Can Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? - PETA Australia (2024)

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So you’ve gone vegan, but what about your animal companions?

Some people wonder whether it’s “unnatural” not to feed meat to dogs and cats. First, these animals are domestic rather than wild. They’re not “natural” themselves and don’t hunt animals in nature. They eat what humans feed them. Furthermore, typical ingredients in commercial pet food – cooked cows, horses, or parts of cancerous chickens deemed unfit for human consumption – can hardly be considered “natural” sustenance for dogs or cats.

So, yes! With the right planning and care, your dog or cat can do well on a vegan diet. In fact, some veterinary-prescribed diets for companion animals with allergies are actually vegetarian.

And from cruelty concerns to the meat industry’s enormous environmental footprint, Australians are switching their dogs and cats to plant-based food for compelling reasons.

Dogs

Dogs are omnivores, meaning that they can eat both meat and plants.

While they can be quick to adapt, it’s important to ensure that their nutritional requirements are met. Dogs need two amino acids, L-carnitine and taurine, which are usually added to vegan dog food (brands available in Australia are listed below) or can be added as supplements.

If you have the time, you can try homemade recipes, which you can find online. If you’re considering this route, please discuss your animal companion’s nutritional needs with your veterinarian.

Cats

Cats are admittedly trickier, and some can be extremely fussy about food. Nonetheless, there are several nutritionally complete cat foods on the market that you can try.

Vitamin A, taurine, and arachidonic acid are essential to maintaining a cat’s health, and they’re usually added to vegan cat foods or can be supplemented as well.

Vegan Dog and Cat Food Brands in Australia

Can Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? - PETA Australia (2)

VeganPet

You can find products from this completely vegan brand via its website as well as at Pet Shop Direct, The Cruelty Free Shop, All About Empathy, Petfood Plus, Everything Vegan, The Green Edge, Loving Hut, and elsewhere. See the full list of retailers here.

VeganPet offers both wet and dry food for dogs and cats as well as a variety of vegan treats.

Can Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? - PETA Australia (3)

BIOpet Vegan

This brand, which is widely available, offers vegan dry food for dogs.

Can Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? - PETA Australia (4)

V-Planet

V-Planet produces dry vegan dog food in Canada and ships to Australia viaAnything Vegan and Pet Shop Direct.

Helping Cats and Dogs Adjust to Vegan Food

Introduce the new food to your dog or cat gradually. Start by mixing the vegan food with the meat-based food they’re currently eating. Gradually increase the vegan portion and decrease the meat over a period of one to two weeks.

Many (but not all) dogs and cats do well on a vegan diet, so watch them closely to ensure that the new food agrees with them. You may need to make adjustments if you notice skin or digestive issues or any other health problems. Try a different brand or recipe, and if necessary, revert to the previous diet.

Adopt—Don’t Shop

If a vegan diet doesn’t suit your animal, don’t fret. We don’t live in a perfect world, and we’re all just trying to reduce suffering when we can. The most important rule for companion animals is to adopt them and never patronize pet shops or breeders.



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Can Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? - PETA Australia (2024)

FAQs

Can Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? - PETA Australia? ›

Helping Cats and Dogs Adjust to Vegan Food

Does Peta think dogs should be vegan? ›

Many vegan dogs and cats enjoy excellent health, and a vegan diet for your companion animal is ethically consistent with animal rights philosophy. Making vegetarian food for dogs is easy because dogs, like people, are omnivorous and usually hearty eaters.

Are all members of Peta vegan? ›

To be on PETA's action team, for example, the firm says individuals don't have to be vegan, “but since the best thing anyone can do to help animals is not to eat them, we encourage everyone to go vegan,” the action team's FAQ reads.

Can a dog survive on a vegan diet? ›

As long as they're consuming the essential nutrients in the correct amounts and ratios, dogs can be vegan, vegetarian, or meat-eaters,” Swanson says. “Knowledge of ingredient composition and nutrient needs are critical, however.

Is the owner of Peta vegan? ›

Ingrid Newkirk is not a vegetarian—she is a vegan.

