Should Cats Go Vegan?

September 11, 2008

Posted by Kathy Covey, community blogger September 10, 2008 09:07AM

Categories: Health

Almost 15 years ago, I made the decision to remove meat and dairy from my diet. My dairy 'allergy' made it extremely uncomfortable to consume delectable cheese, the one thing to this day I still miss (vegan cheese is adequate but not quite what real dairy cheese is). It was much harder years ago to find palatable vegan food. Now that the trend to reduce the amount of animal products humans eat is more in vogue, non-meat options are plentiful. And, no, I am not a preachy vegan wanting everyone to stop eating meat or wearing leather.

It never occurred to me to make my Mack and Clio vegans at the same time. However, I discovered many of my co-workers at The Humane Society of the United States had converted their pets to a vegan or vegetarian diet.

While dogs can tolerate a vegetable base diet for the most part, the information I've read about cats indicates that they are true carnivores and need to eat meat protein to remain healthy.

One site states: Cats are obligate carnivores - that is, their digestive system is totally unsuited to break down the cell walls to release the nutrients in vegetable foods. (About.com:cats) I asked Marla J. McGeorge, DVM, The Cat Doctor, for her opinion. Dr. McGeorge told me: "Vegan diets do not provide the essential amino acids that cats are unable to metabolize, such as taurine, and they are way too high in carbohydrate (from vegetables and grains). Although supplements are available, there is no quality control of nutritional supplements, so there is no way to know if the taurine supplements contain a biologically active compound in the appropriate amount. People are omnivores and can synthesize many amino acids that cats cannot. Also people choose to be vegan for a variety of reasons, many of which are ethical. I would argue that it is not unethical for an obligate carnivorous animal to eat meat - the very food that it needs to live.

And a vegetarian site reads: It's no coincidence that a cat eats grass to induce vomiting to get rid of the hair collected in its stomach. The cat's digestive system cannot convert plant based nutrients in to the form that its body can utilize. (Essential Vegetarian) This web article goes on to explain what is lacking in a cat's make up that forces Kitty to remain a carnivore - a little too scientific for me to put here so you can read it for yourself.

There are also some out there with evidence and information supporting a vegetarian feline diet, claiming that the synthetic form of taurine (the amino acid cats cannot synthesize and is found in animal flesh protein) is a successful alternative.

Synthetic taurine is used in commercial (non vegetarian) cat foods. Vegetarian cats should be fed it as a supplement. Taurine deficiency can result in blindness and even death. Cats also require pre-formed vitamin A and arachidonic acid. (International Vegetarian Union)

There is so much science surrounding this simple question!

Curious if anyone had tried to convert their cat to a vegan diet, I asked the largest group of cat lovers I know, the Cat Adoption Team volunteer group. Nobody responded that they successfully placed their cat on a vegan diet. Many never even considered it; others had done some research into it and banished the thought as quick as it came. Edward, a CAT volunteer and vegetarian himself, commented: "I doubt a vegetarian diet for cats will ever be possible, but I don't like using animal products for myself or my pets." However, he does feed his felines meat-containing cat food.

I'll continue to keep Mack and Clio on the food that is working so well for them - a food that is meat base (venison to be exact).

Tags: carnivore, cat, cat food, taurine, vegan, vegetarian

Peter vv