26 replies to this topic

[Mistydawn]

As a Vegan or Vegetarian, how do you justify feeding your cat or dog with meat products?
Or if fyou don't, what do you feed them?

[Kasey2601]

Isn't that what they'd eat if they were wild?

[freetoroam]

Lady Kasey, on 30 November 2012 - 10:27 PM, said:

Isn't that what they'd eat if they were wild?

Who, the vegans and the vegetarians?

[Kasey2601]

The dogs and cats....

[Urisk]

Dogs can survive on a little veg in their diet but cats have a completely different metabolism and need a diet VERY rich in Nitrogen. In other words pretty much meat. Any vegan/vegetarian who tries to force their carnivorous pets into a meat-free diet is in effect committing an act of animal cruelty. In the case of cats, they will try and catch their own anyway by hunting, rendering the endeavour completely pointless.

[Hilander]

I eat meat but I wouldn't force my horse to eat it since he is a vegetarian.

[Michelle]

Mistydawn, on 30 November 2012 - 10:11 PM, said:

As a Vegan or Vegetarian, how do you justify feeding your cat or dog with meat products?
Or if fyou don't, what do you feed them?

I've often wondered how they do that. Betty White is one of my heroes in animal rescue and she is a vegetarian. I'm pretty sure she would do what is best for the animals in her care by feeding them meat.

[Mistydawn]

Michelle, on 01 December 2012 - 01:08 AM, said:

I've often wondered how they do that. Betty White is one of my heroes in animal rescue and she is a vegetarian. I'm pretty sure she would do what is best for the animals in her care by feeding them meat.

I just wondered, I mean the tins of meat for pets are presumably from animals that have been killed, it's a dilemma isn't it.

[Bling]

Not feeding dogs and cats meat is cruel, they have canine teeth for a reason!

[Mistydawn]

Bling, on 01 December 2012 - 01:05 PM, said:

Not feeding dogs and cats meat is cruel, they have canine teeth for a reason!

I understand your stance Bling, but if you were a Vegan say, killing and eating meat is a no-no, so if you had a pet dog or cat, how could you justify feeding them meat that you buy?

[Bling]

Mistydawn, on 01 December 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

I understand your stance Bling, but if you were a Vegan say, killing and eating meat is a no-no, so if you had a pet dog or cat, how could you justify feeding them meat that you buy?

I would never inflict my beliefs onto a pet if it had the possibility of harming them. If I were a vegan/veggie, I wouldn't have pets that I couldn't feed to the best of my ability. But I'd never be a vegan/veggie because I too have canine teeth and believe humans should feel free to eat meat if they want.

[Urisk]

Mistydawn, on 01 December 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

I understand your stance Bling, but if you were a Vegan say, killing and eating meat is a no-no, so if you had a pet dog or cat, how could you justify feeding them meat that you buy?

Well it's either feed them what they have evolved to eat or malnourish them. Which is worse? If you can't answer that question correctly you don't deserve to own a dog or a cat. There are plenty animals you can own that don't eat meat. Rabbits are a good bet.
Perhaps with a cat it's not quite so bad if you let it out- it will just go out and kill wild animals like cute ickle birdies. By feeding it cat food, it should reduce the hunting instinct at least a little by satisfying the cat. It will not stop the instinct completely, but it will reduce the pressure. If you deprive the cat of its diet it will hunt more, thus essentially negating the philosophy behind NOT feeding it meat in the first place. If you can't look after an animal properly, you don't deserve to have it!

[Sakari]

Mistydawn, on 01 December 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

I understand your stance Bling, but if you were a Vegan say, killing and eating meat is a no-no, so if you had a pet dog or cat, how could you justify feeding them meat that you buy?

If that were the case, then you would also understand slowly killing a dog or cat by not feeding it what it needs would be a no-no.

This is from a Vet on that exact question :



Well, first up, the obvious: Cats are obligate carnivores. Offering them a vegan approach is about as biologically appropriate as feeding them granola bars. OK, so I exaggerate, but it’s not too far off.

For dogs, our understanding is murkier, given that studying wild dogs' anatomy, physiology and behavior tells us one thing (i.e., that they’re mostly carnivorous), and studying what domesticated lab-reared beagles can digest tells us another (i.e., that dogs digest vegetable protein better than we previously thought).

That said, even the beagle-wielding commercial pet food nutritionists who champion the benefits of soy protein and corn gluten are nowhere near recommending exclusively veggie diets. Most veterinary nutritionists have concluded that dogs are solidly omnivorous, with an emphasis on the kinds of foods their dentition would indicate they’re built to consume - that is, both cuspids for tearing and molars for grinding. Hence, a meat-based diet with other stuff thrown in.

Which is why I’ll not be pushing the dietary envelope with my patients, thank you very much. In fact, beagles being the most digestively capable example of any organism (with the possible exception of flesh-eating bacteria), in this case I think I’ll stick to what observing the natural world sans human intervention can teach us.

But what about people with religious issues, you ask?

It is one thing to source kosher or halal foods for your pet. It’s quite another to expect our pets to subsist on a vegan diet because we have a personal or political issue with consuming animal proteins.

After all, if you really want a vegetarian pet you can  adopt a rabbit, get a goat, consider horses or buy a guinea pig. There are plenty of vegetarian options for those who really want to share the experience with their pets. There is no need to inflict a biologically stressful condition on another species just because you happen to feel inclined towards such a diet for yourself.

Apples ... and oranges.

http://www.petmd.com...gs#.ULqs_4Y_JtQ


And I agree 100%

[HeartsAreForBreaking]

I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, but I am something called a pescatarian, not because I hate animals (I Love them as a matter of fact). I think to inflict suffering upon another living thing as an act of sadism is horrid, but at the same time I don't think animals experience prolonged pain to supply my personal eating choices or undergo horrific treatment in the process. I do feed my dog regular dog food and select table scraps here and there, but I also make sure she does have a certain amount of meat in her diet. Why? Again, because I Love animals and despite what people may say to make themselves feel better, if someone put the same thing on a plate in front of you every single day of your life, you'd get bored with it. That's one big reason, and another being similar to what I think another poster said before me, that dogs a thousand years ago weren't eating kibble, and likewise in the wild today. My dog isn't even close to being fully domesticated by breed/species, and between my own research and talking to her vet, I've reached the conclusion there's a certain amount of meat that she needs to help maintain her health, and I believe if I knew that number and neglected it, I'd be hurting animals more so than I would be by eating them.

[G Donnelly]

I think people need to get over the hang-up of old habits dying hard because they're a sub-species of the grey wolf.
I can assure you if I statistically place Jammie Dodgers all over the house during the day my dogs are happy as larry.
But I'm sure they prefer meat especially sausages which gets them climbing up on the kitchen units.
Don't forget that humans have canines too and don't crave meat on a regular basis.
I'll admit though they are pretty handy when chowing down on a juicy steak.
So the original threadstarter can feed a dog whatever the eck they want.
However I gather cats are more fussy so you can't force feed them vegetables.
Lady Kasey made a significant point about them living in the wild.
They could well revert to type without our influence.