So What Exactly Is Wrong With Vegan Cat Food?

[Alejandra Rico]

There are really good explanations here explaining why cats (and doggies!) by no means can live happy and healthy lives on a vegan diet. I totally agree with what has been said (though I studied in Medicine Veterinay that dog's origin is not clear at all and that there are more species, such as jackals, involved in the creation of the ancestors of our domestic dogs... all of them carnivore, of course).

I want to add a little thought to this whole discussion. Carnivores are necessary. There is nothing moral or inmoral in the food chain, it is just the way things are. Without carnivores to control herbivores porpulation, our world would be unsustainable, so I do not see the point on demonizing carnivores and forcing them to be something that their bodies are not meant to be.

 

[orange&white]

A cat fed an unprocessed vegan diet would die pretty quickly.

...versus slightly less quickly on processed vegan "cat food". You get a few more months to watch their health suffer.

 

[Willowy]

Oh, I imagine a synthetically-supplemented hydrolyzed-protein vegan kibble could probably keep them alive for a fair amount of time. Maybe not entirely healthy, but alive. It's not so different from, say, a very cheap kibble that's mostly made of corn. But ugh.

Whereas, if you feed your cat salad greens, they aren't going to last long, if they eat it at all.

 

[Elfilou]

Some of you guys are being really hypocritical here, lol. "Oh yeah everything about a cats skull and physique says that they are carnivores." Okay, everything about a humans skull and physique says we are frugivores. We can still eat meat. Not without slowly developing heart disease and clogging our arteries we can't, so our bodies clearly aren't designed to deal with processing all that cholesterol and fat like carnivores are, who have super short intestines and push the rotting flesh out before they absorb this. Ever heard of a cat with cardiovascular disease? Nope, their species arteries don't clog up like ours. They are truly designed to eat meat, unlike humans.

Do you drool when you see a tasty pig running down the street? Do you feel an instinctive drive to run over there and bite the animal in its neck and feast on its living flesh cause you're so hungry and want some bacon? No? Well guess what that's because you aren't supposed to eat meat. People hypocritically march their asses over to the supermarket, buy a carcass in a neatly wrapped package, cook it, spice it with plants to make it taste less dead, eat it and then have the audacity to say they're on top of the foodchain. Ha!

People here saying that science isn't needed to prove that cats need meat are crazy too. The scientific consensus is that humans are omnivores, because we're scavengers who would eat anything they found. This means our bodies can process any food we shove into it, but doesn't mean we thrive on the foods we shove into it. Cats bodies can process plants. Badly, just as badly as our bodies process meat, but they can. Doesn't mean they thrive on it.

Just so much hypocrisy in this thread. Including from me, as I still eat vegetarian when I'm not home simply to make my life easier when I'm in a restaurant. Even though I believe my body isn't designed to process another species' boob secretions, (because how natural is it for any species to drink breastmilk after infancy?) demonstrated by my clogged butthole the day after I eat those things.

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Some of you guys are being really hypocritical here, lol. "Oh yeah everything about a cats skull and physique says that they are carnivores." Okay, everything about a humans skull and physique says we are frugivores. We can still eat meat. Not without slowly developing heart disease and clogging our arteries we can't, so our bodies clearly aren't designed to deal with processing all that cholesterol and fat like carnivores are, who have super short intestines and push the rotting flesh out before they absorb this. Ever heard of a cat with cardiovascular disease? Nope, their species arteries don't clog up like ours. They are truly designed to eat meat, unlike humans.

Do you drool when you see a tasty pig running down the street? Do you feel an instinctive drive to run over there and bite the animal in its neck and feast on its living flesh cause you're so hungry and want some bacon? No? Well guess what that's because you aren't supposed to eat meat. People hypocritically march their asses over to the supermarket, buy a carcass in a neatly wrapped package, cook it, spice it with plants to make it taste less dead, eat it and then have the audacity to say they're on top of the foodchain. Ha!

People here saying that science isn't needed to prove that cats need meat are crazy too. The scientific consensus is that humans are omnivores, because we're scavengers who would eat anything they found. This means our bodies can process any food we shove into it, but doesn't mean we thrive on the foods we shove into it. Cats bodies can process plants. Badly, just as badly as our bodies process meat, but they can. Doesn't mean they thrive on it.

