Can a companion cat or dog live on a vegan diet?
No. Cats in particular require higher amounts of protein in order to be healthy. Over time, if you do not feed your pet animal protein, it can lead to serious health problems including liver and heart problems as well as skin conditions. There are nutrients and chemicals in meats that are vital for cats that they cannot obtain from anything that is plant-based. Unlike dogs, cats are strictly carnivores and keeping them on a vegan diet is animal cruelty. Dogs also require meat to remain in a healthy state, but the cat in particular requires meat to live.
Yes. A vegan diet is a desirable way for companion cats and dogs to be fed: it is a healthier diet for them just as it is for humans. Furthermore, the “pet” food industry creates the same environmental damage, cruelty, waste, exploitation, and killing that is created by the meat, egg, and dairy industries. Animals that are sent for rendering (processing into cat and dog food) suffer even more than those which are slaughtered for human consumption. Their value is so low that humane treatment is more costly than the industry deems worthy. Switching cats and dogs to a vegan diet is questioned by many who consider it unfair to remove an animal from its “natural” carnivorous diet. In truth, dogs are omnivores which can switch to a vegan diet without any additional supplementation. Cats, although natural carnivores, can also thrive on a vegan diet if supplemented by pre-formed vitamin A, arachidonic acid, and taurine, an amino acid that cats derive from meat. All vegan cat foods must contain
