Breaking the Last Tie to Cruelty: feeding companion animals

[Guest guest]

It took me more than 5 years after I became a vegetarian to finally arrive at

a truly meat-free (cruelty-free) house. In 1988, I was pleased to discover

VegePet, a nutritional supplement powder I add to home-cooked ingredients for

my 3 dogs AND my 4 cats. They are all very happy, healthy, and energetic,

and the experience for more than a decade with this God-send has been

successful.

 

They publish an excellent book, with recipes and background on the scientific

principles behind their product. You can find out more about the subject at

a Web site:

 

http://www.montanasat.net/vegepet/

 

As for the recipes, I cook for the dogs once every two weeks, and the cats

every month. I cook enough to put away in both the freezer and the

refridgerator.

There are many recipes, but the one for the dogs I've been using almost from

the beginning involves cooking a big batch of the cooked garbanzo beans in

water in a large covered pot for a few hours, mashing it well with a potato

masher, then adding rice and chopped potatoes/carrots, etc for the last hour,

letting it cool for a few hours or overnight, then adding a bit of soy sauce,

corn oil, and of course the powdered nutritional supplement, which for dogs

is called, " VegeDog " . The pot goes in the 'fridge when it's cool enough and

for daily feeding I ladle out the stew into three large bowls with

proportions of 3/4 content of rolled oats/water to make a cereal and 1/4

ratio of the stew. The dogs love it.

 

For cats it is a similar method, but I make a rough puree of the cooked

beans/vegetables after they have cooled, and add different oil (high-oleoic

safflower) and " VegeCat " powdered supplement for them. While pureeing in the

CuisineArt, I add just 1/8th ratio of rolled oats, and some frozen or fresh

corn. Then I divide up the food into small plastic, covered containers and

put them all in the freezer except for the first container, which is

refridgerated; I bring down another container from the 'fridge when the first

is half gone, so the new one can thaw. The cats like a bit of nutritional

yeast (not Brewer's yeast) sprinkled on their food when it is served.

 

The benefits are many, including the animals enjoying no obesity, more

energy, and cleaner teeth. For our vegetarian family, the benefits are also

ethical. (And the kitty pan is less offensive too!)

 

There is, in my experience, no transition period for dogs, and for cats,

usually one to 3 weeks is enough for even finicky eaters. The Web site and

their excellent book explain it all.

 

It is common for family and friends to raise (or furrow) their eyebrows when

told of vegetarian cats, but " the proof is in the pudding " for me. It is

very well worth the minimal cooking effort to provide a truly clear

conscience for ethical vegetarians. Your pets will live longer, and have no

typical health problems such as urinary infections, skin problems, or

indegestion. Even if you are just a part-time vegetarian, if you really knew

all the disgusting ingredients used in even the most highly-touted and

expensive pet foods, you'd make the change to vegetarian pet food immediately.

 

Thanking You for The Animals,

 

John Elliott and Family

Atlanta, Georgia

AtlantaGAIA

 

 

 

 

In a message dated 10/19/2000 1:59:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mom

writes:

 

<< Subj: feeding companion animals

10/19/2000 1:59:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time

mom

Reply-to:

 

How do vegan families deal with the problem of feeding their

companion

animals?? We have a dog, a cat, & fish. I know that our dog can be

fed a vege diet, but my understanding is that cats need to have meat.

Fish food is also, ironically, made out of fish - not a pleasant

thought.

 

I'd appreciate learning about how any of you handle the problem of

buying meat-based pet food for an otherwise vegan household. Thanks.

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

 

THANK YOU JOHN for your detailed explanation of the recipes and

cooking method you use for your pets. Since the death of our

14-year-old Akita dog (not vegan), I have been wondering what we would

do once we're ready to have a pet again, and was thinking of asking

the list for some real-life, long-term testimonials from owners of

vegan pets, especially cats. I'm going to save your note for future

reference.

 

Thanks again!