Just so much hypocrisy in this thread. Including from me, as I still eat vegetarian when I'm not home simply to make my life easier when I'm in a restaurant. Even though I believe my body isn't designed to process another species' boob secretions, (because how natural is it for any species to drink breastmilk after infancy?) demonstrated by my clogged butthole the day after I eat those things.

So your point is that (according to you) as humans can eat meat, at the cost of developing health problems, cats should eat vegan at the cost of developing health problems too? Because I just don't see the point of your post otherwise.

In most areas, humans were seasonal eaters, meaning that they ate fruits and vegetables when they were available and hunted to get ready for the cold seasons, in which such resources were difficult or impossible to find. They were omnivores. Period. In some areas they had to be strict carnivores, and in some areas they didn't need to eat other animals because fruits and vegetables were available during the whole year, but that doesn't mean the species was less omnivore.

I think it is great that some people can be vegan. But, personally, my body does not well gith vegetables. I love veggies, but they are not good for me, as they have exactly the same effect on me than having lactose. And I like raw meat. My stomach accepts it way better than vegetables. This doesn't mean I cannot eat vegetables, but that if I ate a significative amount of them for a long period I should find a job in which I can work from the toilet. I know this from experience, as for a year and a half I strictly dieted and barely had meat (though I had fish once a day) and it was close to my very own version of hell. My intestines ached as much as when I drank milk.

So not everyone can be vegan, not even vegetarian which, anyway, has nothing to do with the thread in which we were talking about cats and why they cannot live on a vegan diet. It was not an excuse for you to come and judge others. I am sure that there are thousands of vegan forums where you can do it.

 

[Neo_23]

Some of you guys are being really hypocritical here, lol. "Oh yeah everything about a cats skull and physique says that they are carnivores." Okay, everything about a humans skull and physique says we are frugivores. We can still eat meat. Not without slowly developing heart disease and clogging our arteries we can't, so our bodies clearly aren't designed to deal with processing all that cholesterol and fat like carnivores are, who have super short intestines and push the rotting flesh out before they absorb this. Ever heard of a cat with cardiovascular disease? Nope, their species arteries don't clog up like ours. They are truly designed to eat meat, unlike humans.

Do you drool when you see a tasty pig running down the street? Do you feel an instinctive drive to run over there and bite the animal in its neck and feast on its living flesh cause you're so hungry and want some bacon? No? Well guess what that's because you aren't supposed to eat meat. People hypocritically march their asses over to the supermarket, buy a carcass in a neatly wrapped package, cook it, spice it with plants to make it taste less dead, eat it and then have the audacity to say they're on top of the foodchain. Ha!

People here saying that science isn't needed to prove that cats need meat are crazy too. The scientific consensus is that humans are omnivores, because we're scavengers who would eat anything they found. This means our bodies can process any food we shove into it, but doesn't mean we thrive on the foods we shove into it. Cats bodies can process plants. Badly, just as badly as our bodies process meat, but they can. Doesn't mean they thrive on it.

Just so much hypocrisy in this thread. Including from me, as I still eat vegetarian when I'm not home simply to make my life easier when I'm in a restaurant. Even though I believe my body isn't designed to process another species' boob secretions, (because how natural is it for any species to drink breastmilk after infancy?) demonstrated by my clogged butthole the day after I eat those things.

Cool, I’m going to eat some steak now.

 

[AbbysMom]

Just a reminder that the topic of this thread is VEGAN CAT FOOD. Some of the comments are getting much to personal. If you want to debate what a human should eat, please do so in the In My Opinion forum.

 

[Merlin77]

Okay, so, from what I can gather from science, it is possible for cats to "go vegan". However, this requires:

-a LOT of synthetic supplements
-careful bloodwork checks to ensure good health
-actually getting the cat to eat those "yucky" fruits and veggies
-very precise recipe making, using precise ingredients, precise measuring...
-risking a nutritional imbalance

Now, that being said, it can be done. In theory. I haven't seen any studies about vegan cats. Perhaps, if the diet is done correctly a cat could live to a fine age. Would they be in good health? Would they have good energy? What about their dental health?

Like others have said, cats are obligate carnivores. So they need the nutrition found in mice, squirrels, voles, etc. Does this mean we can "recreate" a meal, with supplements? Will a chemically made meal provide the same benefits as an actual meal? It should, technically, be able to. But think of how hard this will be.

Of course, it is unwise to force a decision upon a unsuspecting animal. If the day comes when it truly is necessary, for the future of a healthy Earth for cats to go vegan, the action is somewhat justifiable. Yet now, it could be considered "cruel" (though the owner's heart would still be in the right place.)

