Cat Chat (please go to cat chat 2)

[BudgieLover5000]

It's not simply a matter of "getting" a pet. I don't buy animals. I rescue them, and I'm really tired of being told to "get this" and "get that". My local shelter does not have rabbits, for example, and my current dog does NOT like other canines for some reason. Oddly fine with other animals, but other dogs? Oh no. Commercial pet foods in general have to be heavily supplemented and, I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people aren't going to feed their animals raw. Average Joe down the street is probably going to buy some Meow Mix and, too, call it a day. Will you scream abuse at him as well? After all, it is corn-based. What do you suppose we do with all of these cats, then, if the general public can't own them because they don't live up to your high dietary standards? Kill all of them?

[MidnightCelestia]

I don't even need to click on your source to know that's it's biased. Yes, I know about this kitten. They were solely fed a diet of pasta, potatoes and soy milk. Of course they died. That's not even a valid argument. They weren't fed a complete, balanced commercially available food, so how could it be? That's like me saying I know of a kitten who was fed a diet of boiled ground hamburger and only boiled ground hamburger, and they died, therefore meat-based cat food is bad. Do you not see the ridiculousness? The food did not have added taurine, the food was not tailored specifically for cats. They threw together some ingredients with no thought whatsoever and a called it a day.

I asked because there are a variety of vegan pet foods on the market and I wanted to know if this one in particular one was any good. Is that a crime? I didn't read through the entire cat thread, I didn't know you were all against this sort of thing. I didn't know I'd be flamed. Geez. Sorry. I can't read minds.

Well that's kind of oddly rude. What I meant by "what we eat" are meat products. Just go feed your cat the vegan diet and see what happens. Fine by me.

Get off this thread, too. If you are going to argue.

The rules say not to argue.


And I don't kill cats. I'm not an animal abuser. It's slight abuse to not give a cat a proper diet. So who's the abuser..?

[Nyxeva]

It's not simply a matter of "getting" a pet. I don't buy animals. I rescue them, and I'm really tired of being told to "get this" and "get that". My local shelter does not have rabbits, for example, and my current dog does NOT like other canines for some reason. Oddly fine with other animals, but other dogs? Oh no. Commercial pet foods in general have to be heavily supplemented and, I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people aren't going to feed their animals raw. Average Joe down the street is probably going to buy some Meow Mix and, too, call it a day. Will you scream abuse at him as well? After all, it is corn-based. What do you suppose we do with all of these cats, then, if the general public can't own them because they don't live up to your high dietary standards? Kill all of them?

Saying not to feed an obligate carnivore a vegan diet is high dietary standards now? No, I wont scream abuse at a person who feeds their cat a low quality kibble. I'll educate them about why corn is inappropriate for a cat and show them some better options that aren't ridiculously pricey.

You're grasping at straws here. How do you go from "feed your pets a species appropriate diet" to "all cats should die"? That's not what I said at all, and you know it.
And for anyone who is reading along that is actually interested, here are some articles that explain why a vegan diet is inappropriate:http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/7-ways-youre-feeding-your-cat-wrong
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/one-vets-advice-dont-force-your-pet-to-be-vegan
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-your-cat-or-dog-shouldnt-be-vegan.html
http://cattime.com/cat-facts/health/10829-why-your-cat-shouldnt-go-vegan

[Lonin]

It's not simply a matter of "getting" a pet. I don't buy animals. I rescue them, and I'm really tired of being told to "get this" and "get that". My local shelter does not have rabbits, for example, and my current dog does NOT like other canines for some reason. Oddly fine with other animals, but other dogs? Oh no. Commercial pet foods in general have to be heavily supplemented and, I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people aren't going to feed their animals raw. Average Joe down the street is probably going to buy some Meow Mix and, too, call it a day. Will you scream abuse at him as well? After all, it is corn-based. What do you suppose we do with all of these cats, then, if the general public can't own them because they don't live up to your high dietary standards? Kill all of them?

Then wait until a herbivore is available to rescue. You don't need to rescue a cat just because it's there. It's cruel to get an animal that has specific requirements and refuse to fulfill those requirements.
Meow Mix and similar have meat in them. No, food like that isn't ideal but it's a lot better than feeding a diet that contains absolutely no meat.
Don't know how you've leapt from vegan diets to kill all cats.

[flyteck]

It's not simply a matter of "getting" a pet. I don't buy animals. I rescue them, and I'm really tired of being told to "get this" and "get that". My local shelter does not have rabbits, for example, and my current dog does NOT like other canines for some reason. Oddly fine with other animals, but other dogs? Oh no. Commercial pet foods in general have to be heavily supplemented and, I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people aren't going to feed their animals raw. Average Joe down the street is probably going to buy some Meow Mix and, too, call it a day. Will you scream abuse at him as well? After all, it is corn-based. What do you suppose we do with all of these cats, then, if the general public can't own them because they don't live up to your high dietary standards? Kill all of them?

