Aug 18 2011
Vegan…Cats?
Last year HSUS unveiled a brand of vegetarian dog food called “Humane Choice,” to much derision. It’s one thing for HSUS to promote meat-free or vegan diets to people, but asking people to force it on Rover is another matter. The idea of meat-free dogs also faced a bit of professional skepticism.
On Tuesday the Toronto Sun reported that the notorious wingnuts at PETA—an HSUS ally in the push for animal rights—are now pushing for cats to go vegan. That’s certainly odd—cats are obligate carnivores, after all.
The Sun dialed up HSUS for its take on PETA’s attempts to get cats to “go veg.” Fortunately, an HSUS representative panned the idea, telling the paper that “I hope this is not a trend, or we will be seeing a lot of sick cats. It is not appropriate to feed cats a vegan diet.” (This is one of the few times we’ve seen HSUS and PETA disagree on something.)
It’s refreshing to see HSUS take a sane approach. But (and there always seems to be a “but” with HSUS), an HSUS representative appeared to take a different line regarding vegan cats just a few weeks ago at HSUS’s annual “Taking Action for Animals” conference.
Here’s HSUS’s “Corporate Outreach Manager” responding during an audience Q&A at a session on farm-animal issues:
There is a new vegetarian cat food on the market that’s available from websites like Vegan Essentials, it’s called Ami, and my cats actually prefer that when we give them the meat kibble and the vegetarian or vegan kibble.
OK—that’s not an explicit endorsement of getting cats to go vegan. But it sure sounds implicit to us—at least, it's definitely not in tune with the "not appropriate" line from the HSUS spokeswoman quoted in the Sun. Not to mention that this HSUS staffer gives out a specific brand for vegan cat food (as well as dog food).
She does hedge her statement by saying that “I would certainly also do a lot of reading…and probably work closely with your veterinarian.” Helpfully, the Toronto Sun asked a veterinarian for his take on vegan cats. And it just so happens that the paper asked former HSUS Vice President Michael W. Fox, himself an outspoken animal rights activist.
Fox blasted the idea of putting cats on a vegan diet regimen, saying: “To impose some vegetarian or vegan ideology on one's cat is to go against the nature of cats and their right to be fed a biologically-appropriate diet.” (It sounds like some folks at HSUS and PETA didn’t get the memo.)
People are certainly free to make their own choices about what diet to follow based on their personal ethics. But if animal rights activists put their ideology in the doggie dish, the pets—excuse us, “companion animals”—could be the ones that suffer.
Comments
Cats can not live on a vegan diet!!! They need a certain enzyme than is only available in meat. Cats have evolved to be exclusive carnivores. This is a BAD IDEA!!!!
And here I recently put my carnivores on a strictly meat no grain diet. Oh well, they’ll visit the vet much less than those on the veggie diet. Looks like the Vet offices will see an increase of services rendered and office visits. (not from my fur babies though- they’re spoiled rotten and eat what is biologically appropriate for them).
For what it is worth, Animal Planet also lists vegetables and a “vegan diet” among its “top five human foods for cats” page. Read what they say here:
“If you’d like to make your entire household vegetarian or vegan, including your cat, talk to your vet first. There is some controversy over whether vegetarian or vegan diets are enough for cats, but most vets agree that meat offers the necessary vitamins and minerals.”
http://animal.discovery.com/healthy-pets/cat-health-101/5-human-foods-cats-can-eat-02.html
This proves the so-called animal rights activists are morons.
EricWi - Bear in mind, Animal Planet is also running “Whale Wars”, a slaveringly adoring paen to the militant activities of Sea Shepherd. Anything Animal Planet says about forcing obligate carnivores to eat like feedlot cows should be taken with a grain of salt the size of the Rock of Gibraltar.
