Vegetarian Cat Food, Is It Safe?
Vegetarians live by the principle that the killing of animals for food is murder. It can be likened to any act of violence that is premeditated: terrorism, torture, and capital punishment. Many also believe that vegetables are the best source of nutrients that the body needs to function and that staying away from fatty foods teeming with toxins will ensure you a longer life. Ask any vegetarian, and they will claim to be healthier than a regular carnivore.
In line with this, most vegetarians or vegan's, have a tendency to impose such beliefs on their friends and family, including their children. A lot of debate has come out of this. Vegetarianism is not always a safe practice, and you should also understand that there are things that may be applicable to you, that may not be for others. And apparently, vegetarianism is not for cats.
Most cat food contains both animal and plant material that is specially formulated according to the dietary requirements of a cat. It is usually incorporated with the amino acid, taurine, as cats are unable to synthesise these proteins on their own. Needless to say, you cannot feed a cat any other animal food. Its taurine-specific ingredient is what essentially makes it suitable for cats, and should you feed them with dog food that does not contain taurine, retinal degeneration may follow and your cat could go blind.
Vegetarian humans with pet cats need to keep this in mind should they desire to also make their cats vegetarian. Meat is the only source of essential nutrients such as taurine, arginine, arachidonic acid as well as vitamin A, B12, and niacin. And because of this, experts do not recommend vegetarian diets for cats. Studies have been made to investigate this matter and always, cats that are fed with homemade vegetarian food that lacks cobalamin (B12) and taurine, show very reduced levels of these, at a very alarming rate. The incorporation of supplements, to replace the missing nutrients, did not work, as it often led to increased urine acidity problems such as urinary tract problems. The introduction of commercial vegetarian cat food has claimed to answer this problem. The companies that manufacture such brands claim that their products contain synthetic taurine, but even this has not caused all the speculation to die.
This is because cats, unlike dogs that are omnivores (meat and plant eaters), have no choice but to be carnivores. In other words, their body cannot go without meat. Eating plants alone will be harmful to a cat's health and if you are a cat owner, you should consider what you are trying do here.
True, animals will eat anything, and had they been in the wild they may not even be aware of the difference between meat and vegetables, however these animals are your responsibility and you are like their parent. Do not compromise your pet's health in order to satisfy your own vegetarian needs. Understand what the experts say about this and consider it.
About the Author:
Lawrence White writes about all things Pet and Outdoor related. If you are looking for cat food, then choose G.J.W. Titmuss who are one of the UK's leading family owned pet feed and accessories supplier.
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