Resources for vegan dogs and cats

[Second Summer]

Just came across this article which has several links to useful resources, so thought I would share.

A while back, we put together a comprehensive guide to feeding vegan dogs, as well as an explanation of how we have approached feeding vegan cats. But recently we also found out some other great sources of information that we’re enthusiastic about sharing with our readers.

One fantastic Facebook resource is The Vegan Dog Nutrition Group, which now has over 1800 members.

Read more: Great New Resources for Vegan Dogs and Cats (care2.com, 18. July 2013)

Do you have other links to resources? Book recommendations? Feel free to share them here.

 

[Scorpius]

'Vegan cats' eating seitan with nutritional yeast =

I'm sorry, that's just irresponsible and STUPID.

 

[Second Summer]

'Vegan cats' eating seitan with nutritional yeast =

I'm sorry, that's just irresponsible and STUPID.

I make no claims about the usefulness of those articles / links, and I know little about feline nutrition myself. Would you care to elaborate on your hesitation regarding seitan with nutritional yeast as part of a vegan diet for cats? The article does explain that was not the only foods they fed her, and that they did include various fortified foods designed for vegan cats.

 

[Scorpius]

I make no claims about the usefulness of those articles / links, and I know little about feline nutrition myself. Would you care to elaborate on your hesitation regarding seitan with nutritional yeast as part of a vegan diet for cats? The article does explain that was not the only foods they fed her, and that they did include various fortified foods designed for vegan cats.

It's well-known that cats are obligate carnivores. They simply cannot thrive on a plant-based diet, their metabolisms don't swing that way. (dogs are omnivores, so they can do well on veg*n diets, as long as they are planned VERY carefully) The vegan cats article stated that the people who work at that sanctuary prefer to not keep cats for that reason:

Generally speaking, here in Gentle World, we tend to rescue and live with dogs rather than cats, as it is easy for canines to thrive on a vegan diet due to the fact that they are metabolically omnivorous. Also, since cats are carnivorous and tend to be natural hunters, we don’t feel right about inviting them to live in our homes, where we value the lives of the birds and the other critters whom cats tend to view as prey, rather than friends. For that reason, when cats wander into Gentle World, we try to find them an appropriate home as soon as is practically possible, and shower them with love, care, and good vegan nutrition in the meantime.

Read more:http://www.care2.com/greenliving/can-cats-be-vegan.html#ixzz2ZX5cYvcp

Basically they're saying, "we love all animals and don't want to hurt any of them, but if a carnivorous animal needs to eat meat, we'll let someone else feed it to 'em." By feeding the cats that they (thankfully, temporarily) keep in their care a vegan diet, they are placing THEIR moral belief system first, and in doing so, jeopardizing the health of the cat. Just because they don't want to open a can of tuna for it.

I believe that if you are willing to take on the responsibility of another life, you should be willing to satisfy AT LEAST their basic needs, even if that means sacrificing some of your personal comfort. When I adopted a cat in February, I was hesitant about having meat in the house for the first time, but I found a food for her that I feel a bit more comfortable feeding her as the company that makes it seems more socially responsible that Procor and Gamble, for example, who manufacture pet food brands like Iams and Eukanuba.
This is really one of those situations where you have to realize that the world isn't vegan, and all the leafleting in the world won't change that.

 

[Mischief]

Scorpius is completely accurate about subjecting cats to a vegan diet.

IMO, it is irresponsible to promote a vegan diet for cats, much less to feed a cat a vegan diet.

 

[Calliegirl]

Hopefully they place those cats in homes before any damage is done to their organs.

It would be very irresponsible and selfish to feed a vegan diet to a cat. Most dry food diets are also pretty unhealthy, they contain very little meat and moisture.

 

[Mischief]

I would ask the OP to edit the title of the thread to delete the words "and cats." I really hate to see any encouragement given to animal abuse, and feeding cats a vegan diet is abuse.

 

[Calliegirl]

This site is great for information on cat nutrition, and it doesn't promote veganism for cats.
http://www.catinfo.org/

Cats Need Animal-Based Protein
Cats are obligate (strict) carnivores and are very different from dogs in their nutritional needs. What does it mean to be an ‘obligate carnivore’? It means that your cat was built by Mother Nature to get her nutritional needs met by the consumption of a large amount of animal-based proteins (meat/organs) and derives much less nutritional support from plant-based proteins(grains/vegetables). It means that cats lack specific metabolic (enzymatic) pathways and cannot utilize plant proteins as efficiently as animal proteins.
It is very important to remember that not all proteins are created equal.

