Is it considered vegan to have pets if those pets have to be fed food derived from slaughter byproducts?!
You don't NEED a pet (dog/cat) any more than you NEED leather shoes!. The pet food and the leather come from the same animal!. Why is one acceptable and the other not!? As the owner, it is YOU who is using the product to feed your pet!.
I think dogs make great pets myself, but then again, I'm not vegan!.
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I think dogs make great pets myself, but then again, I'm not vegan!.
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Answers:
I realize it is a bit of a conflict of interest if a vegan is feeding their pet food with meat in it!. I am vegan, and I have a black lab who I love dearly!. I have attempted to feed her vegetarian and/or vegan foods specially formulated for dogs, but she has allergies that prevent me from feeding her a diet high in grains and soy!. She also refuses to eat most of those foods!.
I now feed her an organic food, that comes from ethical farming practices!. So, yes, she is eating meat, but I feel better knowing that the animals killed for her food were not tortured and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones!.
I don't feel good about it, but there are compromises that we all have to make!.!.!. There are people with strong beliefs in endless different arenas of life, and they have to make concessions as well!. Life is complicated, and in order to be moral and ethical human beings, we have to be aware of whether or not we are being Nazi-ish in our beliefs!. For example, I am not supportive of abortion in most circumstances, but I can't guarantee - if my best friend or child were pregnant and in need of an abortion - that I would not support them in their decision!. Life happens!. I'm doing everything I can to minimize the animal suffering that I cause in my own life, which is more than 95% of the world is doing!.!.!. so I can live with my pup eating organic meat!.
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Edit: I just wanted to say that the whole issue of whether or not it is technically 'vegan' to own a pet is irrelevant to me!. If a loving, responsible person wants to adopt a pet, they should not be shed in any negative light!. My dog, for example, is from the SPCA, and was surrendered by abusive people!. She has a wonderful life with me and would have probably ended up with a less loving owner if I had not taken her!. I am absolutely vegan, and deserve kudos, not criticisms, for adopting a homeless animal! :)Www@FoodAQ@Com
I now feed her an organic food, that comes from ethical farming practices!. So, yes, she is eating meat, but I feel better knowing that the animals killed for her food were not tortured and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones!.
I don't feel good about it, but there are compromises that we all have to make!.!.!. There are people with strong beliefs in endless different arenas of life, and they have to make concessions as well!. Life is complicated, and in order to be moral and ethical human beings, we have to be aware of whether or not we are being Nazi-ish in our beliefs!. For example, I am not supportive of abortion in most circumstances, but I can't guarantee - if my best friend or child were pregnant and in need of an abortion - that I would not support them in their decision!. Life happens!. I'm doing everything I can to minimize the animal suffering that I cause in my own life, which is more than 95% of the world is doing!.!.!. so I can live with my pup eating organic meat!.
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Edit: I just wanted to say that the whole issue of whether or not it is technically 'vegan' to own a pet is irrelevant to me!. If a loving, responsible person wants to adopt a pet, they should not be shed in any negative light!. My dog, for example, is from the SPCA, and was surrendered by abusive people!. She has a wonderful life with me and would have probably ended up with a less loving owner if I had not taken her!. I am absolutely vegan, and deserve kudos, not criticisms, for adopting a homeless animal! :)Www@FoodAQ@Com
Being a vegan is a personal human choice!. Eating meat is in cats' and dogs' nature!.
Personally, I believe changing their diets to match our vegan diets would be superficial, irresponsible, and almost inhumane!. Their primary source of energy is meat because that's the way they evolved!. We are capable of eating meat because we have tools with which to kill it, cut it, and cook it, but nature does not require us to do so!.
Pets make wonderful companions, especially for those of us who are lacking in the friend department, and to compare a dog to a new pair of shoes is a little insensitive to say the least!. Pet ownership, like veganism, is a personal choice, and someone who would be disgusted by feeding his or her pet meat products should not own pets (unless it's a vegetarian pet)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Personally, I believe changing their diets to match our vegan diets would be superficial, irresponsible, and almost inhumane!. Their primary source of energy is meat because that's the way they evolved!. We are capable of eating meat because we have tools with which to kill it, cut it, and cook it, but nature does not require us to do so!.
Pets make wonderful companions, especially for those of us who are lacking in the friend department, and to compare a dog to a new pair of shoes is a little insensitive to say the least!. Pet ownership, like veganism, is a personal choice, and someone who would be disgusted by feeding his or her pet meat products should not own pets (unless it's a vegetarian pet)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Interesting question!.
Like veganism, it's just a matter of your beliefs in the end!.
Me!? I think if someone considers themselves vegan/vegetarian they have an obligation to look after animals in despair!.
