its a difficult question but is it okay to feed a cat or dog vegan dog/cat food?

Question

I dont mean feeding them salad, i mean like commercial vegan dog/cat food that is designed to be enough.
http://www.vegancats.com/pages/1001/Ordering-Product_Info.htm
I wonder if it is ethical to force a vegan diet on a cat or dog?
I will not like answers from people who think a vegan diet is unhealthy for a person even because its been proven to be healthy if done right. But these animals are carnivores by nature, what do you think?

Answer 1

Time for me to collect lots of downward thumbs!

I don't have cats (allergic) but I DO KNOW a person that has had cats on the linked vegan cat foods (along with another brand) for years and her cats are VERY healthy!! Everyone instantly slamming you hasn't looked at the link!!!!

The reason cats are not normally considered for a vegan diet is that they require the amino acid Taurine. There are a few factories that produce Taurine from bacteria to use in cat food (and a few medical products)! These vegan cat foods are just as well designed for cats as ANY cat food so YES, It is possible to raise vegan cats!

As for me? I don't have cats but do currently have fish and birds. I feed them what they need and don't pay attention to whether or not their food is vegetarian with one exception. I have several Mbuna Malawi cichlids that are naturally veggie! They NEVER get meat since that causes a disease (Malawi bloat) that is fatal to them! The person I rescued the fish from had already killed 10 of them (stupid person, stupid petstore) by feeding them wrongly. My other fish do get meat based foods (It's their natural diet). I've had several dogs and they normally got regular food but they quite enjoyed the veggie brands and had no health problems from them!

Ethical?? If you are feeding any animal a food that is specifically DESIGNED to be healthy for them there are NO ethical problems. Period!

Look at the link!!!

Answer 2

I'm always surprised when I see this question, haha! No! Cat food is way higher in fat content than dog food, and has a completely different nutritional balance than dog food. You can not have a healthy dog that eats cat food. My parents have 2 dogs and 2 cats. They keep the cats food in the laundry room which is blocked off from the dogs (the cats can jump in though), and the dogs are fed twice a day and my parents take the 2 minutes to watch them eat so the cats don't steal their food. Not only do dogs need to eat dog food, puppies need puppy food, and seniors need senior food. Stay away from crap food like Iams, Purina, and all of the other commercial brands that are filled with fillers, crap, and have zero nutrition. Go with a grain-free food preferably, or any other high quality brand. Some examples are Orijen, Blue Buffalo, and Acana. They are more expensive, but your dog will live and longer and healthier life. These companies also make cat food. Good luck!

Answer 3

Cats will go blind and die young. Some makers of vegan cat foods now say they don't recommend feeding a cat a vegan diet and have disclaimers. I just feed my cat good quality cat food. Newman's Own has organic cat food. It's a good compromise. Dogs can do it but it's probably not the best thing for them. Neither is regular dog food by the way. Regular pet foods (major name brands) are made from diseased carcasses, rancid fats and disgusting things from rendering plants like the bodies from the animals they put to sleep at the dog pound and the vet.
The best thing you can do is to get your pets from an animal shelter and buy the most ethical meat based diet you can find.

Answer 4

It is exactly why if feed dog food, a cat will develope a vitamin defecency, they are to different animal and like the first respondant cats can have a reaction if not getting proteins from meat or fish, I had a friend who was a Orthodox Jew, his wife would not allow store bought cat food in the house as it was not kosher??, I said does the cat who was male were a yomica??, not to be anit-semetic, it just seemed harsh to expect pet to follow the familys relgious beliefs or dietary laws.

The ethical issues are a definite concern, but as through evolution dogs were omni-vores, they are able to cope and live on a vegetarian diet, as there needs are different than a cat, meat wise for cats if you troubled as a far as ethics and not consuming meat yourself, I would recommend canned fish, tuna or salmon, the less expensive ones, this way your not cooking it, and you can add rice and veggies to make it more of a meal, I used to make my diabetic cat his food, to limit the fat and calorie for weight issues, and found this was a quick and lower impact way to do it.

Answer 5

dogs are omnivores and and could live on a vegan diet, but it depends on the individual dog. cats on the other hand, cannot. cats are carnivores. a previous posted mentioned cats will eat grass; they eat grass as a digestive aid, not for nutrition. if you study a bit on it you will learn that a vegan diet (or even mostly vegetarian) is completely innappropriate. cats will usually develop diet bases diseases when forced to eat vegan for years.

there is not a single nutrient found in fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. a cat needs that it cannot get from an animal source. a cat can even produce its own vitamin c, sort of like the way we produce vitamin d.

personally i'm a vegan, but to force a cat to be vegan is just plain wrong. even peta takes a stance against feeding cats a vegan diet.

Answer 6

Dogs can survive on a vegan diet, but cats need meat. There is a substance in meat that cats require for good health, and there is no artificial substitute. (I can't think of the name of the chemical, but someone here can probably tell you.)

Even with dogs, it's best to put them on a vegetarian, rather than vegan diet. Eggs and cheese are good for their bones and coat, and they may need a vitamin suppliment even then.

My suggestion is to talk to your vet and see what s/he says about a vegan diet for dogs.

Answer 7

You pose a very good question.

I am almost vegan myself. But I don't impose veganism on my cats. They are carnivores. I give them raw meat. They are designed to eat meat. I use the Feline Future additives. See the link below.

I use organic free range chicken and turkey for my cats. They're worth the extra buck.

That being said, I do use the vegecat additive because store bought kibble is pretty much garbage. Your average 9 pound cat needs 6 ounces of food a day. My cats get two ounces of meat twice a day, morning and evening. With a small serving of home made cat food during they day.

Store bought cat food is mostly corn based. Genetically engineered corn base. Which is bad for my cats. I buy them organic foods to make their "kibble" with.

When my cat Murphy was diagnosed with kidney failure. The vet, in the same breath commented on Murphy's obvious zest for life then recommended I put him to sleep right there on the spot. I didn't. I went home, did some research and discovered how bad kibble is for cats, then took him off store bought kibble and started giving him home made food. His blood toxins dropped by half. I made a home made diet fan out of my vet. Murphy lived another very energetic 6 months.

Dogs on the other hand, are omnivores. They can and do live long healthy lives on a wholesome home made diet, without meat. As opposed, once a gain, to the garbage that is most store bought dog food.

Answer 8

i think this is cruel and unusual punishment. of course we have the intelligence to decide what it is that we put into our bodies, no matter what other people think. But come on, these are animals let them eat what is in their nature to eat. put some vegan food in a dish and put some regular food in a dish and see what they choose. then i would say feed them that. of course it is our job to make sure they have food that wont cause them to be unhealthy. Ask a vet, if they feel that your cat needs to be on a fixed diet for a health reason, then there are very many good diet foods. but come on these animals don't choose to be vegetarians. I am not an expert, but i have raised and bred cats and dogs for about 27 years.

Answer 9

The vegetarian dog formula works 100% well for dogs. I have seem a greet number of large dogs who do amazing on a Vegetarian diet. They are healthy, vibrant... The cats on the other hand, being from the feline family do very very poorly on a vegetarian diet.

Answer 10

I don't think it is right at all to impose a vegan diet on a carnivore.