Serious Plant based Pets
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No, because even if I were strictly vegetarian/vegan, I understand that the dietary requirements of other animals differ to my own, and I know that cats and dogs cannot support a diet lacking in meat. They're not going to live any sort of healthy life living that way. In short, I don't commit animal abuse.
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No. I am a vegetarian, but haven't put my cats and dogs on vegetarian diet, and do not want to experiment with that.
I love animals, and bet you do to if you are interested in plant-based diets for pets. However, if we undertake caring for another living thing then it becomes our responsibility to provide fully for their needs. While I can be fine without meat, cats and dogs have different dietary needs than we do as humans.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning meat is an essential part of their diet, they can't eat a substitute. The ingredient of taurine which comes from animal tissue is ubiquitous in reputable cat food. Without taurine the health of a cat will deteriorate eventually, it hinders their growth development, leads to blindness, heart failure. If a cat doesn't get ths key vitamins that only come from meat then sadly it dies.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/taurine-in-cats
https://pets.webmd.com/features/vegetarian-diet-dogs-cats
Dogs are also carnivores. Unlike cats dogs are scavengers that can make due when no meat is around, but just being able to survive in a taxing situation is not the same as thriving as Dr. Karen Baker points out below. I want any dogs I raise to reach their full potential, not live but with possible protein deficiencies, dental problems or anything that makes their life more of a challenge than it needs to be.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/health...04/amp/dog-cat-species-appropriate-diets.aspx
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/canine-nutrition/dogs-carnivores-omnivores/
If you are looking for a pet companion, but not comfortable with purchasing petfoods that include meat, then have you thought about a pet rabbit, turtle, goldfish, parrot, horse, iguana, guinea pig, rat? There are a lot of omnivores and herbivores that make good pets too.
If you have cats or dogs or are sure that you want to adopt one then be brave! They want meat, don't change their diet. Feed them what nature prefers they eat. There are some conscientiously-sourced pet food that use free-range and vegetarian-fed chicken, don't do animal testing, donate percentages of their proceeds to local animal shelters, and have many other positives that help animals and the environment. I opt instead to patronize those brands, rather than buying vegetarian cat or dog food. I see this as a middle path that enables me to give my pets all of the vitamins they potentially need, while still lessening the suffering of other animals in the world.
I hope that helps. If you ever want to talk with me about animals shoot me a pm
I love animals, and bet you do to if you are interested in plant-based diets for pets. However, if we undertake caring for another living thing then it becomes our responsibility to provide fully for their needs. While I can be fine without meat, cats and dogs have different dietary needs than we do as humans.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning meat is an essential part of their diet, they can't eat a substitute. The ingredient of taurine which comes from animal tissue is ubiquitous in reputable cat food. Without taurine the health of a cat will deteriorate eventually, it hinders their growth development, leads to blindness, heart failure. If a cat doesn't get ths key vitamins that only come from meat then sadly it dies.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/taurine-in-cats
https://pets.webmd.com/features/vegetarian-diet-dogs-cats
Dogs are also carnivores. Unlike cats dogs are scavengers that can make due when no meat is around, but just being able to survive in a taxing situation is not the same as thriving as Dr. Karen Baker points out below. I want any dogs I raise to reach their full potential, not live but with possible protein deficiencies, dental problems or anything that makes their life more of a challenge than it needs to be.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/health...04/amp/dog-cat-species-appropriate-diets.aspx
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/canine-nutrition/dogs-carnivores-omnivores/
If you are looking for a pet companion, but not comfortable with purchasing petfoods that include meat, then have you thought about a pet rabbit, turtle, goldfish, parrot, horse, iguana, guinea pig, rat? There are a lot of omnivores and herbivores that make good pets too.
If you have cats or dogs or are sure that you want to adopt one then be brave! They want meat, don't change their diet. Feed them what nature prefers they eat. There are some conscientiously-sourced pet food that use free-range and vegetarian-fed chicken, don't do animal testing, donate percentages of their proceeds to local animal shelters, and have many other positives that help animals and the environment. I opt instead to patronize those brands, rather than buying vegetarian cat or dog food. I see this as a middle path that enables me to give my pets all of the vitamins they potentially need, while still lessening the suffering of other animals in the world.
I hope that helps. If you ever want to talk with me about animals shoot me a pm
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I'm a vegetarian as well, but know that animals have different requirements than humans do. my cats are also outside cats, so we can't declaw them because they go outside. Our cats are somewhat wild, somewhat domesticated, so we put them on just a regular meat diet.
I love animals and it's for that reason I personally just cannot bring myself to buy meat. I know some vegetarians (and even vegans) will buy meat for pets or even if friends come over and they cook but I just personally will not. Therefore I could never have a cat and probably not a dog either given a dog's physiology is truly omnivore (unlike a human) so a vegan dog more than likely would not be healthy unlike a human with a balanced vegan diet who would potentially thrive.
I have no intention of settling down long term anywhere for the foreseeable future so I'm not too upset about it as I wouldn't want the responsibility of caring for another life right now anyway. But in future I could see myself opting for a tortoise as a viable pet for myself when (if) I do settle down.
I have no intention of settling down long term anywhere for the foreseeable future so I'm not too upset about it as I wouldn't want the responsibility of caring for another life right now anyway. But in future I could see myself opting for a tortoise as a viable pet for myself when (if) I do settle down.
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Noblejanobii
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Everyone's covered this but yeah, nah, putting animals on plant only diets is very dangerous. Our bodies are built for it, humans are omnivores. But cats and dogs? They are descended from carnivores. They need that meat. Their bodies cannot process plants very well if at all so they need to get their nutrients from elsewhere. Depriving them of their needed nutrients will slowly kill them and is animal abuse. You simply cannot do that to them. It is cruel and inhumane. Give your pets their needed meats.
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No and no. I find it very selfish and cruel
Chikara
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Imagine serving a salad to a cat.
What I mean is: absolutely not.
What I mean is: absolutely not.
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If I'm going to take care of an animal, then that means giving it the stuff best suited for it. If I object to that, then I don't get that animal. I know I worry too much about my cat's health to even dream of trying to put her on any sort of veggie diet.