Do vegans have pets, like dogs or cats? if you do, what do you feed them? Do you feed them regular dog or cat food? Is it "morally acceptable" to do so? Something I've been wondering lately.
pets will eat almost anything, if you're vegan then you dont support the commercialized killing of animals for food, so if i was vegan i wouldnt buy actual meat products to feed a pet.
I don't think you should own a pet if you aren't going to be feeding what it was intended to eat. Don't make your pet a vegan because you are.
if you aren't going to feed a dog actual meat products, then what are you feeding it? Dogs are carnivores. There's not much proof to think they'd be omnivores. This article was pretty interesting: http://www.rawfed.com/myths/omnivores.html
I think the only way I would even think of giving a cat or dog a vegan diet is if I did a lot of research and had it approved by a veterinarian to make sure they were getting all the nutrients they need to be healthy.
I think I'd have a tough time feeding a known carnivore, a vegan diet. It's one thing to make that choice for yourself, and even to an extent for your own children... but a pet? Ehhh, That doesn't seem fair. And while I've seen some of the "research" that's gone into vegetarian cats, and yes I know about the vegan lion... that seems to be FAR from the "norm" and I'd constantly worry about malnutrition issues that humans (being omni by nature) just don't have. love, mom
A search here and in pets will show that we have been over this ground innumerable times. Basically the camps are: feed them what they need (dog and cat, in the usual discussion) feed the obligate carnivore (cat) flesh, dog vegetarian to vegan diet with supplements don't own an animal you cannot feed, and make all your animals eat your diet. personally, I think the last is silly: we as ethical creatures can choose for ourselves. Animals are of animal nature and do what they must. A cat may scrounge, but they are hunters, not true scavengers. Humans are scavengers who learned to hunt. I think that is an important difference. Look at it this way, I sometimes eat chocolate and have carbonated sodas. I like fried food. Am i going to feed my diet to my cat?
cats are definitely strict meat eaters they need it. dogs can be vegetarian, but i would not feed a dog a vegetarian diet. instead i chose a vegan pet alternative. rabbits. they don't have cages, they walk the floor, and are litter trained.
I have a cat that refuses to eat anything that isn't packaged cat food. I've tried giving him fish, chicken, and he doesn't even toutch it. The other cats eat meat, I allways wonder where he got that habit from.
i am feeding six rescued cats inside, a dozen or so strays outside i have little money to do this, so a lady with ties to the humane society helps me out they get commercial cat food, and they like it i am led to believe that cats will get sick without a certain protein, taurine, not present in vegetarian diets i can and do eat beans and rice and fruits and vegetables only i am led to believe that i will get sick without a certain vitamin, b-12, not present in vegan diets--if there is any of it in my fingernails i will be okay
although i am not a fan or vegetarian and vegan cats, all commercial cat foods are required to contain taurine. this includes vegan/vegetarian cat foods which contain synthetic taurine. synthetic taurine has been available since the 30's. vitamin b-12 is present in vegan diets. through commercial soy/rice milks, and through nutritional yeast.
as indicated in my post, i live on an limited income, and am at the mercy of my budget i am led to believe that vegan cat food, which is not available locally, might be a bit expensive [esp. as i am getting 25 lbs of regular food for $10] and i know i cannot afford anything like soy milk in any quantity to make a difference nutritional yeast, i have not seen this around here, will continue to chew nails
If i had a cat or a dog, id feed them meat products because thats blatantly what theyre intended to eat. Dogs less so but id still give some, and cats definitely 100 percent meat. Im not too keen on either though, so we have mice who eat our scraps