 

Warmly,

Emily

 

-

<AtlantaGaia

 

Cc: <mom

Thursday, October 19, 2000 8:24 PM

Breaking the Last Tie to Cruelty: Re: feeding

companion animals

 

 

| It took me more than 5 years after I became a vegetarian to finally

arrive at

| a truly meat-free (cruelty-free) house. In 1988, I was pleased to

discover

| VegePet, a nutritional supplement powder I add to home-cooked

ingredients for

| my 3 dogs AND my 4 cats. They are all very happy, healthy, and

energetic,

| and the experience for more than a decade with this God-send has

been

| successful.

|

| They publish an excellent book, with recipes and background on the

scientific

| principles behind their product. You can find out more about the

subject at

| a Web site:

|

| http://www.montanasat.net/vegepet/

|

| As for the recipes, I cook for the dogs once every two weeks, and

the cats

| every month. I cook enough to put away in both the freezer and the

| refridgerator.

| There are many recipes, but the one for the dogs I've been using

almost from

| the beginning involves cooking a big batch of the cooked garbanzo

beans in

| water in a large covered pot for a few hours, mashing it well with a

potato

| masher, then adding rice and chopped potatoes/carrots, etc for the

last hour,

| letting it cool for a few hours or overnight, then adding a bit of

soy sauce,

| corn oil, and of course the powdered nutritional supplement, which

for dogs

| is called, " VegeDog " . The pot goes in the 'fridge when it's cool

enough and

| for daily feeding I ladle out the stew into three large bowls with

| proportions of 3/4 content of rolled oats/water to make a cereal and

1/4

| ratio of the stew. The dogs love it.

|

| For cats it is a similar method, but I make a rough puree of the

cooked

| beans/vegetables after they have cooled, and add different oil

(high-oleoic

| safflower) and " VegeCat " powdered supplement for them. While

pureeing in the

| CuisineArt, I add just 1/8th ratio of rolled oats, and some frozen

or fresh

| corn. Then I divide up the food into small plastic, covered

containers and

| put them all in the freezer except for the first container, which is

| refridgerated; I bring down another container from the 'fridge when

the first

| is half gone, so the new one can thaw. The cats like a bit of

nutritional

| yeast (not Brewer's yeast) sprinkled on their food when it is

served.

|

| The benefits are many, including the animals enjoying no obesity,

more

| energy, and cleaner teeth. For our vegetarian family, the benefits

are also

| ethical. (And the kitty pan is less offensive too!)

|

| There is, in my experience, no transition period for dogs, and for

cats,

| usually one to 3 weeks is enough for even finicky eaters. The Web

site and

| their excellent book explain it all.

|

| It is common for family and friends to raise (or furrow) their

eyebrows when

| told of vegetarian cats, but " the proof is in the pudding " for me.

It is

| very well worth the minimal cooking effort to provide a truly clear

| conscience for ethical vegetarians. Your pets will live longer,

and have no

| typical health problems such as urinary infections, skin problems,

or

| indegestion. Even if you are just a part-time vegetarian, if you

really knew

| all the disgusting ingredients used in even the most highly-touted

and

| expensive pet foods, you'd make the change to vegetarian pet food

immediately.

|

| Thanking You for The Animals,

|

| John Elliott and Family

| Atlanta, Georgia

| AtlantaGAIA

|

|

|

|

| In a message dated 10/19/2000 1:59:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

mom

| writes:

|

| << Subj: feeding companion animals

| 10/19/2000 1:59:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time

| mom

| Reply-to:

|

|

| How do vegan families deal with the problem of feeding their

| companion

| animals?? We have a dog, a cat, & fish. I know that our dog can

be

| fed a vege diet, but my understanding is that cats need to have

meat.

| Fish food is also, ironically, made out of fish - not a pleasant

| thought.

|

| I'd appreciate learning about how any of you handle the problem of

| buying meat-based pet food for an otherwise vegan household.

Thanks.

|

|

|

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|

| For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG

website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for

families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.

|

|