General Discussion

ReverendDeuce

(1,643 posts)

200. We went grain free and our older cat immediately got healthier...

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 08:22 AM

Jun 2014

When we adopted a kitten (I know she wasn't a shelter cat but we had no intention of getting another one on that trip to the vet; she was just too cute with her poly toes and she crawled right up into my arms. It had to be done.) it was during a trip to the vet for our older cat. Before I met my wife, she had been feeding him Fancy Feast. When he was 12, he really started to go downhill so we took him in for a checkup.

Well, when we got the kitten I told my wife we should get them both on better food. The vet recommended we go grain free. So I read about it and yeah, it looked good.

Four years on, the older cat is spry again (if a bit rickety) and has no more health issues. The kitten, now a full grown cat, is one of the most amazingly beautiful calicoes ever! Her fur is glossy and shines in the sunlight! Soft and silky to the touch.

So yeah, food matters. This experience made a believer out of me.

(We are currently feeding them Canidae PURE Sea for Cats.)

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'Vegan' kitten nearly dies [View all] Playinghardball Jun 2014 OP

Beyond stupid. Get a rabbit for heaven's sake. Laffy Kat Jun 2014 #1

Not only stupid, Stargazer09 Jun 2014 #4

I think you might be misinformed about this. Android3.14 Jun 2014 #155

Cats can be vegan. HERVEPA Jun 2014 #2

I think there's a supplement LiberalElite Jun 2014 #5

It is a legitimate and admirable choice for a human. Laffy Kat Jun 2014 #12

There is no truth to the rumor that vegecat = vegemite dickthegrouch Jun 2014 #19

I have a jar of Marmite LiberalElite Jun 2014 #165

Use a tiny amount! dickthegrouch Jun 2014 #184

There is an easy-to-find supplement Android3.14 Jun 2014 #154

Don't mind the Fukushima bits... Crash2Parties Jun 2014 #171

This message was self-deleted by its author Android3.14 Jun 2014 #175

I don't think you should feel hypocritical. Dorian Gray Jun 2014 #196

Not buying it. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #6

cats need supplements to be 'vegan' ProdigalJunkMail Jun 2014 #9

I can't believe I'm reading this Xipe Totec Jun 2014 #10

I can't believe it, either. GoCubsGo Jun 2014 #17

That is exactly why it is happening BrotherIvan Jun 2014 #111

Most commercial and relatively inexpensive LiberalElite Jun 2014 #166

Yes, commercial cat food is awful BrotherIvan Jun 2014 #185

We went grain free and our older cat immediately got healthier... ReverendDeuce Jun 2014 #200

While objecting to the term "owner", mind you.... ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jun 2014 #31

Agree Brainstormy Jun 2014 #36

Absolutely wrong: cats are obligate carnivores frazzled Jun 2014 #23

Yours is the most important post on this thread. Divernan Jun 2014 #162

^^ 2 great posts here hopemountain Jun 2014 #186

No, they can't. NuclearDem Jun 2014 #24

I find it funny that you dislike the term "owner".... ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jun 2014 #28

yes. odd indeed. Ed Suspicious Jun 2014 #152

"Meow! Those fascists are giving me whole wheat and quinoa again!"* FSogol Jun 2014 #167

LOL! ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jun 2014 #168

No, they run into problems with urinary pH and they get blockages or worse and they usually die. LeftyMom Jun 2014 #32

Ridiculous and irresponsible post. nomorenomore08 Jun 2014 #34

I agree. lady lib Jun 2014 #172

Or simply Flatpicker Jun 2014 #38

The main thing you miss when you go vegan with a dog.... Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2014 #43

I don't miss those Marrah_G Jun 2014 #193

Vegan cat is animal cruelty. longship Jun 2014 #44

Actually, you don't have to feed them at all. Orrex Jun 2014 #46

Cats are obligate carnivores. They are unable to synthesize many nutrients.... moriah Jun 2014 #48

I hope you don't have a cat. n/t Skip Intro Jun 2014 #49

They're not vegan if they're getting a supplement made from animal products. pnwmom Jun 2014 #59

