Do you believe that your cat can be a vegetarian?

Question

This is a rather simple question. Cats are carnivorous and meat is the staple of their diet. And in the Cat Section recently, a vegetarian made this statement:-

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....Also cats dont NEED meat, while they like it, some are unable to digest it and that is why they are on a vegetarian formula.

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While I do respect the way of vegetarianism and its movement, it makes me very uncomfortable with the thought of imposing a vegetarian diet onto their cats.

So, to answer my question, I just need to know if a vegetarian truly believe that a cat can do well and survive by cutting out meat entirely from their diet.

Answer 1

It's quite iffy; I've heard that cat's can't be vegetarian because they won't get enough taurine.  Personally, I'd be afraid to do it because of possible harm to the cat.  If one does try, they just need to pay extra attention to their kitty to make sure they seem healthy!

Answer 2

No a cat is a carnivore by nature, humans arn't. Cats should eat meat in there diet and don't need much else. I believe it would be unhealthy to put a cat through that =(

Answer 3

A vegetarian diest can be quite harmful to cats because they are naturally carnivores. Dogs have an easier time adjusting to a vegetarian diet.

Answer 4

I don't believe in imposing my eating habits on anyone, especially not my animal friends, who have differening dietary needs. I honestly think that for the majority of cats, a veg diet would be unhealthy. There are always exceptions, but you should always feed your animal the food that's best for its health. If someone isn't comfortable with that, then I believe they should get a veg animal, like a bunny or a guinea pig.

Answer 5

I don't know if a cat could do well on a vegetarian diet. I can't for the life of me imagine why someone who claims to love animals would deny one in their care a more normal diet.

I really can't. Imposing morals on those driven strictly by instinct is wrong.

In short, while I think it's technically possible, I don't think the cat would thrive. Cats have digestive systems more suited to eating meat, from their teeth down through their colons. Same for dogs. In short, they aren't made to process large quantities of plant foods. There's no doubt that the cats need some forms of plant foods (that's why they eat grass), but a pure diet? I don't think so.

Answer 6

I believe that cats are carnivores and if I had one he would get meat. They need it, and cant digest veggies so well.

Answer 7

Vegetarian Times magazine recently printed an article about how cats and dogs are not meant to be vegetarians.  Cats are carnivores.  End of story.  If you have a problem with feeding a cat meat, don't own a cat.

Answer 8

If a vegetarian insists on feeding a cat a vegetarian diet they are STUPID. Part of my reason for becoming vegetarian was that I realised that humans are not meant to hunt. We have flimsy fingernails, flat molars for grinding plant foods, and a digestive system that is not up to a decomposing corpse. Cats however, are designed to hunt. One look at them with their sharp claws, sharp teeth, and agility says that clearly.

I have several cats and would never impose such a ridiculous diet on them or my dogs.

Answer 9

I do not believe cats would do well as vegetarians and never plan to impose that on our cats. They are the only meat eaters in our house. Veganism is our choice and it would be unfair to make a choice for them that is against their nature.

Answer 10

It's ridiculous to assume that cats don't need to eat meat. As stated by many others in this thread, cats are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES. They cannot survive without eating meat protein.

Cats require taurine, a vital amino acid. Their bodies can't create taurine, but humans' bodies can. Cats get the taurine they need from eating meat. If cats don't get taurine, they WILL go blind and eventually succumb to heart failure. It's horrible to watch them wither away, slowly starving and losing their sight and their health, so that some self-righteous person can Make A Statement about what should and should not be eaten. If that's not cruelty to animals, I don't know what is.

I'm not a vegetarian myself; however, my best friend is. She is a Buddhist, and her belief system holds all life sacred; therefore she believes that for people to kill animals for meat is cruel. But precisely because she holds all life sacred and she sees her cats as equally sacred beings, she feeds her cats meat-based foods because she knows that they NEED meat to survive and be healthy.

Answer 11

I doubt it. Cats are carnivorous by nature.

Answer 12

Cats cannot produce the enzymes needed to break down plant matter. Even when pureed or powdered, vegetables simply pass through the digestive tract without leaving any of their nutritional content. This alone is not harmful to your cat, but when undigested plant matter mixes with highly digestible food such as meat, indigestion and other complications may occur. Grass is an exception however; some cats compulsively eat grass when you leave them outdoors. This will cause them to regurgitate the indigestible matter, including raw vegetables.

