Making my kitty a vegan?

[Courtney]

Hey, everyone. I have a question. Okay, so my 3-month old kitten Nikita likes meat. I'm not gonna take it away from him.

BUT....if I slip in some blended raw veggies in with his meat, and IF he actually ingests the raw veggies....are they good for him?

Or, does his system just reject all vegetable matter?

Courtney

[justinesmith]

Veggies are good for your cat. I know it can be hard but remember, our housepets are carnivores ~ think sharp teeth, short digestive tract, the ability to lick their butts..... but they do like veggies too especially greens.

[sbaker]

i've read a lot, it's possible to make dogs safely vegan, but even the most extreme vegans have admitted cats will not be healthy on a vegan diet:(

[GlimR]

Yup...cats are completely carnivore...it is their nature and nature's intent that they be...best to respect that IMHO...I have 8~

My husband eats a typical SAD diet and gives the cats tidbits of his food every night, which they love, primarily meat...I offer them mine all the time...fruit...banana ice cream, almond milk....they always turn their noses up and look disgusted...no fooling them!!! *s*

[codajess]

You really have no reason to slip them vegetable matter. I'm not sure why you would. If they don't like it, you aren't doing them any favors. They're carnivores. Plus if your cats are fed conventional cat food, there's already plenty of junk in there that their body is rejecting. It's not the best idea to add more, especially if they don't like it. :D

Justine: I'm not sure why you think that veggies are good for a cat. They aren't human.

That said, I let my cats eat whatever I eat, if they want it; but my foods are not even remotely part of their regular diet.

[fjernsyn]

Wow GlimR - each of your cats has such striking eyes!

[alicemagooey]

Strange, but some ( many ) years ago , i was "house-sitting" for some people who had a cat.. They were vegetarians ( the people ) and they fed their cat primarily dairy products (like cottage cheese) and lentils.
The cat was healthy, contented, and lived many years, so i understand.

I never questioned them at the time, just did what they told me per the care of their cat and prepared the food for it..which it seemed to relish.

strange but true

alice

[GlimR]

They sound like they absolutely loved their kitty. I personally don't give my cats dairy...in the wild they would not find dairy products but could live quite well on what they catch.

I've had many cats since I was a kid, or they have had me, not sure which!!:rolleyes: One taught itself to use the toilet (the truth) but only that one...an unusual thing~

[freelive]

They do eat kitty grass, so they need some greens.

[veganman]

A couple months ago, we started feeding our cats and dogs a completely raw food diet. After doing so much research on the benefits to humans, it also made sense that it would be so for animals. That led me to the BARF diet. Although it includes raw meat (initially difficult to get past....), it seems so much healthier and the animals really enjoy it. The cats and dogs eat the majority of their food as raw veggies and fruits, with some additional ground meat and bones.

Most research I have done about vegan diets for animals say that it is okay (yet not ideal) for dogs, but problematic for cats.

[Judy]

I don't have cats, but coincidently, five minutes ago I read that cats like to eat grass (or your plants, if they can't find grass), because... They clean their coats with their tongues, thus ingest hairs, which are indigestible and form hair balls and they need to puke them out. That's where the grass comes in handy...

[Judy]

Here's a link with some info about raw food diets for cats (I'm doing some research myself, am considering buying a cat or two, but not sure yet):
http://cats.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/rawfooddiet.htm

[Judy]

Another link:
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/

[iamacranberry]

I have a friend who has a vegan kitty, and this particular cat is quite and active and happy cat. He buys special vegan cat food for her. Apparently it must be healthy; the cat has thrived on it for years.

[kaybee]

there is a product made by harbingers of a new age, called veggiecat; its a complete powder supplement that you add to recipes (that they give you) that you make; designed to provide complete vegan nutrition for cats. i think you can get it from www.pangea.com. it seems some people have been able to maintain healthy cats on a vegan diet, though it may take considerable extra work and encouragement.

kb

[trinity082482]

Yup...cats are completely carnivore...it is their nature and nature's intent that they be...best to respect that IMHO...I have 8~

My husband eats a typical SAD diet and gives the cats tidbits of his food every night, which they love, primarily meat...I offer them mine all the time...fruit...banana ice cream, almond milk....they always turn their noses up and look disgusted...no fooling them!!! *s*


Oh my gosh! Your kittens are soo precious!!!

