Could I make my cat become a vegetarian? If so, how?

Answer 1

y do u wont 2 make ur cat a vegetarian , plus it would probaly make the cat ill imafraid so i wouldnt go 4 it

Answer 2

Cats MUST have taurine in their diet; but there is NO vegetarian source of taurine to use as a supplement. A manufacturer in the uk was exposed for selling dried liver powder as a vegetarian source of taurine.
If you choose to be a vegetarian, thats your choice, but don't be a hypocrite. Go vegan. Dairy and eggs and leather cause as much misery as meat.
But if you want to be a vegetarian why on earth get a cat? They are hunters by instinct and meat eaters by design.
A vegetarian diet would cause your cat a long miserable illness followed by death.

Answer 3

Cats do not have the ability to be vegetarian. They are strictly carnivorous. Cats cannot digest or utilize vitamins from plant sources. These include taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.

Dogs have become omnivorous and can be put on vegetarian diets (as long as it is complete) without health repercussions.

Answer 4

A cat is a carnivore. Its entire digestive tract, from the mouth to the end of its intestines are designed for this. They also need certain proteins that are vital for their health and only obtained from meat. If you want a vegetarian pet get a guinea pig, a rabbit or a budgie. Your cat will go out and kill something to eat whether you like it or not.

Answer 5

I suppose you could, technically, I don't know about the health & nutrition implications of that though.

Remember that cats are carnivores - in their natural state they're meat-eaters (think whole mice, birds, whatever) so that's the food their bodies are made for. Their digestive system is made for meat so I don't know how it would adapt to a vegetarian diet.

If you decide you want to do this - though I don't see any reason why you should - make sure you give your cat food that provides proper nourishment.

Answer 6

NO!

Cats are obligate carnivores and can only extract nutrients properly from animal protein. There are nutrients essential to life that they can't get except from animal proteins. A cat might be able to live on vegetable proteins for a while, but not for very long.

Further, they cannot process vegetable proteins the way herbivores and omnivores can because they lack the required enzymes. All they can do with vegetable protein is turn it into fat, then live off the fat as if they were starving. They can't even do that very efficiently, and if they do it for very long it will destroy their liver and kill them.

Read here to learn more about this:

http://www.catinfo.org

Answer 7

the answer is a firm NO!
cats are carnivores and their digestion ,is geared towards meat.
To try to alter your cats feeding in this way is dangerous to the cat and also cruel .

We are omnivores ( eat most things )so can get away with a vegetarian diet

Answer 8

Cats need a lot more protein than dogs do. Cats in the wild eat raw meat, so taking any cat off a protein diet will not be healthy.

Answer 9

Cats can never be vegetarians and should never be fed a vegan diet. They are carnivores(much so more than dogs) and this is how they evolved.They need certain vitamins and minerals that cannot be found in vegetables like the already mentioned Taurine. Please do not try it your cat will suffer for it. Mother Nature made them carnivores and you cannot fight 100,000's of years of evolution.

Answer 10

I am a vegetarian myself but wouldn't dream of giving my cats or dog a veggie diet - It's would do them harm in the long run.

Answer 11

Cats need a nutrient called Taurine. Taurine is only found in meats. If cats do not get enough of this nutrient it can cause heart failure and blindness. If you don't feed your cat a meat based diet be absolutely sure you are supplementing with this nutrient.