Vegans and Their Pet Cats

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Some years ago I heard that certain vegan and vegetarian pet owners were putting their dogs on meat-free diets. At the time I remember people saying it was OK because, like people, dogs are omnivores. And if people could survive without meat, dogs could too. Of course, the fact that much commercial dog food is grain-based supports the theory that a vegetarian or vegan diet could be safe for a dog. But what about cats? Unlike dogs, cats have traditionally been assumed to be obligate carnivores. They lack the ability to synthesize certain important nutrients that both people and dogs can obtain from a plant-based diet. So a cat is a "true" carnivore, and has long been assumed to gain little or no nutritional benefit from plants. They were always thought to need meat. But today I read that there are people who are encouraging others to "veganize" their cats. In fact, at least one purported expert has written a book on the subject! The claim is that synthetic versions of nutrients like taurine can completely replace meat, allowing the vegan cat lover to feed his pet a meat-free diet. But that sort of begs the question, why would you do it? I mean, if you believe humans should forego meat for ethical, ecological, or health reasons I can see that. But why would you want to try to feed your cat the same foods you eat? Would you feed your infant a tofu and veggie stir fry on brown rice? Would you give your pets chocolate? Shouldn't each living thing eat a diet that its body is suited to digest, and that its nature craves? Do vegans really feel guilty if they offer their pets foods containing meat? I don't know, I guess if I felt that strongly about foods that contain meat I might not want to own a pet whose natural diet consisted solely of meat. Perhaps a nice rabbit or guinea pig, instead? Or a bird whose diet consists of fruits and seeds?? Yes, cats can and do sometimes eat foods that contain vegetables and grains. But apparently I was wrong about the reason they do this: the experts say it's not for the nutrients. So my olive-loving cats (see my post on weird foods some cats eat) weren't interested in the nutritional value of the olives. They were really after something else. I'm really curious to hear from any vegans who might be out there: how do you feel about feeding your pets meat? Anybody else want to chime in on the topic? "Are You Really Going to Eat That?" - my look at cats with strange cravings and food fetishes http://www.mylot.com/post/2910277/are-you-really-going-to-eat-that [Image by Vanessa Rehm/Pixabay; CC0]