Vegetarian and vegan cats, dogs: is it healthy for them? What’s good for humans may not be for pets
- More than a third of pet owners in English-speaking countries have considered putting their pets on plant-based diets, new study reveals
- But for cats, who are “true” carnivores, they can only get certain vitamins they need from meat sources, say animal nutritionists
Matthew Grant tried many diets to help lessen the food allergies of Cooper, his old English bulldog. “Raw diet, novel protein, kangaroo, venison, we tried just about everything,” he says. Nothing worked – until he went vegan.
Now his three dogs are on plant-based diets, and he says their coats are shinier and softer. Cooper’s allergies are completely gone. So remarkable was the change that Grant says he is now thinking about going vegan himself.
Switching Fido and Fluffy to plant-based nutrition may seem like a good idea. According to a study published this year in peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS One, more than a third of pet owners in English-speaking countries have considered putting their pets on plant-based diets.
Yet experts warn to be cautious. The science is sparse. While going plant-based – or at least forgoing meat – may be healthy for humans, it’s not necessarily so for our furry friends, with cats in particular most at risk.
Lisa Freeman, veterinary nutritionist at Tufts University in the US, believes the answer to whether cats can be healthy on a vegetarian diet is an “unequivocal no”. Unlike dogs, cats are obligate or “true” carnivores, meaning they rely entirely on animal flesh for some important nutrients. Take vitamin A: dogs and humans can convert beta carotene from plant foods into active vitamin A. Cats cannot – they need to ingest the vitamin directly with meat.