Can dogs and cats be happy and healthy on a vegan diet?


Dogs holding green vegetables in their mouths

Research counsel {that a} canine’s dietary wants may be fulfilled by crops and dietary supplements

Rica I

WHEN I lastly gave up consuming meat, I discovered that I couldn’t truly cease shopping for meat. My two teenage sons have been each massive followers of the stuff and my two cats ate nothing however meat. And whereas I believed the boys is likely to be weaned off it, the cats not a lot. I knew that vegan canine diets have been out there, however assumed that they have been suboptimal, and it by no means even crossed my thoughts that cats might do the identical with out dropping just a few of their 9 lives. Now although, the boys have left residence and the cats have sadly handed away. I’m meat-free ultimately. And after we get our subsequent cat, and presumably canine, I’m contemplating making them meat-free too.

As a result of removed from being biologically inconceivable, the proof is rising that cats and canine may be completely content material on a veggie and even vegan eating regimen. Certainly, they could be more healthy than these fed standard pet meals. However, vets nonetheless inform homeowners to not impose plant-based diets on canine and cats, warning that they’re most likely unhealthy, presumably merciless and probably unlawful. So what’s the reality about plant-eating pooches and moggies?

Cats, canine and their dinners are massive enterprise. In 2018, there have been about 370 million pet cats and 470 million pet canine on the planet, collectively gorging down $134 billion of chow annually. And the pet meals market is rising. Within the UK, it rose 17 per cent within the 5 years to 2019.Hundreds …