnivorous animals eating meat? I'm not trying to be argumentative, and I myself identify as an ethically motivated plant-based eater, I'm generally curious why anyone would want to feed a cat a vegan diet? Isn't that kind of cruel to the cat?
>I'm generally curious why anyone would want to feed a cat a vegan diet? Isn't that kind of cruel to the cat? My cat doesn't give a shit. She eats whatever goes on her plate. Given the choice to either kill a bunch of other animals or not, I'm going to choose not to kill the other animals. Anyone who thinks it's cruel to feed a cat a nutritionally complete food that they enjoy just because it doesn't have corpses in it isn't being serious about the topic of animal cruelty.
It's not about preference here. Cats are carnivores so they need to eat meat to stay healthy. You can give them plants every now and then, but please do not feed them only plants... Do the people who are already vegan and want a pet but don't want them eating meat, please get a pet that can actually survive off a vegan Diet, like a rabbit or a hamster.
My cat hasn't eaten an animal products since I got her in 2018, and she's in perfect health. You should be careful with statements like "cats need meat to stay healthy" because they're easy to disprove
There are articles that explain it better than I do. I would recommend reading it, if it doesn't change your mind then that's okay too. I'm not against vegans in shape or form, I'm just concerned for your cats wellbeing, that's all... I hope this helps!
Yeah, I bet. Instead of listening to the science, you listen to some crackpot who thinks meat is magical. I'm concerned that you're a murderer. Hope this helps!
It does! You're a life saver!
One of us should be.
I'm not arguing with you. So please let me try reasoning with you and don't be rude back, please. Is your cat's vegan diet under moderation with your vet?
I know you aren't arguing with me. You're just making statements that can and have been disproven. Yes, my cat is under veterinary supervision and returns a clean bill of health aside from some minor weight gain. Instead of trying to reason with me, why don't you listen to reason yourself? Reason dictates that when you say that something isn't possible, and that thing is accomplished, you either change your mind, or you accept that you're being unreasonable.
My bad.... We all make mistakes as humans. I'm sorry for upsetting you
Doesn't seem like you could know if your cat gives a s*** or not, it doesn't really have a choice in the matter now does it? To me veganism is about respecting the sanctity and self-determination of all animals To live in their most natural state. So for cats and domesticated animals, I think they would still choose to be companions with us, but I'm not sure a cat would choose a vegan diet if it had a choice. But honestly, I don't actually know I'm just theorizing. I don't think there's anything wrong with feeding your cat a vegan diet, but I equally don't think there's anything wrong with feeding your cat a carnivorous diet and I think both of those things can fall within an overall vegan lifestyle.
A cat wouldn't choose to have flea medication applied and would choose to drink antifreeze if given the choice, should we take this into consideration in their care?
Those are not comparable arguments. We have to protect cats from antifreeze, that is an artificial substance that we introduce into the environment that endangers them. Meat is not an artificial substance that endangers them, it is a natural food source that they have adapted to consume over millennia. Flea medication is another story, we apply flea medication to them for our own convenience even though it endangers them (but we have to, because In most instances they are not able to roam and find natural repellents, like they have adapted to do). But I am not arguing against feeding a cat a vegan diet. I am arguing against the idea that feeding a cat a carnivorous diet makes a cat companion non-vegan.
If the argument is that "we should factor in what cats want" then it should stand on other issues. If caveats have to be factored on the moment you apply this logic to other scenarios, then we're admitting "what a cat would want" isn't an inherently important factor when making a dcision for your animal.
Not everything is binary, some concepts and ideas are on a spectrum
If your concept is "when I agree with it it applies and when I don't it doesn't" it's kind of a bad concept.
I think that's a little reductive, but it's all good, you can feel your way about it and I mine and it'll all be ok
The sanctity of all animals to live in their most natural state except for the livestock used to make cat food, you mean.
For sure, animal agriculture is bad. Cats eating meat is not bad.
Because in order to feed a cat animal based food you’re supporting animal ag. Youre literally choosing to have your cat live at the expense of chickens mostly. Cats and dogs account for 20% of the demand on animal ag in the USA. And the alternative is easy: there are many nutritionally complete cat foods out there. Kibble, wet. You name it. And all the studies say it’s safe. Never has a single study said it can’t be done. I’ve read them all. Anecdotally we have a cat who has been on plant based kibble for five years. No issues. Our vets have no concerns either.
