If you’re vegan or vegetarian and wondering if your cat could be too, the answer is no. Cats must have meat in their diet to stay healthy. This article explains why.
Vegetarian and vegan diets are increasingly popular. People who choose these paths believe – rightly – that they are healthier, more humane and more sustainable. Those who choose this lifestyle often wish to apply the same principles to their cats; in fact, you can buy commercial vegetarian or vegan cat food. However, these diets are not suitable for felines (see box below). Cats are “obligate carnivores” – the very word “carnivore” means “meat eater”. In other words, a cat’s complex nutritional needs simply cannot be met by a diet devoid of animal products. In this article, we’ll explore why your cat needs to eat meat to thrive.
Vegan and vegetarian diets are too high in carbohydrates for cats
Plant-based diets are high in carbohydrates; often more than 50% of their calories come from carbohydrates. All carbohydrates (except fiber) eventually break down into glucose; and refined processed carbs do it very quickly. This causes abnormally large fluctuations in a cat’s blood sugar, which in turn leads to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Cats that eat high carbohydrate diets also tend to gain weight, another factor in diabetes. They digest carbohydrates perfectly well; but they can only use dietary glucose for their immediate energy needs (which are low). The rest of the carbohydrates in food are quickly and efficiently stored as fat.
Cats have higher protein needs than other animals
While dogs, humans, and other omnivores readily use carbohydrates, proteins, or fats for energy, feline metabolism preferentially uses protein for energy. as well as to structure tissues and produce hormones and other vital molecules. This is why a cat’s protein requirements are higher than those of other animals.
Feline metabolism preferentially uses protein for energy as well as to structure tissues and produce hormones and other vital molecules
Proteins are made from amino acids, which means that felines’ requirements for specific amino acids are also higher. Humans need nine essential amino acids and dogs need ten, including arginine. Cats need 11, including arginine and taurine. Several of these amino acids (taurine, arginine, tyrosine and carnitine) are found primarily in meat. Since the cat’s natural diet of raw prey animals contains these nutrients in abundance, access to these amino acids only becomes a problem when meat is absent. Essential nutrients like these must be consumed in the diet; the body cannot make them.
These amino acids must come from meat
1. Taurine
Taurine is essential for brain, nerve, eye and heart health. It is also a component of bile acids, which aid in the digestion of fats. Taurine has been in the news lately because dogs (thought to produce enough taurine on their own from other amino acids) developed dilated cardiomyopathy when fed certain foods. commercial for dogs. However, although taurine deficiency is a likely suspect, many other factors may be involved (see “Do grain-free diets really cause canine heart disease?”, Animal wellbeing, Volume 21, Number 5). Cats are also affected, even though commercial cat foods (which often contain poor quality meat protein) are supplemented with taurine.
2. Arginine
Arginine is so important to cats that even one meal without arginine is fatal for kittens.
3.Tyrosine
Tyrosine is considered conditionally essential; it is used to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter, and adrenaline, a stress hormone. Interestingly, a tyrosine deficiency will cause a black cat’s fur to lose melanin and turn reddish brown.
4.Carnitine
Carnitine can be made in the cat’s body, but this ability can be impaired with obesity (which affects more than 50% of American cats), kidney disease, liver disorders, and any time the appetite is reduced.
Additional problems with vegetarian and vegan diets
- High carbohydrate diets limit the cat’s ability to digest and absorb protein; even if there is enough protein on the paper, the cat may be unable to use it.
- The B vitamins, especially B1 (thiamin) and B12 are deficient for a cat’s needs.
- Vitamin A*, present only in animal tissues, is also deficient. Other animals can make vitamin A from beta-carotene, but cats cannot.
- Vitamin D3*, present mainly in the liver, is deficient. The herbal substitute, Vitamin D2, is only 30% as potent and has a much shorter duration of action.
- Linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) are essential, and although both are found in vegetables, vegan cat foods tend to be low in fat, which results in dry skin and poor coat condition.
- Arachidonic acid, absent from vascular plants, is essential to the feline immune system.
- Omega-3 EPA and DHA are essential for kittens and very beneficial for all cats. Currently available vegan cat foods do not contain it either.
- Commercial vegetarian and vegan cat foods use highly processed, fractionated, chemically extracted and synthesized ingredients to provide enough protein and other nutrients. Whole foods containing all trace minerals, cofactors and nutrient groups are much healthier than refined or synthetic versions.
- Cats that consume meat-based diets have a naturally low acidic urine pH of around 5-6. Vegetables make urine pH alkaline, which can allow urinary crystals and stones to form. This can cause life-threatening urinary blockages in male cats. A survey of 300 dogs fed vegetarians or vegans also revealed a higher incidence of urinary tract, ear and other infections.
From a veterinary point of view, the consequences of a vegetarian or vegan diet for cats should reasonably include obesity, diabetes, urinary tract diseases, kidney diseases, allergies, asthma, inflammatory diseases bowel disease, liver disease and skin and coat problems. However, veterinary nutrition is a young and inexact science; we are all still learning. Maybe one day these deficiencies will be resolved, but for now, feed your cat a meat-based diet!
*Vitamins A and D are toxic in overdose; just adding a supplement to your cat’s food can be dangerous.
