So I’ve been thinking it’s about time I transition my cat off a carnivore diet and onto something more ethical/plant-forward. From what I’ve read, obligate carnivores are actually more adaptable than people think if you ease them into it.

I started with a fava bean + unsweetened almond milk paste but he’s not really engaging with it and just keeps meowing when I put the bowl down. I’m assuming it’s just part of the adjustment phase but I want to make sure I’m doing this right.

Does anyone have experience with zero-animal protein diets for cats? I was considering lentil purée with nutritional yeast for B vitamins or maybe tofu, but I’m not sure what’s best for long-term health.

At what point do you just let them wait it out if they refuse to eat? I don’t want to reinforce bad habits but I also don’t want to transition her too fast.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
    33·
    2 days ago

    Cats are obligate carnivores. They can’t NOT eat meat of some kind.

    If you don’t comprehend this or do but aren’t comfortable with it, then you should not have a cat.

    https://www.britannica.com/science/nutrition/Herbivores#ref843396

    “Some carnivores, particularly cats (family Felidae), are obligate carnivores, meaning they cannot obtain all the nutrients that they need from the plant kingdom and bacteria. In particular, obligate carnivores lack the enzyme needed to split carotene, obtained from plants, into vitamin A. Instead, these animals obtain vitamin A from the liver of their prey. Obligate carnivores are similarly unable to synthesize some essential very-long-chain, highly unsaturated fatty acids that other animals can make from shorter fatty acids found in plants.”