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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Vegan cats

42 replies

PartTimeEverything · 22/02/2020 12:22

Hi all - what is your opinion on vegan cat foods? Are there any that work, or is it just a terrible idea?

OP posts:
LowcaAndroidow · 22/02/2020 12:23

Cats aren’t vegan, they are obligate carnivores.

Sulkypatsy · 22/02/2020 12:24

Terrible terrible terrible idea, cats are obligated carnivores, they need meat, animal products to survive.

AfterSchoolWorry · 22/02/2020 12:25

🙄

Finfintytint · 22/02/2020 12:26

Just look at a Cat’s teeth. They are designed to eat meat.

Lorddenning1 · 22/02/2020 12:26

Ffs

NannyR · 22/02/2020 12:27

The committed vegan I know who has a rescue cat, feeds it meat. Like others have said, cats are carnivores - they need meat to survive.

FlamingoAndJohn · 22/02/2020 12:28

No.
I don’t like that I feed my cat meat and do what I can to ensure to what I do feed her is ethically sourced etc.
But she is a carnivore. That is what she needs.
If I want a cat then I have to accept that she will eat meet.

GulliBelle · 22/02/2020 12:28

A cat can't be vegan, it can only be fed a vegan diet, (and will 'self cater' when out of the house)

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 22/02/2020 12:28

I would have thought that an ethical vegan would have issues with pet 'ownership' anyway, tbh... But no, cats are absolutely carnivorous.

happystory · 22/02/2020 12:29

If I made my cat a vegan she'd just go out and eat more pigeons!

bananahood · 22/02/2020 12:29

I'm vegan. The cat isn't. Mainly because he can't make ethical decisions- because he's a cat. I made the choice to have a pet, part of that is meeting his needs which include meat. If you are so vegan that you're considering this then I would be asking why you think you should have a "companion animal" at all?

TheMemoryLingers · 22/02/2020 12:31

Cats need meat because they don't have the ability, unlike humans, to convert the proteins they need from vegetables. A cat fed on a vegan diet will lose its sight first because it won't get the taurine it needs, and then continue to deteriorate.

thecatneuterer · 22/02/2020 12:32

No, cats aren't omnivores, like people and dogs, they are carnivores. Without meat they die.

MashedSpud · 22/02/2020 12:33

A cat isn’t a rabbit or a tortoise.

bluenoir · 22/02/2020 12:34

I'm an omnivore and I don't feed my horses meat.

Shadowboy · 22/02/2020 12:37

Cats are unable to be healthy vegan. It would actually be cruel. The irony of a vegan trying to make a cat be vegan which actually constitutes animal cruelty.

It’s like that silly girl who bought a fennec fox and made it vegan and it became seriously mal-nourished

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 22/02/2020 12:37

Ridiculous idea and I'm a vegetarian. Pretty sure your cat will die Hmm

KezQueen · 22/02/2020 12:38

Your cat will eat you while you sleep

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 22/02/2020 12:39

Your cat will eat you while you sleep

😂

bingbangbing · 22/02/2020 12:40

This reply has been deleted

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bingbangbing · 22/02/2020 12:41

 @KezQueen

GrinGrinGrinGrin

Hopefully- be good to remove this individual from the gene pool.

HerRoyalFattyness · 22/02/2020 12:41

Your cat will eat you while you sleep
GrinGrinGrinGrin

Allcrimps · 22/02/2020 12:42

A cat can certainly eat vegan food. For a short time. Then it will die.

Trees2905 · 22/02/2020 12:42

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LabiaMinoraPissusFlapus · 22/02/2020 12:45

I am vegan and prepare all my cats' food myself (I cook them meat and a few vegetables and add in vitamins and minerals including taurine). One of my cats did eat some tofu that I left out on the side by mistake and seemed to like it! She will eat anything though!