Cats can be vegan. AlbertCat Jun 2014 #60

Curious. flvegan Jun 2014 #75

Because humans are omnivores. MillennialDem Jun 2014 #78

And? flvegan Jun 2014 #88

I didn't say it was a great or perfect answer. I do understand humans can be MillennialDem Jun 2014 #92

designed by evolution to eat both meat and plants and it is not a very good one. But it is true.... AlbertCat Jun 2014 #119

I don't think it's the meat that is the problem. It is the junk food - french fries, pizza, chips, MillennialDem Jun 2014 #136

I'm currently on a diet to lose weight where I have to eat 8 ounces of protein at dinner. phylny Jun 2014 #148

Dangerous discipline? ET Awful Jun 2014 #158

Vegans are more health conscious in general. Studies that control for this are still quite limited. MillennialDem Jun 2014 #202

Dangerous discipline? AlbertCat Jun 2014 #205

You can leave the word "extreme" out. ET Awful Jun 2014 #206

vegan diet and labeling it as "dangerous" is foolish. AlbertCat Jun 2014 #209

I see. . . . ET Awful Jun 2014 #213

I see.... AlbertCat Jun 2014 #215

I'm well aware of the definitions involved ET Awful Jun 2014 #216

WELCOME TO DU! flvegan Jun 2014 #63

I've been giving this ridiculous post a wide berth. byronius Jun 2014 #176

Owners is now a bad term? nt Logical Jun 2014 #65

Owner implies that the animal is merely your property. Gormy Cuss Jun 2014 #122

Oh lordy, talk about silly season. tritsofme Jun 2014 #173

Dogs have owners customerserviceguy Jun 2014 #163

Cats are evil! Nt Logical Jun 2014 #180

that is why I like cats awoke_in_2003 Jun 2014 #181

No, they cannot. Please stop with this rubbish. Ikonoklast Jun 2014 #126

Where did you go LOL? snooper2 Jun 2014 #128

Post #94 was hidden tammywammy Jun 2014 #133

That was a different poster, a little more extreme poster :) snooper2 Jun 2014 #137

doh! tammywammy Jun 2014 #138

Yep. Even humans need B12 and iron supplements Helen Borg Jun 2014 #150

I've never taken either in 25 years of eating Codeine Jun 2014 #211

That is like an evangelical christian believing that the rusty fender Jun 2014 #212

I've been known to SCREAM AT STUPID PEOPLE Warpy Jun 2014 #3

It's not a matter of being "pious" LiberalElite Jun 2014 #8

My rescued designer cats both preferred kibble Warpy Jun 2014 #14

Try keeping the 'hood's cats away when cleaning a deer. Eleanors38 Jun 2014 #125

And that, I suspect, is how the little buggers were domesticated Warpy Jun 2014 #139

Yep. hunter Jun 2014 #157

That, and the guys are a creature of urban life... Eleanors38 Jun 2014 #188

Your descriptive response... tallahasseedem Jun 2014 #159

They sneak right in. Children of the night! Eleanors38 Jun 2014 #189

It doesn't have to be factory farmed frazzled Jun 2014 #29

I was fine with the description of this food until....... WillowTree Jun 2014 #50

Some cats do eat grass. MH1 Jun 2014 #55

All the cats I ever had ate/eat grass. GoCubsGo Jun 2014 #71

Cats eat grass but don't digest it. Often they hurl it up. moriah Jun 2014 #160

While I agree with you in principle quakerboy Jun 2014 #64

to feed or not to feed, that is the question passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #96

I've had kitties eat dairy products and plant products tabbycat31 Jun 2014 #124

I never met a cat that didn't like cheese. GoCubsGo Jun 2014 #187

Our barn cats routinely drank saucers of milk NickB79 Jun 2014 #149

Yeah, and I bet they had loose stool often, too.... moriah Jun 2014 #161

Possibly; they were barn cats NickB79 Jun 2014 #190

Cats are so opinionated about their diets... ReverendDeuce Jun 2014 #201

Cats need meat to survive. (Most) humans don't. nomorenomore08 Jun 2014 #37

it would be trying not to be a hypocrite. AlbertCat Jun 2014 #61

I wouldn't even suggest rabbits for them. Baitball Blogger Jun 2014 #7

Maybe the cat could eat the rabbits. Orrex Jun 2014 #47

You are not my friend. Baitball Blogger Jun 2014 #116

Paul McCartney even admitted Freddie Jun 2014 #11

What stunningly stupid people. Ignorant of the basics of how a cat's metabolic system works. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2014 #13