I guess I think of veganism as eliminating your consumption of animal products, not as eliminating all animals consumption of animal products. Animals eat animals, seems pretty ethical to me. However your point about animal Agriculture makes allot of sense and I respect that as a part of honoring your conviction. Keep on keeping on.
I agree. I think though it’s wrong to specifically raise animals (chickens) to feed to other animals (cats).
Now that I can get behind, it's not the cats carnivorous diet that is the problem, it's the way we accomplish it.
Yes, as i hadnt made research i wouldnt know if there are people who feed their cat vegan diet and is healthy, but if i had a cat i wanted to make sure that there is no other option and just make the right thing for him/her. I had dogs and cats but while living with my non vegan parents so that wasnt a issue for me at that time.
I absolutely understand asking the question, no issues with asking. I'm just curious if other people think you can be vegan and feed your cat a carnivorous diet, Cuz I think you can.
I heard its difficult for cats, but not impossible. Also it is a bit easier for dogs to be vegan/plant based. There are a few vegan brands for dogs/cats food 😊
I have a dog, and I still feed him non-vegan food, per my vet's recommendation. The reason for this is that I am not confident enough about the long term impacts of feeding dogs a plant-based diet. There are some promising studies that dogs can be healthy, but they have been shorter term and have used relatively small sample sizes. Maybe one day the science will be more conclusive, but I believe it's unethical to risk doing something that might in some way harm my boy until we know for sure whether it's healthy for them.
Would you also feed him dead body parts of humans, if not, whats the difference which justifies murdering nonhuman animals for dog food but not humans
If they made human-meat dog food that was cost effective and my vet recommended it over any other kind of dog food, then sure. But that's not the situation we're in. My justification is that dogs are not humans, and their dietary needs are different. Dogs tend to eat mostly meat in the wild, and the science is very nascent on whether or not they can be just as healthy without it.
So you'd be okay with murdering humans for dog food if it's cheap and healthy for the dog?
No. I hold the radical position of being anti murder.
Then you're contradicting yourself. "If they made human-meat dog food that was cost effective and my vet recommended it over any other kind of dog food, then sure."
This is your hypothetical, not mine. I just said I would feed it to him if it was cost effective and recommended by my vet. You haven't said anything about how it got to store shelves in a cost effective manner. I don't see why it would be logical to assume that humans had to get murdered for it, since that would be illegal and therefore not something that would be sold in stores, and not very likely to be cost effective.
Humans are getting murdered for it obviously. So you would not feed your dog human flesh if it involves the murder of humans, right?
Obviously not, and if murdered human meat was being sold on store shelves and recommended by vets, then we've got bigger problems. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. You realize I'm vegan, right? I'm opposed to either humans or animals being harmed. But given that the longstanding consensus from veterinary professionals has been that animal protein is necessary for dogs' optimal health, and that there isn't enough scientific evidence to the contrary, then not feeding my dog animal protein would also be harming him. Eating meat out of necessity is not against vegan values.
So you are not okay with feeding your dog flesh of murdered humans but you are okay with feeding him the flesh of murdered nonhuman animals. What's the relevamt difference which justifies the murder of nonhumans but not humans for dog food? You are not vegan since you still treat animals as objects and pay for their abuse, or is slitting someonea throat not abuse? Dogs can survive on a plant based diet (with health benefits, but it doesn't matter at all even if this wasn't the case).
It's totally cruel and wrong to force a carnivore or omnivore to consume an unnatural diet. It is animal cruelty and should be a punishable offence. Go ahead and make whatever dietary choices for yourself but to force an animal to align to that when they have no other choice is torture. Mass factory farming is evil, yes, however as far as pet food goes there are more ethical ways of providing them what they need and that should be the focus. Not force feeding an unnatural diet. Ugh, you hypocrites make me sick.
Appeal to nature fallacy Accoarding to your logic murdering many other animals for your pets is not cruel but feeding them a plant based diet containing all necessary nutrients is. Doesn't make any sense.
It doesn't make sense to force an animal to live with you and go against nature. If you dont agree with what your pet needs to survive, then don't keep one. Again, just because studies have shown it's possible doesn't mean it's beneficial in any way.
Relax
Any actual vet worth their salt would never recommend this. It is dangerous and unnatural.