A way I like to look at the concept of veganism for cats is the following:

Veganism: Pros:
-reduced biological footprint
-reduced animal cruelty
-if you make your own recipe, you know what's in the food
-some (weird) cats like fruits and veggies

Veganism: Cons:
-cat could die, or grow sick, from malnutrition
-pretty expensive
-you are using synthetic supplements... not ideal
-very hard to make a perfectly balanced recipe
-dental health of cat will suffer
-cleaning the litterbox will not be fun
-your cat will most likely have less energy and a suppressed immune system.

Meat-Diet: Pros:
-it's meat! The cat is meant to eat this!
-can be cheaper (if buying low-quality food. Raw food is obviously more expensive)
-the cats will LOVE it
-they are hunters, meat satisfies their internal, instinctual needs
-easier to make/buy
-provides cats with the nutrition they need (raw food is best because the use of supplements can be quite low, and the nutritional makeup of the meal is ready for eating)
-raw meat diets make cat poop less stinky

Meat-Diet: Cons:
-animal cruelty. I personally would not want to buy meat from someone who gets it at a factory farm
-larger biological footprint
-can be a little gross, if you are feeding raw
-low-quality foods can be loaded with fillers and synthetic supplements that can harm your cat (like the vitamin K I've heard about...)
-low-quality food is also going to be hard on your nose when you clean the litter

I've probably missed some points, so feel free to correct me. I think the biggest factor in the reasons of people making their cats vegan is the question of: Is the meat raised well? How is this affecting my biological footprint?

So, I think the best course of action is to get your cat food from a supplier that uses cruelty-free meat, free-run eggs, organic ingredients, locally-sourced food, and preferably look into raw feeding.

That's a rather long list of things, though, isn't it? And it's so hard to find a food that follows those rules... but it also within our budget.

In my opinion, it is better to feed your cat meat (the diet it was designed for!) and cut your biological footprint in other ways (in other words, turn off your electronics and conserve energy!). We're all on this planet together.

Okay, end of rant. I guess I should take my own advice and turn off the laptop now

 

[mskatz]

For the record, by the way, I will attempt to READ everything presented on this forum //// -- I really want to know what cats can and cannot handle -- FIRST TOPIC : I believe people REALLY want to KNOW whether or not cats can handle a Vegan diet -- We all understand what you're saying AND it well may be your view prevails in the end BUT let's go back to the very beginning : (1) cats were first found in what geographical location? (2) what foods were available to these cats?; (3) we need to do much research BUT maybe facts are already out there; (3) are cats OBLIGATE meat-eaters because there was nothing else available OR with a wide variety of foods present, can they thrive on a different diet? - If we can get accurate answers to these questions, we can make better decisions for our animals and life for us humans can run smoother -- SECOND TOPIC: foods are now being manufactured in labs -- e.g., meat is made from the “body” of a cow BUT cow was not killed (isn't this great news!) -- meat was grown in a lab from cow stem cells by a company ...

 

[Neo_23]

FIRST TOPIC : I believe people REALLY want to KNOW whether or not cats can handle a Vegan diet -- We all understand what you're saying AND it well may be your view prevails in the end BUT let's go back to the very beginning : (1) cats were first found in what geographical location? (2) what foods were available to these cats?; (3) we need to do much research BUT maybe facts are already out there; (3) are cats OBLIGATE meat-eaters because there was nothing else available OR with a wide variety of foods present, can they thrive on a different diet? - If we can get accurate answers to these questions, we can make better decisions for our animals and life for us humans can run smoother -- SECOND TOPIC: foods are now being manufactured in labs -- e.g., meat is made from the “body” of a cow BUT cow was not killed (isn't this great news!) -- meat was grown in a lab from cow stem cells by a company ...

The question of why cats are obligate carnivores is completely different from whether humans should try to turn them into vegans when they are already obligate carnivores.

 

[Willowy]

(1) cats were first found in what geographical location? (2) what foods were available to these cats?

(1) From genetic testing, we know that domestic cats are descended from the Little African Wildcat.

(2) They eat rodents and birds. Not leaves and grass. They have as much chance to eat those foods as any animal in their habitat, like, say, marmots.

are cats OBLIGATE meat-eaters because there was nothing else available OR with a wide variety of foods present, can they thrive on a different diet?

