How do Vegetarian/Vegan people feed their pets?

I am mom to an elderly cat. I adopted her long before I went veg, and she was pretty old when I did. Cats need meat to survive. Dogs prefer meat, but will eat almost anything. Humans not only don't need meat, but excess meat consumption is very bad for them.

After I went veg, I began buying her food from natural pet stores, and I never, ever get stuff with dairy in it because cats don't need cows' milk (nor do humans). She does show some curiosity about my food, especially when I have potatoes. She used to like to lick the dregs of my soy ice cream. But she prefers what I call her stinky food.

If it's an option, the best would be to have a vegetarian pet. I've kept rabbits for quite awhile, and they are wonderful pets. They're littler box trained, mostly have the run of the house, and with some foresight and understanding, I find them just as much a companion as a dog or cat.

Vegan generally do not support petshop, zoos, captivating, imprisoning and enslaving animals.

Perhaps i'm seen some of them even given "lives" for the stray and orphaned animals on charity ground.

I also have seen many of them raise their pets with vegetarian diet for free. In the Northern Thailand Temple, the monks are feeding the mountain tigers with veggie diet. They were roaming around with visitors and tourists like dogs and cats.

You may love, care and compassionate to any animals even without keeping any pets. But the fundamental debacle is... many of them fails to give the "unconditional" love and care as you share with any other human members. If not, there is a serious problem with your "eternity".

Some pets are vegetarian by nature: rabbits, hamsters etc..

Cats and dogs are meant to eat meat.

I feed my dog meat, but she also gets plenty of fruits and vegetables. She would not choose a vegetarian diet, I guarantee it. I will not force her to either. I do choose a holistic food though to ensure it isn't over processed. It's a bit more expensive, but her health is worth it.

Cats, especially, and dogs, too, to a certain extent, are carnivores by nature. So I have no problem, ethical or otherwise, in feeding my cat meat. Instead I make sure to only buy ethically made cat food, with few additives and such as possible. Leave a cat to nature, and it will eat birds and squirrels anyway.

Being a veg is a choice, and I could never pressure anyone, including pets, to have to do the same. It's not a matter of "can't have..." but more a matter of "won't have..."

there are vegetarians pet food out there for cats and dogs.

plus vegetarians is usual a personal chose and will still feed there pet regular pet food.

Well I'm a vegetarian and purposefully only have vegetarian pets (house rabbit, gerbils)

However my brothers girlfriend is vegetarian and has two cats. She feeds them normal meat cat food. Her stance on this, which i totally respect, is that cats are carnivores, their guts and physique is designed to catch and digest meat food.

But it is also worth pointing out that nowadays veggies can have vegetarian cats and dogs. Scientists have developed vegetarian petfoods which satisfy the nutritional needs of carnivorous pets. My brothers girlfriend would buy these if she could afford them but they do seem to be a bit more expensive!

Veggie dog food:- http://www.veggiepets.com/acatalog/vegetarian_dog_...

Veggie cat food: http://www.veggiepets.com/acatalog/vegecat_vegan_c...

I feed my cat meat. I'm a vegetarian because I don't want to contribute to the mistreatment of animals. Why in the heck would I mistreat my pet, who I adore and consider part of the family (more than animals that I never meet), by feeding him something that isn't acceptable for his obligate carnivore's digestive system?

Humans can live without meat - other animals like dogs and cats cant - or would struggle too. So most vegetarians still feed their animals the diet that suits their needs.

I feed my cat meat. I can't force her to be a vegetarian, because it isn't healthy for her.

Just because I'm a vegetarian, doesn't mean everyone in the world including all animals has to be vegetarian