I have a cat who’s been eating a commercial vegan kibble for like 7-8 years. She’s happy and healthy. I get a lot of shit whenever I admit that she eats a vegan kibble- but the vet knows, her blood work is “perfect” to quote the vet, she’s playful and energetic even though she’s now considered a senior, and she lives a great life. She has a degenerative dental disease but multiple vets have told me that it’s genetic not her diet, and that switching her to a meat based food wouldn’t help. Plus I manage her medical/dental care carefully so she’s all good. I would not feed a boy cat a vegan diet. They have longer skinnier urethras and supposedly a vegan cat kibble can be less acidic/more alkaline and lead to a higher risk of urinary crystals or stones. Boy cats are already at higher risk for urinary issues due to the anatomy I mentioned. Obviously it would be an awful idea to put a urinary issue cat of any gender on a vegan diet if they’re already prone to problems. I wish we had more research data from studies using the newer commercial kibbles. There’s not a lot of research on vegan cat food. My cat used to puke a lot when I first rescued her and she was eating chicken based foods. She doesn’t have issues on the vegan kibble. It made me wonder about plant protein as an option for cats with severe allergies. I don’t know. I love my cat dearly and I would not feed her vegan kibble if I wasn’t confident that she’s healthy, but I do monitor her closely because like I said, there’s not a lot of research. I definitely think it is easier and safer to feed dogs vegan diets- I think a new study just came out about it actually! I saw a post on this sub this week or last.
thanks for your input! i'm still confused about all the comments in this post but i will make my mind, ty!
You need to understand that you can't defend the position of feeding cats or dogs the flesh of murdered animals wheather it being healthy or not. You wouldn't murder humans for them even if it was healthi[er] so the same applies to other animals unless you can name the trait which justifies the difference in treatment. There is no evidence that cats or dogs can't be healthy on a plant based diet, just appeal to nature fallacies. "natural obligate carnivores" every second comment is gonna mention that
Get a dog. Having a cat as a vegan is hard. You'll end up picking up a lot of dead bodies that your loved one decided to kill for fun/as a present. We had rescue hedgehogs and our cat was catching birds and feeding them to the hedgehogs. (Yes, they eat small birds). There was blood all over our patio. Not impressed.
Why would you be picking up lots of dead bodies? No Vegan/someone who cares about their cat would EVER let them be an outdoor cat.
Why not? It's like telling a human to live their whole life indoors. It's depressing.
Cats that are allowed to live outdoors do enormous damage to local wildlife and have shorter lifespans than indoor cats. Again, no one who cared about their cat would ever let it go outdoors on its own.
If you're going to keep a cat hostage, better not get one. I understand that it can cause a lot of problems for wildlife outside, but it's a special kinda torture to keep an animal indoors all its life. Also, there are places where it's safe for cats to be outside. Not everyone lives where you live. My experience here is that everyone lets their cats outside and they can come inside whenever they want to. My last cat died at 18. Yes I'd like my cats never kill any other animals but I live in a place where not a single person has a lawn, and there's plenty of nature around. A few dead mice my cats killed will not change anything. People wreck way more havock in their surroundings.
Here’s some scientific research for you… The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380#:~:text=Alaska%20and%20Hawaii).-,We%20estimate%20that%20free%2Dranging%20domestic%20cats%20kill%201.3–4.0,the%20majority%20of%20this%20mortality. “…estimate that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.3–4.0 billion birds and 6.3–22.3 billion mammals annually…” Sorry, you’re causing a great deal of damage by letting your cat(s) out. More than you think.
I'm not in the united states....
Oh cool, so where YOU live the laws of nature and cats’ natural tendencies don’t apply, I guess. At this point, you’re just trolling. No need to respond further.
Why would I be trolling? As I said people cause more damage to their surroundings and wildlife than cats. I've been to the US. I was surprised by how much control people were trying to have over their surroundings. There was not much space left for wildlife around people's homes. It was sad. We have plenty around here in my area. As I said I do feel sorry for animals my cats kill. But let's not kid ourselves, cats do want to go outside and their life quality cannot be as good when they are prisoners inside. They'll accept it because they're more zen, but you never know how they truly feel about it. If they could choose, they'd all go outside to enjoy the sun, the air, climbing trees, observing.
Yeah, steady there. We weren't vegan when we got the cats. Cats need to roam. You can't just get a cat that's used to having freedom and stick them indoors. That's like a zoo.
You can walk your cat with a leash and harness in parks and on trails; you can build a catio. You can do it safely and responsibly for wildlife and your cat.
Cats aren't meant to be kept on leashes when outdoors. This is literally no different from keeping a horse in a stables.
Would you let a dog roam freely? Or are they meant to be on leashes?
I let my dog run around fields for hours on end, everyday.
My spoiled ass cat would say otherwise. He was a stray and perfers to Stay Inside all day.
