If you were going to feed a cat vegan how would you go about it?!
Now my girlfriend's cat is coming to live with us. I hear what cats really need is taurine. Can I just liquefy and spray on taurine supplementation onto vegetarian dog food or will I have to buy or create special food?
Answers: I currently feed my dog vegetarian without any problems. In fact I believe he is healthy now than when I was feeding him meat based products.
Now my girlfriend's cat is coming to live with us. I hear what cats really need is taurine. Can I just liquefy and spray on taurine supplementation onto vegetarian dog food or will I have to buy or create special food?
Please consider this carefully. I know your goal is to withdraw all support from the meat industry - which is admirable - but please consider what is in the best interest of your companion animal. Cats tend not to thrive on plant-based diets, as they are natural carnivores. A switch to veganism for your cat will likely be at the expense of his health and/or life.
Why not try making his food from locally obtained freshwater fish? Or, maybe try choosing an organic cat food? (They're out there!)
I'm vegan too, and I feed Simon meat-based cat food. I don't like it, but as his guardian it's my job to do what's best for him and not what's best for me.
put it in a bowl...
I can understand why you would want to make the choice to be vegan for yourself, but your pets?
Do you not agree with the means that pet companies make their food? Your pets should be able to make that decision for themselves.
Although it is possible to keep dogs on a vegetarian diet satisfactorily, cats are more specialised and you are advised to consider carefully before changing your cat to a vegetarian diet.
Cats are natural carnivores and are unlikely to willingly forego meat from their diet. Cats fed on vegetarian diets are likely to look elsewhere for their preferred meat diet, and many cats will hunt and kill small rodents and birds.
Cats require certain nutrients from meat that cannot be obtained in sufficient amounts from plant foods. These include taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.
You need vegetarian cat food. It will have taurine and other necessary nutrients in it.
Cats are not meant to be vegetarian though. It can shorten their lifespan by as much as five years.
I feed my (soon to be seventeen year old) cat a cat food from Whole Foods called "Pet Promise." (From the label:) "No animal byproducts, no rendered meat or chicken meal, no factory farm meat or chicken, no antibiotic fed protein sources, no added growth hormones, no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives."
The main ingredient is chicken, but it's from a good source, and that's what she needs to eat. My first concern has to be her health, not my ethics.
Isn't a bit pretentious to insist your cat ascribe to the same beliefs you do? Cats are natural carnivores and if they don't get meat from you they'll hunt it down themselves if they can.
Also, if you really cared so much about animals why would you subject them to human control and restriction?
Unlike humans (or even dogs), cats are obligate carnivores. People who are not comfortable feeding meat to their pets should not get obligate carnivores as pets. You make me want to retch.
Cats are carnivores,
Forcing them against thier will to be vegans.....does that sound like a "vegan" thing to do ? I thought vegans were against all animal exploitation ?
By making the cat be vegan, you are changing its instinct for your own values - i think that 's close to exploitation.
I'm veggie and will not have carnivorous pets for that reason. Hence we have pet ( rescues ) sheep and cows.
Hey idiot.... buy food that comes from companies that treat their animals humanely. You cannot give a cat or dog a strictly vegetarian diet. My girlfriend is a vegetarian and she gives her cat meat based foods, because she cares about animals including cats, and wants them to be healthy, not malnourished because it makes you feel like you're making a difference by not buying meat based foods. Do you think that the large predators in the world can just become vegetarians? I think not. Now you may report my answer.
Dogs are technically omnivorous, like humans, which means that if you are very careful you can keep them healthy on a vegetarian diet. It sounds like you're taking very good care of your dog, which is great.
Cats, however, are strictly carnivorous, which means they can't digest grains and vegetables the way dogs can. You have heard right that cats need taurine to survive, but taurine is only found in animal sources. (If a person or company has told you that there are vegetarian sources of taurine, they are mistaken or lying to get your money.) That's one simple reason it is impossible to keep a cat healthy on a vegetarian diet.
Additionally, because they are so carnivorous, cats are meant to subsist entirely on meat. Even if your cat didn't immediately get sick, it would immediately be miserable. Human beings have the luxury of deciding to eat or not eat flesh; animals don't. They can't help what they are. If you are uncomfortable having a pet that eats meat, I suggest getting a rabbit, iguana, or any other animal that is naturally herbivorous. They can make great companions!
Speak to the cat's vets first. Cats can go blind without proper nutrition and they are natural carnivores. Would you want a lion to change to a veg diet? It really doesn't make sense and you shouldn't force your animal to ascribe to your beliefs. If it bothers you that much, maybe your girlfriend should not move in. I know I wouldn't let my boyfriend dictate to me how my cat eats.
I am glad that you took the time to ask, it shows you actually care about your pets. Even though I think some of these people were too rude the way they answered they are correct that cats shouldn't be vegans. I think there are supplements you can get to put in their food, but I personally wouldn't be comfortable about feeding cats a vegan diet, they're carnivores by nature. For more information about feeding your cat like a vegan then try peta.org http://www.helpinganimals.com/animalsHom...
Like I said, I don't really agree with cats being vegan, however.
Right, cats definitely shouldn't eat dog food!
I Really don't think that you can change to world to see thru your rose colored glasses. While you do have the choice to graze from the field like a cow other animals have a natural instinct to get what they need to keep themselves healthy. Cats don't do well on Veggies and neither do Dog. Your dog and this cat will keep the rodent problems down if you feed them a strict vegan diet it is called the circle of life everything is used and nothing goes to waste.
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Cat's can NOT eat dog food. No matter what kind of dog food.
Their nutritional needs are entirely different. You can destroy a cat's kidneys if you allow them to even sneak dog food sometimes. Usually they turn their nose up at it.
Even the inventor of the most popular vegan cat food additive is advising meat.
http://www.vegancats.com/pages/1007/FAQ....
Synthetic food additives, such as synthetic taurine, just don't work. For instance, synthetic vitamin E has been show to cause more problems than a vitamin E deficiency.
So think long and hard before you decide to try creating a vegan cat.
it's not healthy. cats and dogs are carnivores, not omnivores like humans are. people are not answering your question because it'd be like telling a heroin addict where to get his drugs. people typically don't like to support things they dont' feel our right. i don't think ti's right to feed a carnivourous animal absolutely no animal products.
What cats really need is water with their food. Canned food is better for cats than dry because they are naturally carnivores. They need protein not carbs since carbs are not an energy source for cats. So, since they need protein and water based foods, typically meat, I do not know how to feed a cat a vegan diet. Typically taurine is about 1% or less in a can of cat food. So I do not think it is important enough to be spraying onto food. Just make sure the cat is eating a mostly protein, water based diet. Tofu seems to be a logical choice but I am not sure if that is healthy for a cat. Hope this helps a little.
http://www.vegancats.com/
Please don't listen to people who haven't researched. We've fed our kitties food from here for years, and they are in exceptional health.
Do people really think there is a single nutrient found in meat that can't be reproduced?
Gourmet is the way to go