Just wondering what a vegetarian (for moral reasons or otherwise) would feed carniverous animals - whether rescued from the wild or already domesticated?

Do they give them a vegetarian diet - converting the animal? If not, then what is their foodsource without harming other animals?

This question has plagued me a lot since the subject has been talked about so much recently. Just wonder how they get round this, if one is vegetarian for moral reasons, especially!

Lisa

[This message has been edited by Lisa~Annan (edited 29 March 2001).]

Hi Lisa,

I have a good friend who feeds her cat a vegetarian diet; albeit from very expensive tins and bags which she gets from the local vet. I asked her about it once and apparently it is "specially formulated" to give her cat everything it needs but is entirely animal free. Personally I think that she (my friend not the cat) is barking, but what do I know. The cat does seem happy and healthy, but then it may spend all day chasing and eating mice and birds.

Dave

If the cat doesn't eat birds and mice, it may just as well eat insects - another good source of protein. :O
Claudia

Just an anecdote: some friends of mine tried feeding their dog a special vegetarian dog food, but he simply refused to eat it; went hungry for several days in fact before they gave up and switched back to meat-based food.

I think it is unnatural to give a meat eating animal veggie food. It isn't their choice but ours which is paramount to cruelty. I feel the same way about feeding animal protein to naturally veggie animals such as cows. This is the cause of mad cow's disease etc!!

Excellent point, Ricky!! Natural deduction to think of feeding animal sourced food to herbivores!

Still wondering tho, about what those who are vehemently against killing any animal for any reason - what they would opt to feed their animals.

I agree with you on this as well, it seems cruel to alter another animals diet to suit our own morality.
Lisa

I feel the same way as Ricky does about this. Snarling cruelty--and for what? Because nasty nature should be pretty and kind...not the way it is!

The best food for meat eating pet animals is exactly what they would eat in the wild--for cats, this means--yes--live mice, some grasses, water, and whatever "live" matter they come across.

take a look at this website:

www.blakkatz.com

for more information about that--she put me straight on quite a few things about my kitty!

Divina

Hi Louise,

Oh, yes, I have done my share of pleading over the mounting corpses too. I once even called into a veterinarian public radio show, to ask if they knew of some way to naturally discourage this kind of behaviour in my kitty.

I still laugh my head off at their suggestions--put a bell on him, so that the animals hear him coming (ah, but the bell is no warning, as he wears one all the time!); or train him (oh, absolutely, there's a pastime!) to put his gifts in a specific, out-of-the-way place...

The bottom line on this is the behaviour is part of his social nature. He repays our willingness to provide for him and give him shelter by "providing" for us, in the only way he can. It is his gesture of responsibility and love! Yes, it is gory, and he often behaves just like a serial killer in this endeavor--but that is our interpretation of the matter, not his! To him, he is not just "killing something", but he is taking part in our social "group" and making his contribution. How can you fault him for that? Even if I tried to stop him, I would not be successful. And, it has nothing to do with the amount of "other" food he's given, either.

Divina

I have TOLD my cat, pleaded with him, not to bring dead birds into the living-room, that we do not want these gifts; I have even given him extra cat-food to prevent this happening; but he will not listen!

Is what defines us as seperate from the rest of the animal kingdom the gift of choice?
My cat can't change his nature. I can try to change mine, if that's what I choose, wiether I am wise to try, or am successful in my attempts is another question; but to have been blessed with choice is very important to me.

Received a message from someone I thought I'd share - and was told it was fine to post:

"I hereby authorize free use of my quotes "

"Hey Lisa,
Love your thread on vegetarian diets for animals! I'm not chiming in because I feel too strongly about the topic, and being a staunch meatetarian. Curious that there's not a single reply from a vegetarian who
doesn't eat meat for moral reasons.
Bottom line #1: One's set of morals is another's code of bulls***.
Bottom line #2: We didn't climb to the top of the food chain so that we can eat grass. Our long digestive track & canine teeth are pretty good indicators of what our diet should consist of..
Bottom line #3: Everything in moderation.

Later,
*****"

That kinda sums up some stuff for me - but I know others won't necessarily agree. And hey, that's okay with me .
Lisa


[This message has been edited by Lisa~Annan (edited 01 April 2001).]