Answer 13

I'm a vegetarian, but I think cats have to eat meat.  My aunts are also veggie and they feed their cat meat.

Answer 14

I'm vegan and I have a cat. I think if anyone is not prepared to feed a cat meat, then they shouldn't keep a cat.

I'm an omnivore; I can make choices about my diet and can live healthily on a plant-based diet. Cats are carnivores, and trying to impose a vegetarian diet on them is cruelty.

It's also pointless - you can be sure they will be supplementing their diet with birds and mice, as well as eating at neighbours' houses - cats aren't stupid.

Answer 15

It is possible that a cat can live on a vegetarian diet and thrive as long as it gets all its required nutrients from non-meat based substitutes.

It is best to purchase a scientifically proven vegan cat food product that has had extensive case studies and tests on cats rather than try to prepare it yourself.

It is true that it seems unnatural for cats to not eat meat but domestic cats are already living in our homes and rarely need to hunt for stuff, so it is not unnatural for them to simply eat what we give them. It is also true that the cats might find the vegan food less tasty.

Furthermore, there isn't much naturalness about mixing lousy meat into a machine, adding additives/preservatives and making them into dry kibbles. If you're so caught up about having to be natural, then let your cats go outdoors to find their own food. Since what we are giving our cats is already unnatural, I do not see a big deal of giving our cats nutritionally balanced vegan cat food.

Answer 16

I don't think cats can survive off a vegetarian diet, but I do think dogs can.

Answer 17

Although dogs can live on a vegetarian diet, cats definitely can't. I have four cats and in spite of being vegan, I respect their needs.

I feed them dry food most of the time, so its not so bad. :)

Answer 18

There's a reason why cats can't help but try pouncing on birds and mice and other small animals.. They're natural carnivores so it's their instict to kill for survival. Methods of killing (like aiming for the neck) are basically ingrained in their cat brains. That is why for them killing is not cruelty, it's survival, even though they are well fed as domesticated pets. For humans though, we have a choice to choose to kill or not, it's not instinctive.  My cat was orphaned and never had a mother to teach him hunting skills, but boy, almost everyday we had to clean off some poor mouse's insides or head or a leg or two.  Whoever forces his cat to be vegetarian should get arrested for animal cruelty.

Answer 19

What? Cats are strictly carnivores. It is impossible to have a cat on a veggie diet.

I'm not a vegetarian though, but I respect vegetarians' values.

|-|iba

Answer 20

Cats are what's known as an obligate carnivore, meaning that meat is an essential part of their diet.  Cats require amino acids, which can only be found in meat in order to survive and the carbohydrates found in plant matter aren't able to be broken down by the cat's digestive system.  Placing a cat on a vegetarian diet will eventually cause it to die of starvation no matter how much you feed it.  I am a vegan in order to minimise the amount of harm suffered by animals so how could I let my cat suffer.

Answer 21

My cat just ate half a squirrel. I don;t think so

Answer 22

Hi Takecareofmycat,

A feline is a carnivore, period, semi colon, and end of sentence:)

In fact they are obligate carnivores.Some carnivores, particularly cats (family Felidae), are obligate carnivores, meaning they cannot obtain all the nutrients that they need from the plant kingdom and bacteria. In particular, obligate carnivores lack certain enyzmes that permit vegetable matter to be fully absorbed.

The big cats must hunt for their prey, and when prey is limited the cats do not do well. So the diminuative versions with which we share out households are much the same.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obligate_c...

While I also respect the way of vegetarianism, I do not think it fair to subject an animal who needs meat protein to become nutritionally deficient. We as omnivores can do well with plant protein, but felines will not do well at all.

In fact carbohydrates are not a good source of energy for cats and grains can cause digestive problems.

Hope this helps,

Troublesniffer

Owned by cats for over 40 years

Former breeder of Oriental Shorthairs and Siamese

Answer 23

It is in their genetics. Cats need to have complex protein, and they need the nutrition that meat provides. It is just how they are biologically built. Please do not try to make your cat a vegetarian. This goes for everyone! It would be cruel, and a very real form of animal abuse by creating malnutrition in a domesticated animal. Feed your cat caned food, dry cat food, or both. Ask a vet for further nutritional advice.

Answer 24

No, a cat is a carnivore. Dog are onmivores so it's okay for them but nt a cat, no.