... undeterred Jun 2014 #15

I thought armadillos quakerboy Jun 2014 #67

We all eat bugs, on occasion. undeterred Jun 2014 #86

Oh God passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #98

! DeSwiss Jun 2014 #142

they are omnivores Mojorabbit Jun 2014 #110

Im glad to know Im not crazy quakerboy Jun 2014 #115

FYI: none of the vegans here are dumbasses. But thanks for the PSA anyhow. LeftyMom Jun 2014 #16

You might want to read through the thread before drawing conclusions. nt Xipe Totec Jun 2014 #22

Cats can indeed be vegan. I know folks that have done it. flvegan Jun 2014 #18

they require proteins and amino acids ProdigalJunkMail Jun 2014 #20

Did you read my post? flvegan Jun 2014 #54

yes, you said there's nothing in your mind ProdigalJunkMail Jun 2014 #113

He said: DeSwiss Jun 2014 #143

cats are carnivores ProdigalJunkMail Jun 2014 #191

Go take a class in nutrition. flvegan Jun 2014 #194

funny... ProdigalJunkMail Jun 2014 #195

I'll quote you flvegan Jun 2014 #210

I am aware of what cats are. DeSwiss Jun 2014 #197

when someone suggests ProdigalJunkMail Jun 2014 #198

Nope, evolution made cats carnivores. longship Jun 2014 #58

I don't know about it being cruel, if one is very, very careful and the cat thrives. flvegan Jun 2014 #62

Vegan just is not nutrition to a cat. longship Jun 2014 #114

Even the cheap canned food... LTR Jun 2014 #170

So if we got you some fangs you would eat a prime rib with me! snooper2 Jun 2014 #129

Stupid owners. I'm vegan and I feed my cats MEAT. Triana Jun 2014 #21

then you're killing one animal to feed another shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #68

I'm rarely gobsmacked by posts here Union Scribe Jun 2014 #74

Giving meat = killing cows shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #79

Your presumption, like your pet advice, is wrong. Union Scribe Jun 2014 #80

Is it now? shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #82

You told someone it would be better to kill their pet Union Scribe Jun 2014 #89

Post removed Post removed Jun 2014 #94

Carcass is one of my top 5 favorite bands OriginalGeek Jun 2014 #95

Amazing ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jun 2014 #144

The Dalai Lama used to shoot hawks as a hobby Nevernose Jun 2014 #76

The local Aborginal people around here eat cats shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #85

Ferals, whether cat, dog, or rat Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #178

Wow. Raine1967 Jun 2014 #106

LOL, is this real life? Too funny. tritsofme Jun 2014 #177

Dumbass owners. NuclearDem Jun 2014 #25

Yikes Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Jun 2014 #26

damn Niceguy1 Jun 2014 #27

Hope Kitty was removed from that torture chamber of a home! Moonwalk Jun 2014 #30

me too Liberal_in_LA Jun 2014 #107

hard wired ideologues nearly starved a tiny kitten to death. how awful and roguevalley Jun 2014 #33

Feed the cat some god damned meat MrScorpio Jun 2014 #35

+1 nomorenomore08 Jun 2014 #39

I know a vegan that does this to her Dog. dilby Jun 2014 #40

Dogs actually do just fine. LeftyMom Jun 2014 #41

Our dogs love lots of plant type things Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #179

We are vegetarians; our dog and cat JanMichael Jun 2014 #42

This lack of understanding about cats is also responsible....... WillowTree Jun 2014 #45

What a couple of idiot assed owners... ileus Jun 2014 #51

They should be charged with animal cruelty.... paleotn Jun 2014 #52

..... +10 840high Jun 2014 #53

then let the cat go out and kill a wildebeest then shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #73