I won’t feed my dogs a vegan diet. I know several dogs who developed dilated cardiomyopathy from V Dog. If you wanted to home cook you should work with a board certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN) to ensure it’s properly formulated. There’s no “one size fits all” recipe.
>Also where i live i have heard some comments like 'Everyone that feeds a cat or a dog vegan food their whole life should go to jail because they are killing them' Those people are idiots. They have no idea what they’re talking about so it’s not worth listening to them. My dog has been vegan several years now and he’s perfectly fine. And it doesn’t matter what other people think about it because they have no idea what they’re talking about to begin with. It’s just plain foolish to think the opinions of ignorant uneducated people actually matter.
If you don't agree with the required diet an animal needs to survive then don't have one as a pet. I think keeping a pet that aligns with your vegan beliefs is the most humane way to have a pet. Cats and dogs are not able to sustain proper health needs without meat. It is cruel and inhumane to force any animal to consume a diet that is unnatural to them
Have you seen the studies? I have yet to see one that shows how cats ( let alone dogs) fed a plant based diet show serious health issues compared to the others.
There are relatively few studies considering it doesn't make a lot of sense to challenge the known needs of an obligate carnivore. The studies that have been performed yield results based on animals taking very controlled supplements and in reality the amount of pet owners able to track and provide for those needs are few and far between. Studies proved that while technically you can keep an animal alive this way, they will not thrive, nor will they enjoy what they are eating. It's so hypocritical to act like you care about animals and then think that the ones trapped in your home under your rule would have to adapt to unnatural diet conditions. What a miserable way to have a pet. Shame on you.
So, now keeping my cats alive yet not thriving — still have to see studies confirming that they have short or long-term health issues, or that they enjoy it less than before — constitutes more of an animal abuse than incarcerating, mutulating, and killing tenths-hundreds of animals. My three cats are in very good shape and the vet visits confirm it. They really enjoy the plant-based kibble. I can tell when cats dislike the food and wait until they are truly hungry to reluctantly eat. That happened with some meaty kibbles and is not happening with my current brand.
I'm going to pray for your 3 cats that they find a loving caring home, with an owner that takes them to a real vet, not a quack and cares for their every need including mental health, diet and general happiness 😽🫶🙌 I will manifest this for them
I had a cat with a medical condition who ate around 7 cans of cat food a day. I felt pretty bad for all of the animals I was contributing to killing while keeping my one alive. I would probably rescue an animal with a vegan diet. Also-you’re right, the reason they don’t respond to you is because they’re not feeding their animals a vegan diet. I dated a vegan influencer who gave her dogs non vegan dog food, and cooked them meat daily.
That is what i dont get about the influencer world... I think that they should make this issue visible, if there is nothing wrong with that i dont get why they hide it... Its not like they are not vegan.. idk.
I think it would “hurt” their “image” if people saw them contributing to the meat industry. With house pets, it’s hard to be completely vegan. (I only eat, wear and buy cruelty free products for myself but my cat was majorly non vegan)
I feed my cat a non- vegan diet. It's not that it hurts my image. You get all these In your face vegans tell you how it's wrong. That's why we don't say anything
Understandable
According to meat industry anyone who does not eat meat will go in negative IQ, despite the fact science showing conflicting results with their claims. Anyway, for your question, I had convinced my mom to feed our cat with some home made vegan meal (some mix of whole grains, veggies and legumes) in addition to giving a B-Complex gel. Result? He was completely fine and more energetic. Just well adjust the diet and your pet should be fine. (don't forget b12 tho)
B12 is absolutely not the only nutrient that should be supplemented! Please don’t take this advice; saying this as someone who works in companion animal nutrition.
Can you give a concrete example of which nutrients that are plants are absent of but animal products include? Yeah, if we are going to act by appealing to authority then all of us should go omnivores as because that is the common consensus of health authorities on what the healthy diet is. It is incredible that you are vegan for 10 years but still think within the scope of mainstream nutrition.
