Did you know that you don’t need to kill animals to feed your dog/cat?

Question

Both cats and dogs can be fed a vegetarian diet, although neither is a vegan by nature: dogs are omnivores, and cats are carnivores. While both dogs and cats belong to the order carnivora, this doesn't mean a lot, since, as we mentioned earlier, so does the Giant Panda Bear, practically 100% vegan.

By nature cats and dogs wouldn't eat anything like what is commonly found in a can of pet food either. Special diets must be provided for cats, as they require an amino acid called taurine, found in animal tissue.

Synthetic taurine has been developed, and is used in commercial (non vegetarian) cat foods. Vegetarian cats should be fed taurine as a supplement. Taurine deficiency can result in blindness and even death. Cats also require pre-formed vitamin A and arachidonic acid.
All vegan cat foods contain these essential elements.

Not only is it POSSIBLE to feed most cats and dogs a non-meat diet, it is also DESIRABLE. Buying "normal" pet food is supporting the same meat industry with its attendant cruelty, exploitation, waste, and environmental damage that veganism is so opposed to.

Why should then horses/cows/chickens/ducks have to suffer and die every year just to support your pet cat/dog?

This is not a matter of "imposing your beliefs" on your pets (or companion animals, or whatever you call them) since you are not forcing them to eat it and you are not stopping them eating local wildlife on their wanderings round the neighborhood.

Also animals don't have morals or beliefs. They do whatever is necessary to survive, with no preference one way or the other about the impact on anything else. We however can make moral/ethical decisions - like the decision to go vegan.

In the wild, surviving may mean "kill something or else starve to death," but if your animal is being “fed” anyway, this becomes unnecessary. It is also no more unnatural for a pet cat/dog to be eating vegan food than any other food.

Firstly, the domesticated cat/dog bears little resemblance to its wild cousins so we're already in an artificial situation.

Secondly, the whole act of feeding your pet from a can (as opposed to letting it find food for itself) is unnatural, so you might as well make the best of it. 

Thirdly, the actual contents of the tins of commercial pet food bear no resemblance to what a cat/dog would eat in the wild anyway... 

Can you imagine your darling kitty killing horses and cows and going deep sea fishing for tuna?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

i do own cats and dogs and birds. 
I am trying to feed them more vegetarian/vegan food. 
My dogs are the only ones who eats everything i give them
But my cats are picky they only eat their cat food, i tried to purchase the vegan cat food from the veganpet website but they didn't eat it and they only prefer their disgusting wet food which cost me a lot and my cats don't eat dry food :-(  also as my family are vegans/vegetarians they told me that they don't like cats anymore -.- but its not my fault that they don't eat what i am trying to feed only dogs and my birds. oh also i do purchase the dog food from the veganpet.com

So my dogs are almost vegetarians, my cats aren't , my birds are vegans

Lauren · Answer

Hello, out of interest are you aware that the computer/laptop you are using is made of toxic chemical plastics that break down into the atmosphere and absorb into the body. 

A lot if us make little steps to help the Earth in many ways. For example, I use soap nuts to wash my clothes and eco friendly hygiene and beauty products. I dispose if my rubbish and recycling appropriately, and I eat meat no more than twice a week. Little changes, alot of us don't want to go the whole hog but we take it upon ourselves to make these little changes - WITHOUT know it all hippies preaching.

My cat kills mice. My first cat killed frogs, mice and birds. Didn't like the taste of frogs much. 

Also, synthetic taurine is against the hippies against chemicals ethos. But that's a whole different conversation.

My point is get off the high horse. Cats (and some dogs) will kill things and eat meat no matter what we feed them.

S · Answer

Cats CANNOT be fed a vegetarian diet and stay healthy. I wish that they could but cats are obligate carnivores and require a diet of meat. Dogs are carnivores as well and really do need meat, but they can eat non-meat foods as well with fewer negative consequences than a cat.

I feed my cats a grain free diet, 90%+ meat, based on poultry. I very much can see my cats taking out birds without any help. I just happen to be too responsible about my pets to allow a housecat to wander outside.

If you do not like this fact, do not have a cat, but do not put their health at risk.

And pandas are bears. Bears are omnivores, not carnivores. Please get your facts straight.

Bill_D · Answer

What a stupid question! I've read autobiographies that are shorter! I don't kill animals to feed my dogs, the people that make the dog food do. If my dogs were still wild as their ancestors were do you think they'd give a second **** about the rabbit they were about to chase and kill? IF ANIMALS WEREN'T MEANT TO BE EATEN THEN WHY THE HELL ARE THEY MADE OF MEAT???

Anonymous · Answer

WRONG DEAR.

YOU'RE WRONG.

Dogs are omnivores, like humans.  They CAN get away with a vegetarian diet.

Cats are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES, and MUST have meat in their diets.
When it is withheld the cats go into malnutrition and can go BLIND and DIE.

My proof?
(1) Have friends who are vets. 
(2) Have seen episodes of Animal Cops where vegans WENT TO JAIL for feeding cats RICE and VEGGIES.  The lady's cats all went blind, and had to be euthanized.
(3) Have a brain.

Veg*nism is a MORAL choice.  It has ZERO to do with Biology.
ONLY STUPID PEOPLE THINK IT DOES.

? · Answer

Oh yeah, well what the hell would you do if you gave them vegan dog food and they wouldn't eat it? What if you live in the city and your pet doesn't go out until you take them out on a leash to walk and do their business. They're not going to be doing much hunting for birds, mice, etc. then are they.

Sparuk · Answer

I don't kill any animals to feed my dog I go and buy some food from the shop like everybody else

don b · Answer

Knowingly depriving animals of essential nutrients needed for survival is animal abuse in any persons opinion. So in reality, i guess it can be said that Happy Hippie is a hypocrite AND animal abuser.

The scientific name for this process is called ""starving the poor f**king thing"
And how, exactly, can a Panda be "practically 100% vegan"?

? · Answer

My dog eats vegetarian 75% of the time : ) trying to get it to 100

he eats eggs 1-2 times a week and vegetarian dog food mixed with kibble

Del Mer · Answer

Just more lies and distortions. 
What a dog eats naturally is more like "meat by product" than you understand.
" They do whatever is necessary to survive, with no preference one way or the other about the impact on anything else."
EXACTLY CORRECT, thank you. You just stated that humans eating animals is perfectly natural.

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Did you know that you don’t need to kill animals to feed your dog/cat?

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