Or just buy mice for the cat to munch on? Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #84

Reminds me of an article in National Geographic shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #91

No, doesn't need to be. But it's more natural than trying to feed em salad Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #103

Cats are known to live longer as "indoor cats" than outdoor cats passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #105

Do you grow, hunt, or gather all of your own food? Ikonoklast Jun 2014 #131

I don't even know where to start with this one. flvegan Jun 2014 #77

Cats are not able to be vegan. love_katz Jun 2014 #56

Mind instantly went to this. Revanchist Jun 2014 #57

Me too! Union Scribe Jun 2014 #72

LOL! Love Futurama! Matt Groening is twisted! nt icymist Jun 2014 #102

Mine went here: Sen. Walter Sobchak Jun 2014 #104

These people should never own a cat again.... hadrons Jun 2014 #66

I'm vegan but I feed my four kitties turkey twice a day, along with sweet potato and two DesertDiamond Jun 2014 #69

Then you're not a vegan shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #81

Smooches like cows Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #87

Um...what? flvegan Jun 2014 #97

Bare assertions are not an argument... shaayecanaan Jun 2014 #99

Word salad? Yum! flvegan Jun 2014 #101

Ever notice there's always 1 poster in a thread like this that MUST take the opposing view? Inkfreak Jun 2014 #118

Wrap your mind around the idea they aren't trolling.... ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jun 2014 #146

"Yeah!!!! Fuck cats!!!!" ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jun 2014 #145

years ago I worked with someone who very nearly killed her dog that way azurnoir Jun 2014 #70

Why not get a rabbit tclambert Jun 2014 #83

I once had two housemates who were vegetarians Lydia Leftcoast Jun 2014 #90

Just reiterating what others have said.... Sylvarose Jun 2014 #93

I read a similar story a few years ago, only it was a baby instead of a cat. Crunchy Frog Jun 2014 #100

Good grief passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #108

Potatoes, rice milk and pasta isn't even a balanced diet for a human. Gormy Cuss Jun 2014 #109

Idiots sakabatou Jun 2014 #112

My cat loved veggies.... HooptieWagon Jun 2014 #117

Veggie Cat Food? Why Not All Cats Need Meat Javaman Jun 2014 #120

So he can has cheezburger? corkhead Jun 2014 #121

The owners of the cat being vegan had nothing to do with the cats situation. NCTraveler Jun 2014 #123

Now how many Vegans do you think are that stupid? upaloopa Jun 2014 #127

You must not have met the vegans I know Demeter Jun 2014 #132

Full of whom? upaloopa Jun 2014 #134

Nothing surprises me anymore Demeter Jun 2014 #130

Extra stupid pet owners Rider3 Jun 2014 #135

AGREED! They need things that only meat provides. Many humans live long lives without meat. Not so freshwest Jun 2014 #140

Do these idiots also expect their fish to fly, or breathe air? ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #141

Animal abuse--the person should be brought up on charges. nt MADem Jun 2014 #147

Children and babies have died from vegan diets as well. nt ecstatic Jun 2014 #151

They died from poorly-balanced diets Codeine Jun 2014 #169

Does this mean that cats are immoral by nature? Android3.14 Jun 2014 #153

My cats keep trying to get me to eat meat. Voice for Peace Jun 2014 #156

dumbass humans. La Lioness Priyanka Jun 2014 #164

geez! heaven05 Jun 2014 #174

I regularly see our cats supplementing 4_TN_TITANS Jun 2014 #182

zoos imgbitepolitic Jun 2014 #183

What a ridiculous post. Orrex Jun 2014 #204

Yes, cats are obligate carnivores. i learned that from Kestrel who used to post here... truth2power Jun 2014 #192

Our two eat a grain free diet... ReverendDeuce Jun 2014 #199

Out of curiosity, what are you feeding them? sir pball Jun 2014 #203

Well... ReverendDeuce Jun 2014 #208

dry food... imgbitepolitic Jun 2014 #214

That the number of PETA idiots defending this practice greater than 1 SpartanDem Jun 2014 #207