I adopted a greyhound last year!.!.!. Good 'ol Tonka, he's the best dog ever, so nice and chill!. He got ditched at the side of a Melbourne race track and I gave it a good home!.
Looking after a dog is like taking care of any animal in distress; surely you've all had an experienced finding an injured bird on the side of the road or something and taking care of it until it got better!? The diet of the animal doesn't matter at all, every animal has its own beneficial role in life and you shouldn't treat it differently just because of what they eat!.!.!. Every animal deserves our help just as much as we humans help each other out!.
I agree with your sorce to the vegan society though, there's absoloutely no reason you should buy specific breeds of dogs based on cuteness/popularity!. Specific dog types shouldn't be bred for our pleasure, there are alot of homeless dogs out there that need our help!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Like veganism, it's just a matter of your beliefs in the end!.
Me!? I think if someone considers themselves vegan/vegetarian they have an obligation to look after animals in despair!.
I adopted a greyhound last year!.!.!. Good 'ol Tonka, he's the best dog ever, so nice and chill!. He got ditched at the side of a Melbourne race track and I gave it a good home!.
Looking after a dog is like taking care of any animal in distress; surely you've all had an experienced finding an injured bird on the side of the road or something and taking care of it until it got better!? The diet of the animal doesn't matter at all, every animal has its own beneficial role in life and you shouldn't treat it differently just because of what they eat!.!.!. Every animal deserves our help just as much as we humans help each other out!.
I agree with your sorce to the vegan society though, there's absoloutely no reason you should buy specific breeds of dogs based on cuteness/popularity!. Specific dog types shouldn't be bred for our pleasure, there are alot of homeless dogs out there that need our help!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Firstly, there are vegetarian pet foods - but it is more pricey to do that!.
Most dry pet foods are mainly composed of rice, barley and millet with meat stock anyway - not ideal, of course, but not quite as destructive as handing your animal a slice of cow every morning!.
Still, I agree with the previous answer that dogs just aren't vegan!. Animals do not have the moral commitments that we do!. It's a much less pressing issue than ethical vegetarianism for people!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Most dry pet foods are mainly composed of rice, barley and millet with meat stock anyway - not ideal, of course, but not quite as destructive as handing your animal a slice of cow every morning!.
Still, I agree with the previous answer that dogs just aren't vegan!. Animals do not have the moral commitments that we do!. It's a much less pressing issue than ethical vegetarianism for people!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I've heard of Vegan pet food for cats and dogs!. So you can be Vegan and have pets that are Vegan aswell!. In the beginning we were all created to be able to live on a plant-based diet!. This is Biblical based!. I believe we can still do so today, and one day it'll again be like that!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
i agree with this answer!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.
If one day so many people stop eating meat, that animals actually have to be killed for the sole purpose of feeding companion animals, then vegans can start wondering about that!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
If one day so many people stop eating meat, that animals actually have to be killed for the sole purpose of feeding companion animals, then vegans can start wondering about that!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I used to work in a cafe and a vegan customer, who owned a dog, used to come and collect all the solids that got cast off from juicing the fruit and veges!. Her dog loved it - and looked quite healthy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
You're very right with your edit!. Most vegans see it as a form of animal cruelty/slavery to own a pet so this is really a moot point!. If you keep a pet, then you really aren't a strict vegan in the first place!Www@FoodAQ@Com
I am a vegetarian and i dont keep a dog or cat because i would have to feed it slaughter products!.
I do have a wild cat that likes to come and visit tho - i am happy with thatWww@FoodAQ@Com
I do have a wild cat that likes to come and visit tho - i am happy with thatWww@FoodAQ@Com
If you are a vegan for the animals rights stuff then no, this is not acceptable!. If you are a vegan for other reasons, then by all means !.!. continue!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
A hardcore vegan wouldn't own a pet since they consider pet ownership to be animal slavery, so it doesn't matter what the animal eats!.
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But some people had dogs before they went vegan so it's not like they can get rid of them!.
I guess people who don't want anything to do with cruelty can buy a bird or a rabbit!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I guess people who don't want anything to do with cruelty can buy a bird or a rabbit!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
i think it's personally acceptable!. just because you're vegan doesnt mean your pet has to beWww@FoodAQ@Com
I am mom to a seventeen-year-old cat I adopted when she was three!. I also had her long before I went vegan!.
I'm a human; I don't need meat and can do quite well without it She's a CAT; she needs meat to survive!. I buy her more natural canned foods and give her prescription dry!. She also tries to steal food from my vegetarian boyfriend when he visits!.