I would actually be unhappy with someone feeding thier cat meow mix, yes. Nobody is screaming at anybody though, you're the only one who seems to be getting worked up here. If you really want to rescue an animal it shouldn't have to be from your local shelter, go further to find the animal that will live the healthiest life under your care. If you need an animal to meet your vegan standards then find an animal that can eat a vegan diet, don't just choose one because of proximity.

Additionally, someone feeding meow mix either doesn't know better or hasn't got the money to afford better food, while you're being told that vegan is probably not a good option, and if you're choosing to adopt a second animal, you should have the money to choose good food. It's not a fair comparison to make.

There are plenty of no-kill shelters out there. Nobody is saying to kill animals if they aren't being fed properly, and most people are feeding food that is good enough. Your life is your life and you can do whatever you want, but if you come and ask questions you can't just expect everyone to agree with you. If you'd like to argue your point do some research; I'd honestly be interested if you can show similarities/differences. I don't think vegan food has been researched heavily, and it seems like a bad idea at face value, which is why you're meeting some resistance.

[trans]

It's not simply a matter of "getting" a pet. I don't buy animals. I rescue them, and I'm really tired of being told to "get this" and "get that". My local shelter does not have rabbits, for example, and my current dog does NOT like other canines for some reason. Oddly fine with other animals, but other dogs? Oh no. Commercial pet foods in general have to be heavily supplemented and, I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people aren't going to feed their animals raw. Average Joe down the street is probably going to buy some Meow Mix and, too, call it a day. Will you scream abuse at him as well? After all, it is corn-based. What do you suppose we do with all of these cats, then, if the general public can't own them because they don't live up to your high dietary standards? Kill all of them?

no need to make sweeping statements or snarky comments now. you're being really irrationally rude and passive aggressive and it's kinda.. :^//

and if you cant give a cat food to fit their diet, then why are you rescuing them? it's the same as adopting a pet that you are aware you cant/wont take the measures to ensure they are properly taken care of while in your care. i assume you are aware that you wont give cats a proper diet, so why do you have any? why do you take any cats in?

[MidnightCelestia]

It's not simply a matter of "getting" a pet. I don't buy animals. I rescue them, and I'm really tired of being told to "get this" and "get that". My local shelter does not have rabbits, for example, and my current dog does NOT like other canines for some reason. Oddly fine with other animals, but other dogs? Oh no. Commercial pet foods in general have to be heavily supplemented and, I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people aren't going to feed their animals raw. Average Joe down the street is probably going to buy some Meow Mix and, too, call it a day. Will you scream abuse at him as well? After all, it is corn-based. What do you suppose we do with all of these cats, then, if the general public can't own them because they don't live up to your high dietary standards? Kill all of them?

no need to make sweeping statements or snarky comments now. you're being really irrationally rude and passive aggressive and it's kinda.. :^//

and if you cant give a cat food to fit their diet, then why are you rescuing them? it's the same as adopting a pet that you are aware you cant/wont take the measures to ensure they are properly taken care of while in your care. i assume you are aware that you wont give cats a proper diet, so why do you have any? why do you take any cats in?

I agree. I'm not trying to argue. But I didn't think anyone else would agree. Why "rescue" a cat when you don't give it its proper needs? My cat is a tamed stray, and he is perfectly fine with what I feed him. It isn't good to give a cat an abnormal diet when they need meat. Just wait until a herbivore cat is available or don't adopt it at all. It's mean to not fulfill a cats diet when they clearly require meat.

And I don't kill animals. Nobody does. Except for those abused kill shelters. In MY opinion, it's slight abuse to not feed a cat it's requirements.

[Dream~]

Hmm. I'm just curious but is there any dry food better then Meow Mix? I feed my cats Meow Mix tender centers, I have tried other dry food brands that I can't remember the name of and they would refuse to eat some of them. I have PLENTY of money though, and also my cats are outdoors and hunt mice and other rodents and birds that they eat whenever they want to.

I'm not going to feed my cats raw or wet food, I prefer to stick with dry but if anyone knows any better then Meow Mix feel free to let me know!

[Keriae]

This might be a good book for you, ranch dressing.
Feed Your Pet Right: The Authoritative Guide to Feeding Your Dog and Cat

[Nyxeva]

Hmm. I'm just curious but is there any dry food better then Meow Mix? I feed my cats Meow Mix tender centers, I have tried other dry food brands that I can't remember the name of and they would refuse to eat some of them. I have PLENTY of money though, and also my cats are outdoors and hunt mice and other rodents and birds that they eat whenever they want to.

I'm not going to feed my cats raw or wet food, I prefer to stick with dry but if anyone knows any better then Meow Mix feel free to let me know!

There are a lot of choices that are better than Meow Mix! I personally feed my cats Orijen, but it can be pricey. Basically, you want to take a look at the ingredients label. Preferably, you want the first five ingredients to be named meat products. Ideally, you'll want them to be meals, since meat meals are denser and retain more of their nutrients during the rendering process.

Some brands to look at would be: Taste of The Wild, Go! Fit and Free, Orijen, Halo, Nature's Variety, and Acana.