Random Question

[taerowyn]

This thought came to me as I was feeding New Roommate's cat: If vegans have pets...what do they feed them?

Comments

[elementalv.livejournal.com]

I've heard rumors of meat-free diets for pets of vegans, but I hope the rumors are wrong. Failing to feed meat to a carnivore is tantamount to abuse, as far as I'm concerned.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

A vegetarian diet for cats can definitely kill them.

More info: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/catfood.html

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

See that's what I think, but judging by responses below, at least the vegans/vegetarians on my list love and care for their animals as they deserve.

long rambly story about vegetable-enhanced cats

[nwhepcat.livejournal.com]

I used to catsit for people who were vegetarian. For some reason, they would mix up the canned catfood with vegetable scraps. She would eat it, but when she lived in the country home, she stalked and killed (though I don't know if she ate). One winter I catsat her for 3 weeks in an apartment in New York City (where she only lived if both her humans were away -- the husband always lived in the country home, the wife did during the summer and weekends, living in the NYC apartment during the winter). There wasn't enough of the vegetable-enriched catfood, so the owners told me to alternate.

Hahahahahahaha!

Once the cat had the all-meat food, there was no way she was going back to the adulterated enriched version. I tried for a couple of days, then thought, hey, it's not my battle, and fed her the meaty stuff.

I'm vegan but my kitties aren't

[grrjessi.livejournal.com]

I feed my cats food made with fish. I make sure that there are no animal by-products or beef, and I'm really looking to find one without chicken too, but I don't believe I should take away the joys of salmon from my kitties.
I just try to make sure that the food is healthy and filled with healthy meats and veggie products. (human grade food).

Re: I'm vegan but my kitties aren't

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for answering. It was just a totally random thought as I looked at the can of beef...I don't eat beef and was considering that fact and my mind expanded the thought to consider the whole vegan aspect of it all.

[eeyorekdm.livejournal.com]

believe it or not, some are horrified that their pet's food actually has meat in it and will try to feed their animals a vegitarian diet. Luckily most vegan/veg. owners have enough sense to realize that dogs/cats are supposed to eat meat.

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

That's what made me think about it. I remember when we first got Pockets and the doc said it wouldn't hurt Sweet Pea to eat his food much, but that Pockets shouldn't eat a lot of hers because it wouldn't have enough protein in it. Something about how cat food generally has more meat and protein in it than dog...don't know if it's true, but the conversation always stuck in my head.

[eeyorekdm.livejournal.com]

yes - cat food is generally richer than dog food. Now some people are even saying that cats should be on more canned food than dry b/c it's lower in carbs and cats are not designed to be carb eaters. Dogs are closer to omnivores I guess or just closer than cats are....(haven't had nutrition yet so I'll keep you posted). Either way - cats or dogs should not eat a strickly veggie diet - although veggies make good diet food for dogs who "need" treats but not the extra calories. :o)

[mezdeathhead.livejournal.com]

My cats eat fucking venison. I'm not kidding, either. And I am a vegitarian.

I think it's funny, but I don't care. The day my cats explain to me in English that they no longer want to eat animals, I'll switch them over. Otherwise, it's not my job to push my ethics on my pets if it can be unhealthy for them.

[(Anonymous)]

If I were a vegan pet-fancier, I'd have herbivorous pets. Tilapia, maybe a rabbit, maybe some finches.

But I'm not, and I don't.

dwarf

[micahchaplin.livejournal.com]

I once had to inform on a couple that was feeding their cat a vegetarian diet. The poor thing was malnurished and horrid looking. They came and took her away, a friend of mine adopted her and got her healthy with a good solid meaty cat food (and chicken fat to help get her back up to weight). She was a happy, healthy kitty whose coat no longer looked ragged and whose legs no longer shook when she stood up for too long.

If you know somebody trying to force a vegetarian diet on a dog or cat call your humane society and they will come take the animal away and find a good home for it.

mcb

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

Nobody I know is doing it (and believe me I would either a) call or b) steal the animal away myself), it was just a totally random thought as I was staring into the can of "Beef in Gravy" cat food.