Proteins derived from animal tissues have a complete amino acid profile. (Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Think of them as pieces of a puzzle.) Plant-based proteins do not contain the full complement (puzzle pieces) of the critical amino acids required by an obligate carnivore. The quality and composition of a protein (are all of the puzzle pieces present?) is also referred to as its biological value.

Humans and dogs can take the pieces of the puzzle in the plant protein and, from those, make the missing pieces. Cats cannot do this. This is why humans and dogs can live on a vegetarian diet but cats cannot. (Note that I do not recommend vegetarian diets for dogs.)

Taurine is one of the most important nutrients present in meat but it is missing from plants. Taurine deficiency will cause blindness and heart problems in cats...

 

[Mischief]

And it's not just a matter of the proteins, it's the delivery mechanism for the proteins. Proteins from grains and legumes carry with them carbohydrates, and starches and other carbohydrates cause urinary tract issues, diabetes, and other illnesses in cats. It's why cats should be fed grain free or as close to grain free as possible.

 

[Second Summer]

Disclaimer: I'm not opposing the idea itself that cats really do need meat to thrive, but I do want to hear some sound arguments for this idea. In the meantime I'm on the fence about this question.

I would ask the OP to edit the title of the thread to delete the words "and cats." I really hate to see any encouragement given to animal abuse, and feeding cats a vegan diet is abuse.

I will consider it. Perhaps I can split this off into a separate thread.

Basically they're saying, "we love all animals and don't want to hurt any of them, but if a carnivorous animal needs to eat meat, we'll let someone else feed it to 'em."

The way I read it, they're saying there are two reasons why they tend to keep dogs rather than cats: 1) It's more difficult (but not impossible) for cats to thrive on a vegan diet. 2) Cats tend to hunt small prey, and these people are uncomfortable about enabling them to do that.

By feeding the cats that they (thankfully, temporarily) keep in their care a vegan diet, they are placing THEIR moral belief system first, and in doing so, jeopardizing the health of the cat. Just because they don't want to open a can of tuna for it.

I don't see a problem in putting their belief system first IF doing so does not put the health of the cats at risk. That is the big question here. And I can understand why a vegan don't want to purchase and serve meat. This goes beyond mere aesthetic considerations (i.e. the "yuck factor") - it's obviously first and foremost an ethical question.

This site is great for information on cat nutrition, and it doesn't promote veganism for cats.
http://www.catinfo.org/

Thank you for the link. There are reasonable arguments in there of the "better safe than sorry" type. Basically, it seems to come down to the claim that we don't understand exactly how feline metabolism works, so we shouldn't be doing dangerous experiments with their health by feeding them something drastically different from what they have been eating for thousands of years:

This may be all well and good for this particular problem [using synthetic taurine instead of taurine in meat], but how do we know that Man is not blindly going along unaware of other critical nutrients that are missing from a plant-based diet?

I guess the same ways we know that human vegans are not missing critical nutrients - first and foremost by checking whether cats who are fed vegan diets suffer any unusual conditions.

Next paragraph:

Why is Man so arrogant that he thinks he can stray so far from what a cat is designed by nature to eat?
Also note that synthetic taurine is manufactured from a chemical reaction and all taurine (at least that I know of) comes out of China.

That part didn't impress me so much. (Designed to eat...? Chemical reaction?!!! China - OMG!!!)

 

[Mischief]

There is a lot of information available regarding the harmful effect of grains and legumes on feline health. I have gone to the effort of gathering that information in response to uninformed (and OP, you yourself have acknowledged that you don't know anything about feline nutrition) vegetarians and vegans many times. Maybe, if I have the time and inclination, I'll do so again here.

But frankly, I'm surprised at the ethics of someone who promotes something about which he admittedly knows nothing, which affects the health of beings on whom the imposition of suffering is to be avoided (assuming your vegan), and then says, maybe I'll modify the thread title if you can educate me. Seems to me to be more about ego than truth, or you'd educate yourself before spreading harmful information.

 

[Scorpius]

I don't see a problem in putting their belief system first IF doing so does not put the health of the cats at risk. That is the big question here. And I can understand why a vegan don't want to purchase and serve meat. This goes beyond mere aesthetic considerations (i.e. the "yuck factor") - it's obviously first and foremost an ethical question.

There is no big question here, feeding cats a plant-based diet DOES put their health seriously at risk.

If a someone has a problem with purchasing (meat) cat food, then they shouldn't get a cat. They could get a dog. Or a chinchilla.

