Vegan Pet Food: Is It OK To Raise A Cat Vegan?

Vegan pet food -- and the decision to force one's pet to go vegan -- is suddenly very buzzy. ABC News reports that it's a bit easier for a dog to go vegetarian than it is for a cat, and one person they interviewed said she suspects that "vegan" cats are supplementing their diets by hunting.

But there are some strong proponents of the idea:

Now artists and activists (with one more feline in the family) in Ithaca, N.Y., Moore and her partner, Shira Golding, are part of a relatively small but deeply dedicated group of vegan pet owners who believe their cats' and dogs' diets should reflect their own beliefs about the treatment of animals and environmentally sustainable lifestyles.

Despite the anecdotal evidence the group has amassed that supports vegan pet diets, many veterinarians are reluctant to recommend the meatless option.

What do you think?

Quick Poll

Is it OK to give your pet a vegan diet?

No, it's not our decision to make

No, it's not healthy

Yes, it sounds fine

Yes, and I know someone who has

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Comments

[Snice]

Those damn cats! What will they think of next?

[jbeach]

Not only stupid, but actually cruel and inhumane.

They are CARNIVORES. They are DESIGNED TO EAT MEAT.

If people were to put clothes on them and try to force them to walk upright, it would be less cruel and stupid.

[ESerafina42]

Thank you. EVERYTHING that makes a cat a cat is to make it a more efficient hunter, including how its digestive system is designed.

[angelv]

yup. pure muscle, fast reflexes, keen senses, great jumpers and leapers, stealthy, and a bit psycho, cats are hunters to the core. And they ain't hunting plants (well, the odd bit of grass here and there, but only after consuming too much feathers and fur)

[withersteen]

Hey, did y'all see that "Dirty Jobs" episode where Mike worked at the rendering plant? Now that's some good pet food!

[HHUA]

"dedicated group of vegan pet owners who believe their cats' and dogs' diets should reflect their own beliefs about the treatment of animals and environmentally sustainable lifestyles­."

Ok... what part of "treatment of animals" do these people NOT understand?!!

It's not only inhumane but UNHEALTHY to FORCE your pets to be vegan, when they are naturally adapted in EVERY way possible to being "carnivores"!!!

If you are soooo concerned with the "treatment of animals", that you are unable to properly care for YOURS because you feel the need to force your beliefs down their mouths (literally), then you should NOT own pets except for maybe rabbits who will not suffer from your so called "ethics".

Are these the same people who think it's ok to raise babies on "soymilk" instead of formula?!!

[dozaa]

Yea, because formula is so natural?

Milk was made for, hold onto your hats, baby COWS not people. So until you realize and admit that your argument is just ignorant.

Alot of these soymilk babies are allergic to milk actually..­..hmmm...m­aybe because we're not baby cows, perhaps?

[AngelaQuattrano]

Keep a sheep.

[Symphysodon]

If you're a Vegan..... is it okay to eat a Vegan cat??

[bluehand]

I wish humans would leave animals the h**l alone.

[QueenCeleste]

Amen.

[homesteader]

This is the way I remember the story. It might be close:

There was once a book on vegan food for animals. Absolutely fascinating because the woman who wrote it detailed her research and how she found the solutions. She and her husbad divorced, and he continued the company, making supplements for vegetarian cats and dogs. And apparently re-wrote or edited the book putting it out under his own name. My recollection is that vegan diet for cats can work, but it is quite a bit more difficult than picking up whatever's cheap at the supermarket (which might be not much better than trying to do a well-meaning but uninformed version of the vegan diet).

What is now available includes the book on CD--or in print in German, supplements and food. You could check it out here:

http://www.vegepet.com/literature.html

[Scalawag]

My cats would kick my ass if I tried pulling that crap with them. The only thing they like about our vegetable garden is taking a dump in it.

[chamberwindow]

I am a vegan and I think that it is not a matter of ethics what a cat eats. It is a matter of biological evolution. Preferably cats should eat hunted animals, and the closest thing to that would be meat that has gone through the least amount of processing. I don't have pets, but if I did I would feed my dogs and cats meat because they have shorter intestinal tracts, hinged jaws, sharp teeth, more acidic gastric juices than primates, and many other factors that would indicate an evolutionary adaptation to a carnivorous diet. It is not my understanding of being vegan that no animal should eat another animal! That is not only impossible, it is truly NOT natural. Veganism for humans is very close to natural with the exception of our ancestors eating insects off of one another. It should be more of a concern for vegans to accept our role as pioneers for a sustainable human diet, and less of a concern for what other animals are doing. As far as I know, I have never heard any arguments that domesticated house pets are a major source of carbon emissions or environmental damage.

[bluehand]

Thank you, well said. Cats and Dogs who are being fed a vegan diet are very likely hunting their own meat (mice/rats). My sister's cat still hunts, and she is fed they way a cat is supposed to be.

[Gubernatrix]

FYI - Dogs are natural omnivores, like humans. They can synthesize the necessary proteins, etc., from non-animal sources, and it is generally not as contentious to have a vegan dog. Also, I imagine that a lot of vegans would keep their cats indoors, so I think that does away with the "supplemental hunting" theory.

I don't think people are concerned about domestic house pets as being a source of carbon emissions/­environmen­tal damage - they are concerned that we continue to support the industries that are the largest cause of those problems by feeding our pets animal-based foods.

[truthynesslover]

Then watch your cat go blind.Dont have a cat if you dont like carnivores­.WTF!

[MsIrisMG]

The pictured kitty has had too much food of either kind!

[angelv]

he played football in highschool, he's all muscle under there

[chayefsky]

Where is the outcry from PETA?! Imposing a human value system on a helpless animal is cruel. Cats are natural carnivores­----natura­l as in nature. These people are as guilty of animal cruelty as those they decry.

[JeanRR]

PETA does not care about pets. Their stated goal is to do away with pets. They only care about raising lots of money to funnel to domestic terrorists like ELF.
BTW, plants are living things too.

[aliceautumn]

So now they want to change the nature,the biology of animals so they wont be carnivores? How stupid. What is next? They will picket to make tigers eat tofu and grass?

Every vegan I know is fat by the way and has awful skin.

[dozaa]

This you've gleaned from your very scientific study of the handful, if that, of vegans you know...I'm sure.

[cdub1991]

This is not politics--it's animal abuse. Cats are predators. I've seen one "stalking" a piece of a hotdog, for goodness sake. How is it good to try to force an animal to be something other than what it is?

[piul05]

Oh, for crying out loud, get a canary or a guinea pig, then!