Vegetarian, Vegan and Animal Rights

nadine_mn

(3,702 posts) Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:46 PM Jul 2012

What do you feed your pets? Are they on vegetarian diets? [View all]

We are switching over to vegetarian diets and we can get our full health benefits from grains, legumes, and plant based foods. But we aren't sure what to do with our pets. We have 2 dogs and a cat. I think our dogs can go veg, but can cats?

Just wondering what your experiences have been

49 replies

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What do you feed your pets? Are they on vegetarian diets? [View all] nadine_mn Jul 2012 OP

My littermate cats wil ONLY eat dry cat food. HockeyMom Jul 2012 #1

Plenty of cats dislike canned cat food AND cooked meats. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #11

My cat also will only eat dry food Marrah_G Aug 2012 #41

Please do not feed your Cat a vegetarian diet!! Sylvarose Jul 2012 #2

Thank you for the link...I think I need to focus on better quality food nadine_mn Jul 2012 #7

Cats must have meat. Graybeard Jul 2012 #3

omg _ saw a show on animal planet once... Marrah_G Aug 2012 #42

Cats cannot go vegetarian. They will not get essential nutrients. pnwmom Jul 2012 #4

Cats are obligate carnivores. They have to eat meat. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2012 #5

Thank you... I just freaked out nadine_mn Jul 2012 #9

Some people make their own pet food. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2012 #13

you could slowly move them over to raw meat if you lunasun Jul 2012 #26

There is decent commercial kitty food obamanut2012 Dec 2012 #47

Check with your veterinarian. femmocrat Jul 2012 #6

Dogs are omnivores, like humans, and can safely eat a vegetarian diet. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #10

Here is a scientific article addressing this issue, if anyone is interested: femmocrat Jul 2012 #15

I AM a veterinarian. Dogs are omnivores. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #17

OK, sorry. nt femmocrat Jul 2012 #21

Agree. But I have to tell you, doc. My doggies have always preferred meat to veggies. SlimJimmy Jul 2012 #29

Hey, I'm the last person you'll find promoting vegetarianism for omnivores. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #32

I agree. My wife calls the cat the "bird murderer", but I keep trying to tell her that the cat SlimJimmy Jul 2012 #33

Feeding a cat a vegetarian diet is grievous animal abuse. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #8

ok, I was just asking a question... I haven't changed a damn thing nadine_mn Jul 2012 #12

I wasn't accusing YOU of anything. I don't know anything about YOU, lol. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #16

Carnivores eat MEAT! Viva_La_Revolution Jul 2012 #14

My dogs are vegetarian. flvegan Jul 2012 #18

The only people I know who have had good luck in the long term feeding vegan foods to cats LeftyMom Jul 2012 #19

I know a couple folks that had success with Wysong flvegan Jul 2012 #20

Linda McCartney, the ultimate "veggie" Freddie Jul 2012 #30

Nope. My dogs get meat. RebelOne Jul 2012 #22

Dogs are omnis, not carnivores (for those who weren't aware). Doremus Jul 2012 #23

Oh, please, dogs are evolved from wolves, RebelOne Jul 2012 #24

Apparently you missed the post upthread Doremus Jul 2012 #25

anything but commercial feed! indie9197 Jul 2012 #27

also I know that dogs are omnivores because... indie9197 Jul 2012 #28

My dogs love veggies as snacks nadine_mn Aug 2012 #38

commercial food is still CAFO indie9197 Aug 2012 #43

Please don't turn your cats vegetarian! Ednahilda Jul 2012 #31

My dog won't even eat treats that aren't meat flavored undeterred Jul 2012 #34

We have a snake. Codeine Jul 2012 #35

I am a vegan and I feed my cats canned food ginnyinWI Aug 2012 #36

There is a dry cat food you might want to try Marrah_G Aug 2012 #40

Friskies is not good food obamanut2012 Dec 2012 #48

FUCK NO!!! Cats and dogs have short digestive tracts meant for meat-based diets. HopeHoops Aug 2012 #37

I have a cat. He is a carnivore. Marrah_G Aug 2012 #39

This will help you with the dogs Revanchist Nov 2012 #44

I've used this -- great site obamanut2012 Dec 2012 #49

My Rottweiler would not eat anything unless it had meat in it. RebelOne Nov 2012 #45

Cats have to have protein from animal sources obamanut2012 Dec 2012 #46