vegetarianism onto your pets

whats your view of feeding pets a vegetarian diet?

 

if they can live on it, why not? afterall you're providing their food they don't have a right to be picky.

 

feeding a carnivorous or omnivorous pet an all-vegetarian diet can be very dangerous.

they may not be adequately nourished, and feeding them human vegetarian food can cause health concerns as dogs cannot eat some pretty popular human foods safely, and can cause malnourishment by feeding them a diet of herbivorous pet. also, most cats cannot taste sweet, as over years they have lost their sweet component of their sense of taste and most will not eat any kind of plant products.

there are vegetarian diets out there for animals, but it can be very dangerous. These are foods without protein and essential amino acids for pets with different forms of kidney or liver diseases.

no; pets do have a right to be picky, just because you provide for them doesn't mean they can live off of whatever you feel like feeding them. if your pet won't eat it, it's a pretty good sign you need to change brands or nutritional values. NEVER put a pet on any kind of vegetarian diet without first consulting a veterinarian, ever! it can kill your pet and most likely a vet will just tell you it was a terrible idea from the start.

 

Very true.

Dogs are omnivourus and can live off a vegan diet. But know what you are doing first! Cats on the other hand are mostly carnivourus. They are making/have already made vegan cat food that satisfies their nutritional needs. But again: always talk to a vet. Just like humans should always consult a dr. before beginning a new diet. Most regular (non-vegan) food is not all that good for them either. It's processed and contains the parts of animals that is not fit for human consumption. Not something I'm sure you would wish on your beloved pets. Just be smart about it. Your vet can tell you everything you need to know.

 

err, well I said if they can live on it, but I really meant live healthily

 

i have to agree with seized by anger. i also feel anyone who would feed an animal that is required to have meat in it's diet shouldn't bother having such a pet. it's crazy that peta members are so serious about not eating meat. that they'd feed their animals which need meat in their diets a vegan or vegetarian diet. there's no reason not to feed your pet anything which it would eat on it's own in the wild.

 

Maybe if you give your pet a PETA pamphlet it will understand how unethical its eating habits are. I'm under the impression proselytizing to animals human ideals will make them see that their unsavoury, meatless meals will be for their own good. After this goal is achieved, we should promote veganism in 3rd world nations.

 

why would you push your agenda created by people onto an animal that could care less about the moral ambiguity's of humanity?

Its cruel, let your animals eat meat.

 

That depends entirely on the animal. Anyone with half a brain cell can identify the different dietry requirements of animals

Cats-Clearly meat eaters, sharp claws and teeth, tend to kill mice and birds in your garden
Dogs-Omnivorous. A dog has obviously come from wolves who aswell as meat are known to eat plant matter. The domestic dog can do very well on a high protein vegetarian diet, therefore the decision is the humans
Mouse and similar rodents or lagomorphs-These are herbivores. You can have very happy vegan small mammals

I disagree with trying to push veganism on a cat, unless youre 100percent sure that cats needs are being met, but as for pets that werent designed to just eat meat I dont see what the issue is and the whole thing has been very much overexaggerated and blown out of all proportion. Catering for the pets need is all you have to do, whether that includes meat or not

 

I say put a carrot on the floor and next to it a steak and let the animal decide

 

People who force veganism on their pets, particularly those pets for which it is not suitable, should be fed to them. It's cruelty, particularly to cats, but dogs as well.

 

i agree cats need meat....but....i've recently come across "Raw vegan" dogs where they've been on a raw diet for years, they look healthy, are very active.

 

BURN!

 

hm. It's hard to look at pet animals as a different class of the family, even if they are different species...I mean thats why we abuse our planet so much in the first place.

Still, if the pet was modelled after a child then you can choose the way its raised as you best see fit...if that way is neglectful then you deserve fair judgement...however that would work.

what ever an adult pet is confuses me

 

This thread makes me think of tipping a load of vegetables all over a dogs back

 

thats far too rough..age

 

I have a guinea pig & a dog. (we also have carnivorous fish & frogs, but I don't classify them quite the same - they're my son's & I think very little about them, honestly) The guinea pig is an herbivore by nature, so he is an herbivore in our home. The dog is an omnivore by nature, and is an omnivore in our home. I've heard about the vegetarian lion, and the vegan dogs... and they sure seem to be thriving just fine. But I don't personally have what it takes financially or emotionally to stress constantly over whether I'm doing everything right or making my dog sick, so she will remain an omnivore.

The only time there is any disagreement in our house about pet-treats is when I feed the guinea pig a larger slice of apple or carrot than the dog - then the dog feels she was cheated out of her fair-share. Silly us to think a dog wouldn't eat raw veggies!
love,
mom

 

I think it is mean to feed any animal that needs meat a vegetarian diet. If you want your animal to eat a vegetarian diet, then adopt a rabbit!