We've had thousands of years to figure that out. Cats chose to live around humans because human trash attracts rodents and birds. Dogs chose to live around humans because they like human trash . Cats have always hunted with very little scavenging (unless food is very scarce), dogs have always mainly scavenged and occasionally hunted. Similar beginnings, different diets. By their own choice.

 

[mservant]

There are many arguments for humans to live by a vegan diet: assuming they are in a position to do so in a well informed balanced manner recent research suggests it can be the healthiest diet for a long human life. However, transferring this across to another species is not something I feel comfortable with. In terms of research to support or deter humans from attempting a vegan diet for their cats, I think the following article here on TCS is a useful starting point, and in particular the following text:


The introduction in S. Thiess et al’s. study (S. Thiees et al. Effect of high carbohydrate and high fat diet on plasma metabolite levels and on iv glucose tolerance test in intact and neutered male cats, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2004) 6, 207-218) nicely summarizes the general agreement and understanding regarding the unique feline metabolism and natural dietary adaptations:

“The cat during its evolutionary development has tightly adapted to a diet high in protein (~54% of DM) and low in carbohydrates (~8% of DM) (Scott, 1981), with its natural diet consisting of food of animal origin only (Lindemann, 1953; Rohrs, 1987). This adaptation is well reflected by its unique metabolism of nutrients, which makes the cat a true and strict carnivore. When compared to the omnivorous dog, cats have lower activities of carbohydrate digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract (Kienzle, 1993a,c), slower glucose incorporation rate into glycogen (Ballard, 1965) and elongated glucose elimination time in the glucose tolerance test (Kienzle, 1989). These facts imply that the cat as a carnivorous animal is not well adapted to readily metabolize large glucose loads.

On a typical carnivorous diet, which is low in carbohydrates, the feline liver is able to provide sufficient amounts of glucose to fuel the glucose dependent tissues of the body (Ballard, 1965). The high protein content of the diet supplies the steadily high active gluconeogenic pathways with a continuous source of substrates (Rogers et al., 1977). On the basis of all these facts, no dietary requirement for carbohydrates was established for cats (MacDonald et al., 1984). On the other hand commercial cat foods often contain considerable amounts of carbohydrates, mainly as starch (De Wilde and D’Heer, 1982; Morris et al., 1977). According to the carnivore connection theory of Brand Miller and Colagiuri (1994), unnaturally high carbohydrate intake in carnivores--especially that with high glycemic index--may contribute to the development of diabetes mellitus. Such diets, through evoking higher postprandial insulin responses might lead to over- stimulation of the pancreatic b cells and to their exhaustion and eventually to diabetes mellitus…”

 

[mskatz]

The question of why cats are obligate carnivores is completely different from whether humans should try to turn them into vegans when they are already obligate carnivores.

You did NOT make any reference to my SECOND TOPIC about manufacturing meat in a lab -- I believe one of the reasons cat owners DREAM ABOUT making their cats Vegan is due to the horrors, dangers, immorality of KILLING/slaughtering animals, in general. -- These lab-made meats would be perfect for obligate carnivores -- the cats get their meal and NO ONE gets hurt.

 

[mskatz]

Oh, I imagine a synthetically-supplemented hydrolyzed-protein vegan kibble could probably keep them alive for a fair amount of time. Maybe not entirely healthy, but alive. It's not so different from, say, a very cheap kibble that's mostly made of corn. But ugh.

Whereas, if you feed your cat salad greens, they aren't going to last long, if they eat it at all.

Thank you -- what you're saying is that even if you attempt to Veganize your cat, it won't last for long -- the cats ain't having it -- well, you said it -- you said they were "obligate carnivores." -- this brings me to my next related issue : Did you hear the latest? -- MEAT made in the lab? -- Imagine? -- It may just be the most important meatball in the history of the world --- It is made from the “body” of a cow -- But what makes it the most important meatball in the world is a COW WAS NOT KILLED -- It was grown in a lab from cow stem cells by a company you’ve probably never heard of, with a name that belies its technological importance: Memphis Meats -- Technology isn't just revolutionizing our lives -- it will revolutionize -- & spare -- the lives of billions of animals each & every year -- Someday -- hopefully within our lifetimes -- the technology that Memphis Meats is helping to pioneer will feed billions of people in the world WITHOUT A SINGLE COW BEING KILLED -- And they are not alone: Modern Meadow is creating lab-grown leather; New Wave Foods is replicating fish; Willow Cup Inc. is making lab-grown dairy.