 

[Mischief]

Obligate Carnivores' Nutritional Requirements

Cats are obligate carnivores and are very different from dogs-and people-in their nutritional needs. What does it mean to be an obligate carnivore? It means that cats are strict carnivores that rely on nutrients in animal tissue to meet their specific nutritional requirements. In their natural habitat, cats are hunters that consume prey high in protein with moderate amounts of fat and minimal amounts of carbohydrates. Cats also require more than a dozen nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. These nutrients are the building blocks of various structural body tissues; are essential for chemical reactions (metabolism, catabolism); transport substances into, around, and out of the body; supply energy for growth and maintenance; and provide palatability.

The important thing to remember about nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals, is that your cat needs the correct amount-but no more. It is possible to have "too much of a good thing" when it comes to vitamins and minerals; the use of supplements not only is unnecessary but also can be potentially dangerous to your pet's health. A key point to remember is that cats are neither small dogs nor people. Because of cats' unique metabolism, what might be good for you might be detrimental to your cat. A high-quality cat food assures an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals in your cat's diet; supplements should never be added without a veterinarian's approval.

Another important nutrient with respect to overall health is water. Water helps regulate body temperature, digest food, eliminate waste, lubricate tissue, and allow salt and other electrolytes to pass through the body. You should provide your cat with clean, fresh water at all times.

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_resources/brochure_feedingcat.cfm

A few sites to get you started on learning about the importance of minimizing carbohydrates to maintain urinary tract health and minimize the risks of death from urinary tract blockage, kidney disease, chronic UTI's, etc:
http://caturinary.com/articles/Cat_Urinary_Tract-Food.htm
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth
http://www.allthebestpetcare.com/urinary-problems-in-cats/


This link is a starting point to valuable information about the effects of grain in cat food and carbohydrates specifically in the development of feline diabetes (just follow the links from the site):
http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com/


And remember, these discussions aren't even about a vegan diet, they're about diets which contain grains and other carbohydrates. When you start basing an obligate carnivore's entire diet on food that are harmful to him even in smaller measures, you are exponentially increasing the health risks. Also, urinary tract issues and diabetes aren't the only health issues associated with feeding grains and other carbs to obligate carnivores, but it should give you a start on educating yourself.

Really, I wish people would inform themselves before they advocate something harmful to an animal species. I would expect more sense of responsibility from a vegan if not from a typical omni.

 

[Oasis]

I am so glad to see that everyone here is sensible regarding cat diets. I worried that I'd be the odd one out continuing to give my cat a carnivore diet. It's different for humans, we can choose between plant based, or being an Omni. Cats are strictly carnivores, and you can shorten their life drastically by trying to change that.

If cats could live just as healthy on a plant based diet, then I'd do it. But my poor kitty needs her nutrition just as much as I do.

It was fascinating to learn that dogs can be healthy vegans though. I've never had a dog before, so I don't know much about their nutritional needs. I would've assumed they were like cats in that they need their meat.

 

[Mischief]

I think the situation with dogs is tricky. They are carnivores (unlike humans), but not obligate carnivores, and can do well on a diet that tends more to the omnivore part of the spectrum. It may be possible for a dog to thrive on a vegan diet, but I think great care would need to be taken, and I'm not prepared to risk my dogs' health.

It's quite common for dogs to have allergies to grains and/or legumes. Two of mine get persistent ear infections if they get even a minimal amount of corn or wheat. Another one gets set off on months of itchy skin if he gets any soy or other legume.

 

[Oasis]

Ah I see. So basically, some dogs could do it and some couldn't, but you'd have to be extremely careful.

I agree with you, wouldn't be worth risking the dog's health. Trying to rescue the animals going into their food and making your own companion sick and unhealthy as a result is just counter intuitive.

 

[Vegan Dogs]

I would ask the OP to edit the title of the thread to delete the words "and cats." I really hate to see any encouragement given to animal abuse, and feeding cats a vegan diet is abuse.

What is breeding and killing animals ? Not animal abuse ?
My and thousands of vegan Fed cats are not dead not abused. Take care with that term when ignoring abused killed animals you choose to not mention.

 

[Vegan Dogs]

vegan,dogs,cats,pets,veganism, nutrition,food

vegan,dogs,cats,pets,veganism, nutrition,food

vegan-information.com

 

[Lou]

Just spotted this

Could A Vegan Diet Actually Be Better For Dogs Than Meat?

More people are adapting their dogs' diets to be plat-based. But is it safe for dogs to be vegan? What are the health benefits and risks?

plantbasednews.org