In exchange for food, water, shelter, and medical care, my cat gives me love, affection, and someone to come home to, even if all she says is "meow" or some variant thereof!. I don't consider myself an owner, but a caregiver!. And as she doesn't set paw outside my apartment except when I take her to the vet, she doesn't have a collar!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I'm a human; I don't need meat and can do quite well without it She's a CAT; she needs meat to survive!. I buy her more natural canned foods and give her prescription dry!. She also tries to steal food from my vegetarian boyfriend when he visits!.
In exchange for food, water, shelter, and medical care, my cat gives me love, affection, and someone to come home to, even if all she says is "meow" or some variant thereof!. I don't consider myself an owner, but a caregiver!. And as she doesn't set paw outside my apartment except when I take her to the vet, she doesn't have a collar!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
The pet food and the leather do not come from the same animal!. Most leather comes from India whereas most meat consumed in the United States comes from here, the United States!.
You're a vegan if you eat a vegan diet!. Cats are carnivores and need to eat meat to survive!.
I don't own anyone!. My cats are my companions!. I don't need to have cats, but they needed a home and I gave them one!. I'm sorry you have a problem with that!.
EDIT: I'll have you know that my cats didn't come from a pet shop!. They came from a cold and lonely street and were trying to suck milk out of their mother's frozen corpse with their dead brother by their side!. I am against pet shops and pet breeders and will not finance their cruelty and greed!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
You're a vegan if you eat a vegan diet!. Cats are carnivores and need to eat meat to survive!.
I don't own anyone!. My cats are my companions!. I don't need to have cats, but they needed a home and I gave them one!. I'm sorry you have a problem with that!.
EDIT: I'll have you know that my cats didn't come from a pet shop!. They came from a cold and lonely street and were trying to suck milk out of their mother's frozen corpse with their dead brother by their side!. I am against pet shops and pet breeders and will not finance their cruelty and greed!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Theres no handbook that tells people what they can/cannot do, so why can't a vegan feed their animal companions meat if thats what the animal needs anyway!? Cats especially are carnivores!.
Veganism is a personal diet choice, but saying you can't have a pet that needs to be fed meat is like saying you can't have a family member who relies on meat in their diet!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Veganism is a personal diet choice, but saying you can't have a pet that needs to be fed meat is like saying you can't have a family member who relies on meat in their diet!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Technically, it's not vegan to have a pet!. But, it's not exploitation of an animal if they animal is well taken care of as a friend/family member, not just "some dog" or "some cat!." These pets have no choice as to eat meat or not!. They would be eating meat whether humans interacted with them or not!.!.!. just like tigers in the jungle and wolves in the woods!. Further, the byproducts most pet food is made of are the leftovers from animals that have already been slaughtered for human consumption!. If one day so many people stop eating meat, that animals actually have to be killed for the sole purpose of feeding companion animals, then vegans can start wondering about that!.
My opinions on leather are different than most vegans!. Leather is natural, it is not a synthetic product made from petroleum, which kills animals not unlike the leather industry!. It is also biodegradable and lasts much longer than alternatives!. So, I do not have a problem with someone who buys leather here and there (especially if it's second-hand), but eats no meat!. If all people just did that alone, so many less animals would have to die!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
My opinions on leather are different than most vegans!. Leather is natural, it is not a synthetic product made from petroleum, which kills animals not unlike the leather industry!. It is also biodegradable and lasts much longer than alternatives!. So, I do not have a problem with someone who buys leather here and there (especially if it's second-hand), but eats no meat!. If all people just did that alone, so many less animals would have to die!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Well, let's see here!. Feeding a cat an unnatural diet (of vegetables, for instance) is animal cruelty, and we are against that!. If a cat is left to fend for herself, she won't have difficulty catching her prey!. But since she's not out in the wild, imagine how many animals are spared! By feeding her raw, canned food (which is the best for cats - I am also not too fond of dry food), we are feeding her a natural diet!. Cats are carnivores, end of story!. If you're not going to feed her meat, then she's going to go outside and kill squirrels, birds!.!.!. etc!. You really aren't making much of a difference!.
Edit: By the way sweetie, if I don't buy leather shoes for my friend, I don't think she will go outside and kill a cow!. It's not like she can't survive without shoes made out of cow skin - she can opt for the vegan alternatives, while CATS CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT ANIMAL PRODUCTS!. (Sure, I've read of people feeding dogs "vegan" food, but I haven't read many success stories with cats)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Edit: By the way sweetie, if I don't buy leather shoes for my friend, I don't think she will go outside and kill a cow!. It's not like she can't survive without shoes made out of cow skin - she can opt for the vegan alternatives, while CATS CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT ANIMAL PRODUCTS!. (Sure, I've read of people feeding dogs "vegan" food, but I haven't read many success stories with cats)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com