What do vets say about vegan dogs? ›

From the veterinary profession's perspective, there just isn't enough scientific evidence currently to safely promote a vegan diet for dogs and cats.

Can cats and dogs be vegan? ›

Many (but not all) dogs and cats do well on a vegan diet, so watch them closely to ensure that the new food agrees with them. You may need to make adjustments if you notice skin or digestive issues or any other health problems. Try a different brand or recipe, and if necessary, revert to the previous diet.

Is Coca Cola vegan PETA? ›

What is this? PETA has revealed that after Pepsi announced a decision to boycott all animal testing, Coca-Cola followed soon after, meaning that as well as being entirely suitable for vegetarians, the various co*ke recipes became suitable for vegans as well.

Can you join PETA if you eat meat? ›

Do I have to be vegetarian or vegan to work for PETA/FSAP? Some of our positions do require you to be vegan (e.g., all positions related to campaigns, fundraising and development, and media spokespeople). However, many roles do not require this. We look for compassionate people to work for the organization.

What is the salary of the CEO of PETA? ›

Thirty-eight percent of PETA's dedicated staff earn under $49,999, and the remaining 62% make more than $50,000. Our president, Ingrid Newkirk, earned $37,346 during the fiscal year ending July 31, 2023.

Can dogs be 100% vegan? ›

“Dogs are omnivores and thrive on both plant and animal diets. We risk our furry friends becoming nutritionally deficient on vegan or vegetarian diets.”

Can cats thrive on a vegan diet? ›

Overall, the study found no evidence of detrimental health effects in cats fed a vegan diet. In fact, the authors suggest a vegan diet actually leads to health benefits for cats. The researchers looked at seven indicators of illness and found non-significant reductions in all of them in cats on a vegan diet.

Was the longest living dog a vegan? ›

Bramble was fed an exclusively plant based diet, and lived to 25 years old- that's double the average life expectancy of a border collie!

Why did Alex Pacheco leave PETA? ›

After co-founding PETA and serving as a chairman for over 20 years, Alex Pacheco resigned in 1999 saying, “I left PETA because it had and has drifted far from its base, and because of disagreements over tactics.” Instead, Alex focused his efforts on 600 Million Dogs, and Adopt-a-Pet.com, organizations dedicated to ...

Who is the most beautiful vegetarian in PETA? ›

Zeenat Aman and Jackie Shroff Crowned PETA India's 'Most Beautiful Vegetarian Celebrities' of 2023. In recognition of their actions for animals, vegetarian actors Zeenat Aman and Jackie Shroff are the latest stars to win the title of Most Beautiful Vegetarian Celebrity from PETA India.

Is being vegan really cruelty-free? ›

Although veganism and cruelty-free living share many of the same concepts, they are not implemented in the same ways, and meeting a cruelty-free certification does not automatically mean the product is also vegan.

Is it ethical to feed dogs a vegan diet? ›

Is it cruel to put a dog on a vegan diet? Whether you feed a vegan, vegetarian or meat-based diet, all pets need a nutritionally balanced diet to be healthy. If you're unable to give your dog the nutrition they need to be happy and healthy, you are putting them at risk of developing serious health conditions.

What does PETA think of dogs? ›

At PETA, we love and respect the animal companions who share our homes. Contrary to myth, PETA does not want to confiscate beloved, well-cared-for companions and “set them free.” What we do want is to reduce the tragic overpopulation of dogs and cats through spaying and neutering.

Is it better for dogs to be vegan? ›

Taurine and L-carnitine are essential amino acids that dogs can't make themselves, and there are not enough of them in plant-based diets. Vitamin B12 and omega-3s are also much harder to get from common plant sources and are readily available in animal products.

What do peta people feed their dogs? ›

Many people supplement the diets of both their dogs and their cats with fresh fruit, such as melon, bananas, and apples; vegetables, such as green beans and carrots; whole grains, such as millet and barley; homemade dog biscuits; and superfoods such as spirulina, nutritional yeast, and nori.

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