Can cats stay healthy on a vegan diet?

Are you and your family complete vegans? If so, then you will automatically expect your cat to follow vegan diet as well! A no meat and diary product diet can work if your pet has adapted themselves to it and there are no health setbacks. But do you know that you are taking quite a tremendous risk with an animal that is a carnivore requiring a complete meat diet.

Trying to make a cat eat vegan food is like making a horse eat meat. Cats, are complete carnivores and their bodies are not designed to eat vegetarian food. Cats also have different nutritional requirements than humans.

Their bodies cannot synthesise Vitamin D in their skin. They particularly require vitamin D3 that comes from animal sources. Cats also cannot make taurine, an essential amino acid, by themselves. This is found in meat products and must be present in their body in adequate amounts for them to be healthy. Taurine deficiency will lead to fatal consequences if they are not treated on time.

What are the potential problems?

The risk of feeding your feline friend a complete vegan diet includes:

• Insufficient protein intake that goes below 25 grams per 1000 calories recommended,
• Imbalance of particular amino acids like taurine and L-carnitine or essential fatty acids like arachidonic acid,
• Deficiency of vitamins and minerals that are absorbed by the body mainly from meat sources like Vitamin B, Calcium, Phosphorous and Iron.

If they still continue with the same diet then they are in for some major health problems. Deficiency of taurine causes cardiomyopathy that leads to an enlarged heart causing weak contractions and poor pumping ability. Taurine deficiency can also cause reproductive failures, growth and eye problems.

If you are considering a vegan diet for your cat then you need to plan a lot as this is something that should never be taken lightly. So, here are a few guidelines that you must follow:

• Do not feed vegan diet to kittens that you are planning to breed.
• Consult you vet who will help you figure a healthy meal plan for your pet.
• Cats that are on complete vegetarian diet need to have frequent wellness exam by the vet at least twice a year.

Vegetarian pet diets and supplements

People who feed their pet a complete vegan diet usually turn to nutritional supplements that help them to balance nutritional deficiency. But keep in mind that you are including chemically synthesised nutrients which are used in place of what they would have naturally derived from meat sources.