A question about vegans and companion animals?

Question

What do you feed your animals?

vegan dog food eh?

that sounds a little cruel, considering they're carnivores

Answer 1

I don't feed my animals. They eat on their own. What a stupid question. Feed yer animals. I did have a granny I used to have to feed with a spoon though. Used to feed her pure grain alcohol, which is how I first developmented 'the taste'.

yeeeehaw!!!!!

Answer 2

Yes, having companion animals is great! Especially if they have been rescued from a shelter where they would either be euthanized or kept in a cage for the rest of their life. Until more people start spaying and neutering their pets, we are going to have these excess animals in shelters with no where to go. Giving them a home where they are loved and cared for seems a far better alternative to death or life in a cage. Also, I know this can be a controversial topic, but dogs actually can consume a vegan diet if their human companion chooses to do so. Naturally they are omnivores, and thus with a properly researched diet, can eat a vegan or vegetarian diet. Cats, however, are naturally carnivores and cannot be healthy on a vegan or vegetarian diet without supplementation.

Answer 3

My dog, being a dog and an omnivore, not a carnivore, eats dog food made specifically for his breed because it helps his teeth and comes in small enough pieces. The vegetarian dog food they sell here comes in pieces too large for him. If it were more suitable for his size, I would buy him vegetarian dog food because it is healthy, not to mention pretty pricey, so I don't see how that would be cruel at all. I also had a guinea pig (he died recently of old age). I think it probably would have been cruel to keep him on anything other than a vegan diet.

Answer 4

My dog eats "Natural Balance" vegetarian dog food. I buy it from Petco and, as far as I can tell from the ingredient list, it is vegan. I give my dog some treats when I am eating (pieces of carrot, fake meats, etc.), so he is basically vegan. My meat-eating family members sometimes slip him non-veg stuff, and I try not to make a big deal of it, since it only happens once a month or so.

I just want to point out that if I had a cat, I would feed her a non-veg diet, because cats have more complex nutritional needs than dogs. Dogs' needs are more similar to humans', and they can live healthily on a vegetarian diet.

Answer 5

I came to terms with this a long time ago-- cats are obligate carnivores. Our cats get premium cat food made with 'human-grade' chicken.
Our companion rats & mice pretty much eat the same grains, fruits & veggies that we eat but in a different ratio & with the addition of vegan dog kibble. We have some remarkably healthy rats & mice, btw.
Our guinea pig is a natural vegan.

Answer 6

Dogs do well as vegans Cats can't live that way.
I am a Vegan(doing Raw right now.) But my dear dog is not, she gets a homemade dog food with lots of veggies. I make her different ones every week. Today it will be a Chicken Stew: Chicken(cooked & deboned), Greens, peas & Carrots, Brown Rice,, with garlic & GF soy sauce. LOL she loves carrot juice & green smoothies, as much as my 2 year old grandlass does.
Cruelity? Would to be feeding her the poor nasty quailty of per-made dog food. The China dog food scare really made me do some invesiagting & I was not pleased with what I found. The food she was on never got listed but I found that it too in spite of the fact it was considered 1 of the top healthy brands was made with the same soucres that the pulled stuff was. Since changing her diet she has stopped having to take allergy meds & meds for her "sensitvie" stomach. DUH!?

Answer 7

My cat was 10 when I went vegan, so I found less cruel brands of cat food. She now eats Weruva canned and prescription kibble. My cat needs meat to survive; I don't.

Answer 8

Dogs are facultative omnivores. I know dogs can subsist quite well on a well-planned vegetarian diet, but I'm not sure if they can live on a *vegan* diet.

Cats are obligate carnivores, though.

Answer 9

(the guy with the bee comment) so you tell me if someone walked into your house and took your television your computer and anything youd spet a lifetime working to get, would you be pissed off? well thats what people do in beekeeping when they take the honey away. they also stun the bees using smoke. so the polinating comment is daft beyond belief, especially seeing as bees can pollenate the flowers without having to be stolen from or poisoned.

AS FOR THE QUESTION. i have two cats. they are carivores. so i feed them meat, they are cabable of catching their own food. they do all the time, knowing where the meat comes from, and what environment is essential. but to not feed them what their bodies require is cruel in itself. (vicious circle) if they didnt eat meat, they'd become very ill, simple as. saying that, my cat is very partial to licking the lids of my soya yoghurts and she also likes to dip her nose in my cups of tea... lol x

Answer 10

my buddies are as follows: 2 cats, 1 dog, and 2 chinchillas. my cats eat regular cat food made by either pet promise or newman's organics. my dog eats regular dog food also, and my chinchies eat pellets made from grains, hay, and such.

yadda yadda... anyway! i would not force a vegan diet on my cats or my dog because they are carnivores by nature. doing so would probably cause deficiencies and serious health problems.