does anyone have vegetarian pets (cats especially?)

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Myra on November 18, 2008 at 9:52pm

I know what you are saying bout the catfood smell, ugh! I heard you could have vegetarian dogs but not cats. I think cats are designed to be meat eaters.

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Permalink Reply by Chicory on November 18, 2008 at 9:52pm

I would say, unless you can find a complete supplement with all of the essential nutrients, amino acids, etc that a cat needs, don't make your cat a veggie. I have seen two vegetarian cats go completely and permanently blind from eating this way. also, is your cat an indoor/ outdoor cat? If it goes outdoors on a vegie diet, it will probably start catching mice and birds on its own, if it doesn't already

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Permalink Reply by Erin on November 18, 2008 at 10:12pm

Please don't make your cat go veggie- it isn't natural and would not be good for the health of your cat. You can buy frozen raw catfood and it doesn't smell nearly as gross as the canned stuff.

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Permalink Reply by Raw'r on November 18, 2008 at 10:15pm

they are carnivores....buy a rabbit if you want a green pet.

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Permalink Reply by Crystal Hutchens on November 18, 2008 at 10:19pm

This is not constructively helpful guys...I know there is veggie catfood out there...I know there is a compromise in this situation somehow...buying raw meat is, frozen or otherwise, is not within the realm of something I am willing to do as a vegan...it supports the meat industry. I don't believe, or am not willing to accept, that there aren't vegetatarian based options on which cats can thrive.

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Permalink Reply by Kasey on November 18, 2008 at 10:32pm

I understand your argument but cat's are carnivores bottom line. If your gonna switch him to a vegetarian diet, especially after 10 years!! your doing the cat more harm than good. everyone here IS helping you buy telling you this. Cat's are fully designed to eat meat, hunt it, catch it. I've seen cat's catch rats and devour them whole, they love it!! do the right thing and either buy them raw meat, or some healthy brand of cat food that you can stand the smell of. or leave them with your parents.

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Permalink Reply by Erin on November 18, 2008 at 10:34pm

I think, as an ethical vegan, that the most ethical thing you can do in this situation is to find your kitty a new home. I know that it's hard- I absolutely adore my cat. If you care about your cat, there isn't room for compromise- I'm not trying to be harsh- I feel for you. Why, as a vegan, would you be wiling to put your cat's well being at risk? Yes, you cat could live on veggie catfood, but you or I could live on twinkies or freeze-dried astronaut food. It wouldn't be good for us, lol!
Raw'r has a point- maybe ethical vegans should not have cats as pets.

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Permalink Reply by Anne on November 18, 2008 at 10:45pm

Dear Crystal,
my cat Monty was on a vegan(not all raw) diet, he was really well and healthy on this diet, better than on a raw meat diet.

I gave him a complete vegan cat food, called veganpet http://www.veganpet.com
He had soy products, which he loved, Avocado, nutritional yeast, Durian and some cooked pulses.

Unfortunately dear little Mont got killed on our quiet road by a speeding car, god bless him.
However he was very well and healthy on this diet.
He got a few wounds, due to getting beaten up by other cats and they never went infected and healed really quickly.
He had one really bad wound, and I thought that I might have to take him to see a vet, but it just healed so quickly.
He never had to go to the vet because he was sick.
He was very gentle and never scratched or bit.♥

I felt much happier not having any animal products in my house.

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Permalink Reply by Crystal Hutchens on November 18, 2008 at 11:02pm

Now that is some constructive info I can use! Thanks for the link!

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Permalink Reply by mish on November 19, 2008 at 12:06am

OMG those colors! That coat! Oh, Boo. Bless that sweetness.

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Permalink Reply by Anne on November 19, 2008 at 2:54pm

Hi RawZi,
thank you.
When I gave him raw meat, I gave him mostly raw turkey, raw organic chicken and small amounts of raw mackeral, whole raw pilchards and raw wild salmon.
He was just over two when he got hit.
I appreciate that he was not on a vegan diet for a long time (about one and a half years)
I did some research prior to giving him a vegan diet and found that there were cats who were healthy long term not being given animal products. Whether these cats had access to killing their own flesh food, in addition to their vegan diet, I do not know.
I also read an account of the Lion that refused to eat meat. When a vet who delt with big cats came out to examine this lion , he said she was the healthiest example of a lion he had ever seen.
I guess there are many factors invoved - not an easy choice or answer.

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Permalink Reply by Anne on November 19, 2008 at 4:43pm

Hi Adom,
I have a link to a page about 'Little Tyke'.

http://www.vegetarismus.ch/vegepet/tyke.htm


I cannot find the page with the reference to the vet, actually it was a zoo curator, sorry for my mistake; but I do have the quote:

"Little Tyke was also exceptionally healthy: one of the most experienced American zoo curators visited her and called her "the best specimen of the species" he had ever seen".

Oh, just found the link:
http://www.vegepets.info/pages/vegetarian_feline_diets.htm

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