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.

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!! 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