 

[Neo_23]

You did NOT make any reference to my SECOND TOPIC about manufacturing meat in a lab -- I believe one of the reasons cat owners DREAM ABOUT making their cats Vegan is due to the horrors, dangers, immorality of KILLING/slaughtering animals, in general. -- These lab-made meats would be perfect for obligate carnivores -- the cats get their meal and NO ONE gets hurt.

What's the point? Most of the meat in pet food are by-products or unwanted meat from human food. The real problem is the human food industry. Also, I wouldn't want to feed my cat lab manufactured meat. That sounds silly. If you can't feed meat to your cat then get a rabbit.

 

[mskatz]

Some of you guys are being really hypocritical here, lol. "Oh yeah everything about a cats skull and physique says that they are carnivores." Okay, everything about a humans skull and physique says we are frugivores. We can still eat meat. Not without slowly developing heart disease and clogging our arteries we can't, so our bodies clearly aren't designed to deal with processing all that cholesterol and fat like carnivores are, who have super short intestines and push the rotting flesh out before they absorb this. Ever heard of a cat with cardiovascular disease? Nope, their species arteries don't clog up like ours. They are truly designed to eat meat, unlike humans.

Do you drool when you see a tasty pig running down the street? Do you feel an instinctive drive to run over there and bite the animal in its neck and feast on its living flesh cause you're so hungry and want some bacon? No? Well guess what that's because you aren't supposed to eat meat. People hypocritically march their asses over to the supermarket, buy a carcass in a neatly wrapped package, cook it, spice it with plants to make it taste less dead, eat it and then have the audacity to say they're on top of the foodchain. Ha!

People here saying that science isn't needed to prove that cats need meat are crazy too. The scientific consensus is that humans are omnivores, because we're scavengers who would eat anything they found. This means our bodies can process any food we shove into it, but doesn't mean we thrive on the foods we shove into it. Cats bodies can process plants. Badly, just as badly as our bodies process meat, but they can. Doesn't mean they thrive on it.

Just so much hypocrisy in this thread. Including from me, as I still eat vegetarian when I'm not home simply to make my life easier when I'm in a restaurant. Even though I believe my body isn't designed to process another species' boob secretions, (because how natural is it for any species to drink breastmilk after infancy?) demonstrated by my clogged butthole the day after I eat those things.

We're all trying to figure it out -- keep researching, keep getting to the truth -- by the way, Did you hear the latest -- MEAT made in the lab? -- Imagine? -- It may just be the most important meatball in the history of the world --- It is made from the “body” of a cow -- But what makes it the most important meatball in the world is a COW WAS NOT KILLED -- It was grown in a lab from cow stem cells by a company you’ve probably never heard of, with a name that belies its technological importance: Memphis Meats -- Technology isn't just revolutionizing our lives -- it will revolutionize -- & spare -- the lives of billions of animals each & every year -- Someday -- hopefully within our lifetimes -- the technology that Memphis Meats is helping to pioneer will feed billions of people in the world WITHOUT A SINGLE COW BEING KILLED -- And they are not alone: Modern Meadow is creating lab-grown leather; New Wave Foods is replicating fish; Willow Cup Inc. is making lab-grown dairy.

 

[mskatz]

What's the point? Most of the meat in pet food are by-products or unwanted meat from human food. The real problem is the human food industry. Also, I wouldn't want to feed my cat lab manufactured meat. That sounds silly. If you can't feed meat to your cat then get a rabbit.

Allow me to paraphrase: Read the following through to its end -- do NOT demonize the word "lab" -- Did you hear the latest? -- MEAT made in the lab? -- Imagine? -- It may just be the most important meatball in the history of the world --- It is made from the “body” of a cow -- But what makes it the most important meatball in the world is a COW WAS NOT KILLED -- It was grown in a lab from cow stem cells by a company you’ve probably never heard of, with a name that belies its technological importance: Memphis Meats -- Technology isn't just revolutionizing our lives -- it will revolutionize -- & spare -- the lives of billions of animals each & every year -- Someday -- hopefully within our lifetimes -- the technology that Memphis Meats is helping to pioneer will feed billions of people in the world WITHOUT A SINGLE COW BEING KILLED -- And they are not alone: Modern Meadow is creating lab-grown leather; New Wave Foods is replicating fish; Willow Cup Inc. is making lab-grown dairy.

