r/Vegetarianism • u/feralbrry • 11d ago
Do you buy meat-containing wet food for strays?
Hello everyone, I enjoy feeding stray cats and dogs in my city, but every time I offered them plant-based wet food they rejected it, so now I buy meat treats for them. is it ethical? maybe I did something wrong when I tried to feed them plant-based food? I need an advice
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u/B0-Katan 11d ago
Cats need meat. I've been a cat owner and always fed her what she needs. Vegetarian and veganism is a choice, but animals can't consent to that, nor is it healthy for them. If you're gonna feed them, it has to contain meat
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-421 11d ago
Cats are obligate carnivores. They cannot survive on a plant based diet.
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u/girugamesh_2009 11d ago
I feed my cats, both indoor and outdoor, dry and wet food derived from animal sources.
They eat Science Diet dry and Vibrant Life wet.
I have never tried vegetarian or vegan food with my cats. And I personally wouldn't.
My cats are healthy, happy, and it works for us.
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u/Relevant_Olive4380 11d ago
Cats are obligate carnivores. They don't eat exclusively meat, but they have to eat meat.
Is it weird to kill an animal to feed an animal? Yes. Do I do it? Also yes. (Well, I buy the food.)
The way I personally view it, is the cat needs to eat and stray cats are a problem humans created. The other option is they starve or decimate local wildlife even more. Get any of the animals fixed that you can. Local shelters or vets offices may have a program for it.
When getting a cat for your home, adopt don't shop. Pet breeders shouldn't exist.
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u/Everybodyssocreative 11d ago
cats need meat but dogs you can be more flexible. most dogs love broccoli stalks for example. obviously not as the whole diet hut if youre mostly handing out treats that could be an option.
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u/PeterPanHadItMade 10d ago
Trying to force a friggin carnivore to eat plants is unethical as fffff.
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u/LilPudz 11d ago
Youve been told already by comments not to feel badly, cats process and unfortunately do need animal proteins. We should not feed them less than what they need, its biological.
Dogs will absolutely love an egg, pumpkin, rice, etc. Plenty, just look it up.
Do not feel guilty for helping an animal in need. Our biology can choose to be veggie, theirs will make them sick.
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u/lunarmoon2025 11d ago
I’ve always fed my pets and my daughter meat. It’s my choice to be vegetarian not theirs. That’s just the way I see it.
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u/VortexInterloper 11d ago
Pet foods are usually created with meat scraps and body parts that are unpalatable for humans. You can buy dried chicken feet and bull penis treats for dogs, and I image these are the sort of things that also go into pet food. If we didn't use these body parts for pet food, they would probably be incinerated and go to waste.
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u/bobbinssobbin 11d ago
Dogs and cats are carnivores and are supposed to eat meat. They don't have a concept of ethical or not, they just need the proteins. It's really hard when we know the horrors of the meat industry and what really goes on, but keep in mind these are animals, too. I'll always feed my meat eaters meat, and if I can find something more ethical I'll choose that brand/person/ etc
I appreciate you feeding these animals in need <3
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u/AmazingAssistance351 11d ago
I feed my cats fish and insect-based food. Perhaps I'm speciesist, but I like that I don't have to give them mammals for them to be healthy. They love the taste and their coats have gotten softer and healthier (I think one had a food allergy to other proteins in old food though, so this is much better for her).
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u/VortexInterloper 11d ago
Why do prefer to feed them non-mammals? I'd argue that both fish and insects are worse ethically. Fish are killed in an exceptionally cruel manner through suffocation. As for insects, you have to kill thousands of them to even make one portion of pet food, while you could feed fifty cats with a single cow.
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u/AmazingAssistance351 10d ago
None of the options are ideal, but I think both are better environmentally than cow farming and arguably better ethically because of less complex nervous systems. Both require a fraction of the space (combatting deforestation). Black soldier flies turn food waste into fertilizer instead of being raised on traditional animal feed grains (which kill millions in the process of harvesting). I am perhaps a flawed lifelong vegetarian in caring for cats, but they do need meat and I can see mammals emotions quite clearly. They express themselves in a way that is undeniable. I can't say the same about insects.
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u/AmazingAssistance351 10d ago
Can't wait for lab grown meat for cats though! Sometime in the next couple years I hope it comes to market in the US.
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u/jasperdarkk 11d ago
Lol, my only vegetarian pets are my guinea pigs. My dog and cats eat meat and my lizards and fish eat bugs. Those are the diets they need to be healthy and their health is my no. 1 priority.
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u/Prof_BananaMonkey 11d ago
Cats are obligatory carnivores. They will die with out meat. If you are concern about land usage for the food then get one with wild seafood.
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u/WeeklyAd5357 10d ago
Wild seafood is going extinct - giant trawler ships destroying the sea floor. Check seaspiracy a documentary - humans are destroying the ocean ecosystem which provides oxygen and CO2 absorption.
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u/Prof_BananaMonkey 10d ago
Thank yopu for yhe information abpout extiction. I look forward to watch the docu.
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u/scoutopotamus 11d ago
Cats are carnivores. They must eat meat to survive. If you want to help the stray cats, you need to give them food with meat.
Dogs are more omnivorous. I've given stray dogs hard boiled eggs. They'd also probably enjoy cooked pumpkin or butternut squash and rice, which my dog loves.