Is a vegetarian diet suitable for a cat?

A cat is naturally a carnivore

Cats are obligate carnivores, so true meat eaters. This means that cats cannot do without nutrients, especially proteins, of animal origin. Cats need animal proteins and amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in their diet, because the body breaks these down quickly. If cats do not receive these building blocks through their diet, deficiencies can develop.

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Important nutrients for your cat

Meat contains several indispensable nutrients for a cat, such as taurine, essential fatty acids and certain vitamins, including vitamin A and vitamin B12. Below, I explain what a deficiency in these nutrients can mean for your cat.

Symptoms of taurine deficiency in a cat

The amino acid taurine is very important for the cat. It is an essential amino acid, because the cat cannot produce it itself. Taurine occurs only in foods of animal origin or must be added separately to food. Cats can therefore develop taurine deficiency. This can lead to blindness and heart failure.

Too little arachidonic acid in a cat that eats only plant-based food

Arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, is also very important for cats. Unlike dogs, for example, cats cannot produce enough of this fatty acid from linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid). Arachidonic acid is therefore an essential fatty acid for cats. For example, it is important for hormone production and for healthy skin and coat.

Symptoms of vitamin deficiency in a cat

Vitamin A is important for cell growth and repair of the body. Most mammals can produce vitamin A themselves. Cats do not produce vitamins themselves in the body, or only to a limited extent. A cat must therefore obtain vitamin A through food. This is mainly found in foods of animal origin, such as liver, eggs, butter and fresh fish. In this case, you must also take care that cats do not take in too much vitamin A, because an excess can also cause problems, especially bony overgrowths on the cervical vertebrae.

A cat must also receive sufficient vitamin B12 through meat. Deficiencies can lead to reduced intestinal function. Vitamin B12 is also important for immunity and the nervous system.

How can I ensure my cat receives a complete vegetarian diet?

If you decide to put together a vegetarian meal for your cat, it is very important to add the nutrients mentioned above. There are supplements with synthetic taurine, vitamin A and arachidonic acid. Because it is very difficult to get the composition of a vegetarian diet with supplements completely right for a cat, it is sensible to seek good advice from an animal nutrition specialist, recognisable by the title Dipl. ECVCN or Dipl. ACVN. Well-known names include Ronald Corbee and Esther Plantinga.

The other option is to give your cat a complete, balanced vegetarian (or vegan) cat food that you can buy ready-made (a commercial food).

Why can dogs cope better with a vegetarian diet?

Dogs are naturally omnivores, which allows them to adapt to a balanced vegetarian diet. They can develop deficiencies, but this happens less quickly.

For dogs as well, the advice remains to seek good guidance if you want to compose a vegetarian diet yourself. Many vegetarian recipes circulating on the internet contain errors. It may be better to choose a commercial and complete dog food again, such as TROVET Exclusion NVD Hond or Yarrah Vega Hondenbrokken.

Prefer not to feed vegan diets to dogs and cats

A vegan diet contains no animal products at all, so no eggs or milk, for example. This can lead not only to deficiencies in essential amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins (vitamin A and many B vitamins), but also in iron, calcium and zinc.

If you choose a vegan diet, it is therefore especially important to seek good advice on a well-balanced composition of the food, or to choose a complete commercial diet.