[brydee]

Cats are not vegans,dont get me wrong i can understand people wanting their cats to be vegans, but they are natural hunters and carnivores.
I think you should follow nature and it will tell you what to do.
Some greens are fine for your cat, but their diet should mainly be meat.
My cat nearly died a few weeks ago and TRUST me he would not of pulled through if i had fed him what i eat!

[iamacranberry]

I think anyone wanting to have a vegan cat likely does it for ethical reasons. My friend in Cleveland has an exceptionally healthy vegan kitty.

[GlimR]

To each his own and I respect that completely. I just don't know why someone would want to go against the nature of the animal. Each species has its own predilition to what is natural in the diet according to their physical structure...a carnivore is just that, an herbivore just that....why try to go against what nature designed?? Isn't that where half the problems we face come from on one level or another?

[brydee]

Yeah i agree, in which case if someone wants to turn a canivore into what it is not they shouldnt have one in my eyes, its like feeding horses meat, or cows in that case.
My cat hunts, how would i stop it, never let it go outside again??

[purdeychoo]

When I got my cat from the RSPCA in August, she was grossly overweight, probably obese (15lbs for a DSH cat!) and after looking into the raw food lifestyle for myself, I came across info about feeding raw meat to cats.

She took to it immediately so long as I cut up the chunks small enough and she prefers it at kill temperature (zap in microwave for 7 secs if she's being fussy).

Results: she has a lot more energy (wants to play with my bootlaces up and down the stairs for ages!), her coat is shinier, her dry skin has dramatically healed to practically nothing and she seems a lot more contented in herself. I'm sure she will lose weight too eventually now she seems to stop eating when she is full rather than miaow and beg for another bowl of diet cat food like I'm starving her.

That said, she still goes out and chomps on the lawn every day!! It is apparently good for their system so I'd say try your kitties (they are gorgeous by the way!!) on a variety of whatever you're eating. My cat will at least want to try whatever I'm eating- raw or sad so maybe they will be more open to it if they see you eating it too?

[RawKev]

Cats are supposed to eat raw meat, just like we are supposed to eat raw fruits and veggies.

Most dog and cat food is loaded with fillers like corn, wheat, and soy. These substances make them fat and unhealthy if they arent really active. Farmers feed corn and grains to cows and pigs to make them FAT, grain to chickens to make them FAT.

[iamacranberry]

And because those things are cheap. But people who think they are being true to a cat's natural diet by feeding it meat-based catfood are likely just slowly poisoning their animal, without meaning to, because of all the cheap fillers as you mentioned and because the meta used in most pet foods is of a very low quality.

[Rawzula]

When I tried to give my cats fruits and veggies, they got extremely ill (I kid you not) and I had to stop doing it.

Cats are born carnivores. They're designed to eat meat.

[Pitaya]

it's best to give the cat what it would have it we didn't house it.

meat.

very little grasses (free feed this, i.e. it uses grass when it needs it)

today cats will eat anything, it doesn't mean it is what is best for it.
supplements aren't best for people, nor cats.

i am starting to feel very strongly on this matter the more research i do. now i'm getting why i felt people were a little snippy with me when i asked questions too.......but underneath it all is the intent to do what is best for the animal.

we all have good intentions, but IMHO feeding a carnivore a vegan diet and supplementing it is ludricous and cruel. and keep in mind humans could live 3 years on a mcdonald's diet too....doesn't mean it's best.

[cintilady47]

I'm not sure of the reason, but I do know that cats should NOT be given onions (and probably not similar veggies like garlic, leeks, scallions, shallots). Once when my cat became very ill after several days of not eating or drinking, my vet suggested that I give him small amounts of jarred baby food meat but warned me against Beech-Nut brand b/c their meat purees contained onions. He said that onions were very bad for cats -- their digestive systems cannot handle them.

