I live a vegan lifestyle, but my pets do not. Should us vegans and vegetarians have a right to make our pets' vegan or vegetarian too? Meat and I have never had a cozy relationship. I stopped eating fish when I was eight years old because I could never bring myself to try seafood, and when I did eat meat it had to be cooked beyond well done.
Eventually I decided to stop eating meat and I never looked back. For fifteen years I was a vegetarian, and three years ago I decided to finally cross that last line and become a strict vegan. But in addition to living a vegan lifestyle and trying my best to respect life in all forms, I have a little coalition of carnivores in my home. This includes three cats and one feisty terrier - and I can't help but feel a severe pain to my conscience every time I crack open their food bags.
Searching for a remedy that would be healthy for my pets is one of the most hotly-debated topics within vegetarian and vegan discussion groups.
Do vegans and vegetarians have a right to make their pets' vegan or vegetarian too? Are organic pet foods really a better alternative? Are home-cooked meals more ethical?
I have met a few vegetarians who decided to raise their pets on vegetarian or vegan diets, but that is a road I cannot travel. With an educational background in animal nutrition and animal science, I have too much of an appreciation for the complexities of diet to believe that I could prepare healthy vegan or vegetarian meals for my pets.
True, there are some vegan and vegetarian pet foods on the market, but I still cannot agree with the concept. Cats are obligate carnivores and dogs are carnivores. Trying to control my pets' diet in this way leaves me uneasy; as if I am trying to turn them into something they are not.
To me, my vegan lifestyle isn't just about ethics - it is about a deep love for all living beings. I could never admire the lion any less than the gazelle or hold the deer above the eagle. And I could never resent my animals for their nutritional needs.
Completely easing those pangs of my conscious is another matter. For me, the ultimate solution would be to create fantastic homemade dishes for my pets with meats sourced from local organic farmers who treat their animals with all the respect and adoration that farm animals deserve.
Unfortunately, the ultimate solution is out of my budget, and I have yet to find those divine local organic farmers I've been looking for. Until I can bring this dietary vision for my pets to reality, I have reached a somewhat affordable alternative.
When I can, I purchase organic meats and ethically-sourced sea foods for my pets - which they really, really love - and to supplement their diet, I feed them pet foods that limit the environmental costs of their dietary needs. I also continually advocate for the improved treatment of farm animals, environmental conservation advances in farming practices, and for healthier commercial pet foods.
It isn't a perfect solution, and it isn't a solution I'm entirely comfortable with, but it's a conscientious price I'm willing to pay to care for my little carnivores.
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Please disregard my previous post! Thanks!
Interesting! I hope that everyone has a great weekend!
Cats are one thing, dogs are another. They shouldn't be discussed as though they have the same dietary needs. Dogs can easily thrive on a vegan diet. I've known quite a few vegan dogs and have two myself, all happy and healthy. They need Taurine and L-Carnitine to prevent cardio-myopathy, both of which normally come from meat but are available in synthetic forms that don't need to come from another animal. Dogs stopped being "natural" (whatever that means) when they stopped being wolves, so I wouldn't worry about that. Dogs don't choose what they eat; it's not like they mozy through supermarket aisles, making informed decisions. They eat whatever they can get, and as their provider, there's nothing wrong with making ethical decisions for your pets, as long as they're happy and healthy.
I applaud your decision. While I understand and fully respect anyone who wants to adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, you are correct that trying to turn our carnivorous pets into vegetarians/vegans is wrought with problems. Human beings have the option of choosing to adopt that lifestyle. Our pets don't. Cats in particular have a problem getting the necessary nutrients they need from non-meat sources. If given the choice, I'm sure they would choose to include meat in their diet. I think it's going against nature to try and force a carnivore to be other than what it is. If you truly have to have a vegan pet, get a rabbit. ;-)