 

[Neo_23]

Allow me to paraphrase: Read the following through to its end -- do NOT demonize the word "lab" -- Did you hear the latest? -- MEAT made in the lab? -- Imagine? -- It may just be the most important meatball in the history of the world --- It is made from the “body” of a cow -- But what makes it the most important meatball in the world is a COW WAS NOT KILLED -- It was grown in a lab from cow stem cells by a company you’ve probably never heard of, with a name that belies its technological importance: Memphis Meats -- Technology isn't just revolutionizing our lives -- it will revolutionize -- & spare -- the lives of billions of animals each & every year -- Someday -- hopefully within our lifetimes -- the technology that Memphis Meats is helping to pioneer will feed billions of people in the world WITHOUT A SINGLE COW BEING KILLED -- And they are not alone: Modern Meadow is creating lab-grown leather; New Wave Foods is replicating fish; Willow Cup Inc. is making lab-grown dairy.

Yes, I know, you posted it 10 times in this thread.

No thanks. I don't need meat made in a lab, I would sooner become a vegetarian. There is nothing wrong with a cow being killed for food. It's a part of nature - animals kill and eat each other in the wild all the time. The problem is the amount of waste and the inhumane practices in the human food industry. But the solution is not creating fake food. How wonderful it would be for those labs to one day control all human food supply though?

 

[mskatz]

Yes, I know, you posted it 10 times in this thread.

No thanks. I don't need meat made in a lab, I would sooner become a vegetarian. There is nothing wrong with a cow being killed for food. It's a part of nature - animals kill and eat each other in the wild all the time. The problem is the amount of waste and the inhumane practices in the human food industry. But the solution is not creating fake food. How wonderful it would be for those labs to one day control all human food supply though?

(1) This is NOT fake food; cloning has ALREADY taken place : it's exact replication of the original // (2) Here's the issue -- we both have DIFFERING value systems -- you're an animal products consumer because you BELIEVE humans are "meant to" eat animal products -- I, on the other hand, do NOT believe we are supposed to eat animal products -- because of our opposing points of view, defending our positions will take up quite a bit of space on this forum, so … (3) the REASON why Vegans want their pets also to go Vegan is because Vegans do NOT believe we humans are meant to eat animal products -- BUT, due to these great, smart scientists, REAL animal products will be copied in a lab, and thus, our cats will continue to get their proper nourishment from animal products (as per your opinion) -- what's more, think of all the animals who will NOT be slaughtered, think of all the animals who will NOT be used, abused, exploited, cruelly & depravedly killed -- in addition, the environment will reap huge benefits from NOT raising (for food) & killing animals.

 

[Neo_23]

(1) This is NOT fake food; cloning has ALREADY taken place : it's exact replication of the original // (2) Here's the issue -- we both have DIFFERING value systems -- you're an animal products consumer because you BELIEVE humans are "meant to" eat animal products -- I, on the other hand, do NOT believe we are supposed to eat animal products -- because of our opposing points of view, defending our positions will take up quite a bit of space on this forum, so … (3) the REASON why Vegans want their pets also to go Vegan is because Vegans do NOT believe we humans are meant to eat animal products -- BUT, due to these great, smart scientists, REAL animal products will be copied in a lab, and thus, our cats will continue to get their proper nourishment from animal products (as per your opinion) -- what's more, think of all the animals who will NOT be slaughtered, think of all the animals who will NOT be used, abused, exploited, cruelly & depravedly killed -- in addition, the environment will reap huge benefits from NOT raising (for food) & killing animals.

No, I don't believe that humans are necessarily meant to eat meat. I have no problem with people choosing to be vegans or vegetarians for themselves, but I personally do not choose that.

This is a separate issue from trying to convert an obligate carnivore into a vegan. You can make a choice for yourself but you have no right to make the choice for an entire species. If you have a problem with cats eating meat then get yourself a rabbit. And if you have a problem with animals being unnecessarily slaughtered then take it out on the human food industry instead of trying to "fix" nature.

It always baffles me how some vegans can profess so much "love" for animals yet they don't understand that many animals need to hunt and kill each other in a very bloody and gruesome way to survive. Animals are not fluffy stuffed animals that are around for your enjoyment and companionship. Animals don't live in your lovey dovey fluffy vegan imagined world. They have needs, and for cats one of those needs is eating some good juicy raw meat, not meat produced by cloned animals or any other lab-manufactured products. The issues of the animal slaughter industry are separate from the fact that cats are obligate carnivores. I am finished discussing this with you now.