So to be on the safe side, please avoid giving your cat anything that contains onions or closely related vegetable like those I mentioned above.

Hope this helps all you kittie-lovers.

Karen

[carolg]

Just because kitty is healthy now does not mean it will be that way for ever if one is not giving their kitty meat. I would vote, although I only have a dog, to follow this wisdom here from other cat owners. I would include meat and I would not have a vegan cat or vegan dog. As much as I hate giving my dog meat, it was for her benefit and I am so glad I have been doing this about 8 years now. She was a packaged food dog for a year and then she came here, and she went BARF.

carolg

[iamacranberry]

Dogs do better on a vegan diet than cats do, as dogs are naturally omnivores and can eat a vegan diet safely in most cases. While there are ways to keep a vegan cat as well, this doesn't work for some cats, particularly male cats, for whom a vegan diet may cause crystallization in the urine.

[coco]

i find it hard to believe that this is even an issue in discussion amongst supposed animal lovers. deviating that far from a creature's natural diet is in no way humaine and why in the world a conscious, thoughtful, compassionate person would try to deny a carnivore meat, be it a dog or a cat, is beyond me.

do we not eat raw vegan because we beleive it to the be the most natural and ultimately the healthiest diet For Us? would not an animal benefit from the same, the most natural and therfore healthiest diet for them? of course they would! the canines, the short and highly acidic digestive tract, the other undeniable physical indicators of a true carnivore are there in plain sight for anyone to see, it is Impossible to ignore them unless one is doing so willfully! a cat is a definate carnivore and so is a dog, period. justifying subjecting a dog to a vegan diet based on it's inherent omnivorism is blatantly disrespectful to the nature of that creature. "omnivore" is a far leap from "vegan", they are just not the same. and surviving is not the same as thriving either so for all those who justify this abomination with the arguement that a vegan dog may appear healthy, think again. my heavy meat eating relatives all appear in perfect health too but i KNOW that it isn't true on the inside.

i'm not going to appologize for being passionate about this issue. i truly believe that feeding an animal a diet so far from what nature intended it to eat is as much animal abuse as anything else. i wouldn't hestitate telling someone not to abuse an animal in any other way and i'm not going to here either.

[iamacranberry]

I agree we should feed animals close to their natural diets....but I also continue to support the notion that dogs are omnivores, not carnivores (as are we, by the way). Omnivores put on a vegan diet will do fine if it is ensured that they are given the proper nutrition. Our ancestors ate bugs, which were their main source of b12. Because vegans don't eat bugs, b12 can become an issue unless we intentionally go about finding another source of it, be it kombucha, supplements, etc. Dogs are no different. Just because, like us, they CAN eat meat doesn't mean that they REQUIRE it. Again, just like us. An omnivore generally will do fine on a balanced vegan diet.

And if we are animal lovers truly...perhaps we will not keep carnivorous animals such as cats, which indirectly cause the deaths of thousands of other animals...ie, those they eat...

[coco]

first, omnivore does not mean vegetarian, they are just not the same thing at all.
second, a healthy intestinal flora produces it's own B-12, this just proves to me that a healthy body can thrive on raw vegan instead of just survive. if a creature can't do that without supplements, i don't think that is the diet for them. survive doesn't equal thrive.

and yes, i do think that it should be acknowledged that keeping housepets is inherently anti-vegan. perpetrating the domestication and subjugation of wild animals is wrong from a vegan standpoint but everyone must draw that line for themselves. i think that we are responsible for these creatures that we have made dependant on us and that it is now up to us to care for them the best way we can and to aim towards recreating an ecosystem that can sustain them naturally on their own.

but that is not the discussion at hand, that is about feeding a carnivorous or omnivorous animal a diet that is against their nature. a dog or a cat would never, ever choose carrots over meat, never. i on the other hand gag at the sight of raw dead flesh and the smell doesn't turn me on either. gimme a carrot anyday.