Vegan diets are stricter than vegetarian diets, demanding complete abstinence from eating animal-based products (some vegetarian diets allow dairy and/or eggs). The majority of veterinarians assert that although many cats seem to do fine initially on vegan diets, problems may occur later on as there have been no long-term health outcome studies of such diets.
Vegan advocates argue that the health problems suffered by some vegan pets are caused by owners not implementing the diet properly. Unless an owner does a lot of research, consults with a knowledgeable veterinarian to make sure that all nutritional requirements are met, and monitors the cat’s health closely, there are significant medical risks associated with a vegan diet.
Vegan Diets and Feline Nutrition
Many of those who have switched their cats to vegan diets lack the know-how and resources to do it properly. Owners usually rely on pet food manufacturers to provide nutritionally complete foods, but there is a lack of quality control. This is particularly problematic with vegetarian and vegan cat foods for which nutritional balance is even more important. A study of two popular brands conducted by Gray et al. (2004) found them to be nutritionally inadequate, despite claims to the contrary on their packaging.
Many experts have expressed concerns about the lack of research into the effects of vegetarian and vegan diets on cats, and argue that vegetarian pet food manufacturers “should be willing to submit to the Association of American Feed Control Officials feeding trials for evaluation” (Jonas, n.d.). Concerns have also been expressed about artificial ingredients, such as the synthetic proteins and other supplements in vegetarian cat food.
Health Problems Associated with Vegan Diets for Cats
There are a number of health risks associated with meatless diets for cats. If a vegan food doesn’t supplement all the amino acids cats require, illness, blindness, and death may result. In addition, decreased protein intake can trigger urinary alkalinisation, which can cause urolithiasis (stone formation), potentially leading to life-threatening urinary obstruction (Blood & Studdert, 1988). There is also a risk of urinary infections due to altered bacterial flora (Knight, 13 July 2008). Vegan diets can be particularly dangerous for rapidly growing young cats, male cats (due to their narrower urethras), and pregnant cats (Heussner & Berman, 2009).
Another significant problem associated with plant-based diets for cats is that shifting the focus from protein to carbohydrate increases the likelihood of obesity and related health problems such as diabetes (Hofve, 18 November 2010). High-carbohydrate diets have also been implicated in other feline health problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease (see High-Carb Diets Cause Health Problems in Cats for more information about these health risks). However, it should be noted that many meat-based commercial cat foods are also high in carbohydrates due to the use of cheap grain filler, and thus present similar risks as high-carb vegan diets. In addition, the use of poor quality fish in tinned foods has been implicated as a factor in the increased rate of hyperthyroidism among cats.
How to Choose the Best Cat Food
You can reduce animal cruelty and the negative environmental impacts of factory farming by feeding your pets food made from organic, free-range meats. As for the unhealthiness of many commercial meat-based cat foods, the risk of health problems can be significantly reduced by choosing high protein cat foods that are free of the following ingredients:
- Meat by-products, meat meal, and meat derivatives (often feathers, hooves, hair, meat from sick animals, condemned carcasses, etc.)
- Artificial flavourings, colourings, and preservatives
- Sugar and other sweeteners (such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and sorbitol)
For more information about plant-based diets for pets, see Veterinarians on Vegetarian and Vegan Diets for Cats and Vegan and Vegetarian Cats and Dogs.
References:
- Blood, D.C., & Studdert, V.P. (1988). Bailliere’s Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary. London, UK: Bailliere Tindall.
- Fox, M.W. (2005). “More on Vegetarian/Vegan Cat Foods.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 226(7): 1047.
- Gray, C.M.; Sellon, R.K..; & Freeman, L.M. (2004). “Nutritional Adequacy of Two Vegan Diets for Cats.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 225(11): 1670-1675.
- Hofve, J. (14 November 2010). “Vegetarian Cats?” LittleBigCat.com.
- Jonas, G. (2010). “Hold the Tuna: Is a Vegetarian Diet Safe for Your Cat?” GlobalAnimal.org.
- Knight, A. (13 July 2008). “Vegetarian Feline Diets.” Vegepets.Info.
- Wallace, H. (2008). "Veg Pets? [HTML Version]." Vegetarian Times, 356(March), Academic Search Elite database.
- White, L.B. (1996). “The Truth About Cats and Dogs [HTML Version].” Vegetarian Times, 231(November), Academic Search Elite database.
Jennifer Copley - Jennifer Copley, BFA, BEd, has a diverse base of expertise that includes research, writing, education, pet care, and various other ...
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