Vegan diets for felines

Both cats and dogs are formally classed as carnivores, in the biological order Carnivora, although the metabolism and nutritional needs of the dog approach those of the omnivore classification (Fascetti and Delaney, 2012; Böswald et al, 2018). This is because dogs are able to synthesise taurine, arachidonic acid and vitamin A from the metabolic precursors cysteine, linoleic acid and beta-carotene respectively. Whether dogs should be classed as carnivores or omnivores is outside the scope of this article, but there are as many references that would argue either way.

However, cats are obligate carnivores and require these specific nutrients in a pre-formed state, that can only be found in meat-based diets, in order to survive. This is what veterinary professionals are taught at college, but has this changed? There has been a lot of discussion in the veterinary profession, with the British Veterinary Association releasing a statement stating that cats should not be fed a vegan diet (Shotton, 2022). This has lead to discussions about ingredients in diets and awareness that those nutrients that were classed as only able to be obtained from animal sources can now be obtained from non-animal sources.