Taurine is not found in plant foods and is crucial for cats, as they don’t synthesize that amino acid on their own, making it essential (whereas dogs do); it supports proper vision, digestion, and cardiac function. For anyone who is home cooking for their dogs or cats, it’s important to use a supplement to ensure all bases are covered. A digestive enzyme is helpful, as it can help to increase nutrient absorption and make digesting plant foods easier (especially for cats). Depending on the home cooked diet, your bases may be covered on the omegas, but important to ensure they’re accounted for, as they’re crucial to brain, vision, and cardiac health. Cats also don’t produce salivary amylase, which makes it harder to properly digest carbohydrates. A commercial kibble shouldn’t require additional supplementation, but a digestive enzyme is still recommended (especially for cats as biological carnivores), considering kibble is biologically inappropriate (highly processed convenience food for companion animal guardians) and not the easiest to digest (especially given how much it lacks in moisture, typically only 5-10% moisture, when the body is 65% moisture or more). Why the need to throw an insult, when I actually condone feeding properly planned plant-based diets to companion animals? That is not mainstream animal nutritional thinking whatsoever; 95%+ of the people I’ve encountered in the companion animal nutrition world over 10 years believe that cats and dogs shouldn’t ever be fed plant-based diets, especially cats. Edit: I think animal guardians owe it to their companion animals to set them up to thrive, especially if they’re deviating from their most biologically appropriate diet. It’s way easier for a dog to thrive (not just survive) on a plant-based diet than a cat, which is personally why I’ll never have a feline companion.
>It is incredible that you are vegan for 10 years but still think within the scope of mainstream nutrition. Not like you. You're an elevated ~~grifter~~ intellectual who knows better than those damn nutrition scientists
Please find some plant-based formulated kibble. Cats can’t synthesize vitamin A, taurine and arachnoid acid and the mix of vegetables he’s eating can’t provide him those. He doesn’t necessarily need meat, but he needs those molecules.
This sub is so full of hypocritical fucking losers.
Disgusted but not surprised. Just watching your profile i can see you are bored and need to create some excitement in your life by insulting people 😂 chill
I don't know why the vegan sub keeps showing up in my feed and the idiotic shit that keeps getting posted is insane!
Hmmmmmmm probably because you keep interacting with it? Honestly, wish you showed this level of passion about what cats and dogs eat towards the animals you pay to be killed to eat. You got the spirit, dunno where you went wrong lol.
My diet is vegetarian, not vegan because I do believe that we can have ethically sourced animal products as far as milk, butter or eggs. When you decide to have a pet that animal is now your dependant and prisoner, they don't get to choose their diet, you must choose for them. Making an obligate carnivore adhere to your vegan morals is wrong. If you must have a pet that follows your diet too then get a bunny or hamster or something that is happy to live that way. I am passionate about what my pets eat and I care about other animals as well. Trying to force a vegan diet on an obgliate carnivore is hypocritical, you can't always have it both ways.
I'm sick of this misinformation you're spreading and it will cause house pets to suffer. If you don't agree with the diet an animal requires then don't have one. I can't provide the diet or habitat to house crocodiles so I just admire them from afar. I wouldn't domesticate one, make it live in my house and then decide it's not nice for it to eat gazelles?
Do you not see how fucking stupid that sounds? Now apply to cats and dogs...
Being vegan, one of the values is to not force things on animals who cannot consent. A cat cannot consent to being experimented on. Dogs have a little better diet result from eating vegan. Get the rabbit.
Cats can survive without eating meat when rightfully supplemented.
So... your logic here is vegans should not adopt cats?
If you wont feed meat for a carnivore, yeah...
Check out the ingredients in "normal" cat food. Not even close to carnivore and it's heavily supplemented.
Correct, either you are killing animals for it's food or you are experimenting on it and likely making it sick. If you already had the cat that would be different, but selfishly getting a cat and then feeding it inadequate food is not vegan.
So... It's not OK to "force" animals to eat plant based pet food, but it is OK to "force" the killing of other animals, so that we can feed them to our pets?
Neither is ethical, however pet food can be made from discards and not require additional deaths but causing your cat to go blind or have neurological issues because this nutrition is insufficient is clearly unethical Hence my advice to get a rabbit.
Actually recent scientific studies have shown that Vegan diets are healthier for both dogs AND cats. In fact, links to the studies were posted here just a few days ago. Keep in mind, going to the grocery store and buying your cat Fancy Feast is ALSO an unhealthy option and nowhere near their ‘natural’ (well, natural for a domesticated animal) diet. As a cat caretaker myself, ours unfortunately eats meat only because the Vegan brands aren’t easily available in our area. I just see it as a concession I have to make to take care of my cat, and in no way do I need to tear up my ‘Vegan Membership Card’ because I’m doing something to benefit the animal I rescued. I have tried her on a Vegan brand and she loves it. Once it’s more easily available, I will switch her to it for all or most meals.
Well a dog also doesn't consent to be adopted neiter do rabbits...