BADKarma- Oh, I know. The entire Animal Planet channel and most of its programming in general has become little more than another HSUS/AR movement media mouthpiece over the last several years. This should come as little surprise since HSUS (along with ASPCA) is listed as a Animal Planet R.O.A.R. sponsor.
http://animal.discovery.com/roar/partners/partners.html
You may or may not already know, Animal Planet now airs numerous programs that exploit common phobias, falsehoods, and misunderstandings of many different animals, most noticeably reptiles and other “exotic” animals. They do this through the usage of outright scare tactics and misrepresentations of the animals (and those that keep and enjoy them), greatly exaggerating the levels of danger they pose to humans through shows such as “killer aliens”, “man eating super snakes” and “fatal attractions”. They now even have their own hit piece against exotics that reads almost verbatim to an AR page. They go even further in demonizing animal ownership by seemingly deliberately distorting and blurring the lines of legitimate “mental illnesses” by wildly applying animal hoarding standards to where they are not justified or appropriate. They have sent numerous “recruiters” many times now to many of the reptile forums I inhabit, seeking “animal hoarders” and other “participants” for their show. And almost every time, we have shown them the door.
The bottom line is that none of these shows either you or I have mentioned even remotely resemble the educational programming that Discovery Communications/Animal Planet has aired and was founded upon 5-10 years ago and prior to the passing of Steve Irwin. Instead, they are what I can only best describe as little more than sensationalist tabloid style “infotainment”, with a touch of Jerry Springer Show style drama. It is propaganda designed to greatly exaggerate and misrepresent the level of danger associated with keeping reptiles and many other exotics (never mind the fact that statistically, many domestics including dogs, cattle, horses, and swine all contribute to far greater numbers of human accidents, injuries, and deaths every year than any captive reptiles have combined in the past 10-15 years). Even things like toasters, vending machines, ladders, and bathtubs kill far more people every year than reptiles…
@ericWI
Agree fully- those shows sicken me- dogs kill more people yearly than pet snakes- I have one and people freak out about him (he’s a corn snake for the love of all decency- what’s the worse he’ll do? Eat the mice and rats running around outside! Scandal!). They all say “What if he gets out!? He may try to eat you! I’d like to see a corn snake do that… lol.
I noticed the same thing about Animal Planet’s decline of quality shows over the past couple years. I used to watch them a lot and now can barely stomach the programs so have found other channels with more intelligent, educational or at least entertaining programing on animals and the natural world. Thankfully Nat Geo has the new Nat Geo Wild channel, and their programs are at least about animals and are usually educational. Animal Planet spews too much AR stuff too, so as a dog trainer, I won’t watch them in a “don’t reward that behavior” action. And what is that “suprisingly human” new motto they have recently added? If it’s ANIMAL Planet, why does it have to be human? It makes no sense. Oh wait amount, animal rights activists are really all about humans aren’t they?
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Humans can choose to be vegan or not. Animals must eat the closest they can to what they would eat in nature. Cats are carnivores to the end. Their need for protein is in the form of meat and fish..not tofu or minerals and vitamins. Even people get sick from being vegan if they dont get all their nutritional needs met. We tamed cats and dogs they had and stillhave not choice but to be bred over and over again and reproduce because of our stupidity and ignorance and laziness oh and lets no forget greed. Felines cheetahs, tigers, house cats need meat. There is nothing you can produce or concoct that will replace it and your cats will die of kidney or some other organ failure and it will be your fault hope you can live with that. Why dont you contact Tufts University or the experts at the veterinary teaching hospitals and universities who know something more about animal specifically feline nutrition before you start touting your views and opinions about what they should eat because you are vegan. If you do this to a feline then you are an abuser of these helpless animals who rely on you for their good health and happiness. I am disgusted with anyone who thinks they know better than a reputable veterinarian. Hey vegans, do you know that the houses you live in are made with animal byproducts like glue etc??? why arent you living in huts then? whats stopping you from living purely vegan? Why make animals suffer because you are delusional about saving the world?? Live your own lives but dont make the animals suffer because you choose a certain lifestyle. Its really not fair to them…