What to feed cats in Vegetarian?

[notfairchild]

There are 2 wild cats 24 hours outside my home meowing all the time. I give them milk but they don't drink it every time, I have also tried giving them bread and wheat but they are very picky don't eat it all the time. I searched on internet and found out cats eat banana too so I gave them banana but they ignored it, I guess it's kind of something that these wild cats are not used to unless they are fed since their birth.
Someone please help me what can I give them in vegetarian that they will easily eat? I know cats are carnivores but I m vegan myself and don't shop any meat products.

 

[Katie M]

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they MUST have meat. I respect your veganism, but you can't force it on other animals.

 

[StefanZ]

Goats milk if they take it. Yoghurt. Cheese. Do you dare to handle fish? Eggs? Cat food? Cat food does contain meat, but it never touches your hands nor eye...

 

[dhammagirl]

As a vegan myself, I understand your reluctance, but cats are obligate carnivores. I would never deny my cats meat or try to make them vegetarian. We humans don’t require animal products, but cats do.

Please give these kitties some commercial cat food. Thanks!

 

[LTS3]

Just go buy dry or wet cat food from a grocery store. Any brand is fine and is better for the cats than the vegetables and fruits you are offering.

Keep in mind that once you start feeding stray or feral cats, they will start to depend in you for food daily. If that's not something you are willing to do, seek out a rescue or shelter who will TNR the cats and find them homes if they are social enough.

 

[notfairchild]

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they MUST have meat. I respect your veganism, but you can't force it on other animals.

I think it's not right to say I'm forcing them to eat veg food since they are not my pets but stray cats who can hunt by themselves.

 

[notfairchild]

As a vegan myself, I understand your reluctance, but cats are obligate carnivores. I would never deny my cats meat or try to make them vegetarian. We humans don’t require animal products, but cats do.

Please give these kitties some commercial cat food. Thanks!

I'm not trying to convert those stray cats vegetarian. I m just looking for something that I can feed to them when they come to me because sometime it gets pretty annoying hearing their calls nonstop.

 

[daftcat75]

I think it's not right to say I'm forcing them to eat veg food since they are not my pets but stray cats who can hunt by themselves.

They would be better served allowing them to hunt themselves than any vegan or vegetarian food you can offer them. There is nothing plant-based you can feed that will be more appealing or more healthful than their natural diet: meat. Trying to feed them otherwise can be harmful to their health. If you cannot respect their diet, then don't feed them. As a vegan, I would expect you to understand that. If the tables were turned, and someone said, "I'm a carnivore and meat is all I feel comfortable offering. What kind of meat can I feed this vegan?" Please feed them cat food or don't feed them at all.

As LTS3 mentioned, once you start feeding them, they will expect you to continue to feed them. If that's not something you are comfortable with because of your veg*nism, then call a rescue and let them TNR (trap neuter and release so they don't have kittens.) They may even be able to rehome them if they aren't too feral.

 

[game misconduct]

I'm not trying to convert those stray cats vegetarian. I m just looking for something that I can feed to them when they come to me because sometime it gets pretty annoying hearing their calls nonstop.

please be committed to what ever you decide to do if they are annoying you that much better to tnr them rather than try to feed them and then quit once they begin to rely upon you cause they annoyed you to much

 

[LTS3]

I'm not trying to convert those stray cats vegetarian. I m just looking for something that I can feed to them when they come to me because sometime it gets pretty annoying hearing their calls nonstop.

As said above, feed the cats a commercial brand of cat food. Meow Mix, Purina, Kit N Kaboodle, Fancy Feast, whatever brand is available in your local grocery store is fine. There is nothing in a vegetarian / vegan diet you can feed to the cats.

If the cats are being a nuisance and / or you don't see yourself feeding the cats daily, contact a rescue to do TNR on the cats and rehome them if possible.

 

[Jcatbird]

These cats are desperate for help and they see something in your heart that they trust. That is not something they would do with just any human. I know you have a great respect for life if you are vegan. The cats must see that in you. I don’t know where you live but these seem to be strays rather than ferals. That means that someone has likely lost them or dishonored their lives by dumping them. Very sad to dishonor their lives. If you can tolerate them, they will reward you greatly. They are protective and will regard you as one of their family. Unconditional love. If they are too irritating ( I get the feeling that , truthfully, you care greatly even if they are annoying) you can contact a foster family or rescue group. We would be very grateful to you for anything you can do for them and willing to assist you in locating a possible rescuer near you. For now, as mentioned above, yogurt or goats milk might help them some. Especially the goats milk. Cats can’t do well on cows milk because they are lactose intolerant. Sometimes they are starving enough to drink it but it can make them vomit or have diarrhea which can leave them seriously dehydrated. If these cats are strays, they don’t have good hunting skills. They could starve instead of being able to hunt. A cat requires it’s mother to teach it to hunt but we humans take them from their mommas before they can learn that. Some get lucky and survive but not well. Most end up in a bad way. I work as a rescuer and I am so very thankful to you for noticing them and doing all you can to help them. Thank you and please do post back if you cannot find food for them that they can eat or if you need help finding rescue groups. If you are on Facebook, there are rescue groups there. You could try Next Door. Often there is someone there who can help and that site will route you to your area. Alley Cat Allies, Best Friends.org or a local vet may be of help too. Again, thank you! I wish everyone cared enough to write in for help.

 

[BellaGooch]

Hello! Thank you for caring about these kitties and asking this question! Also, to TCS!!!
Please, I urge you, do not feed these cats a strictly vegetarian diet. Like daftcat75 said, they would be better off just hunting for food themselves than eating entirely vegan/vegetarian food fed by you. Reiterating what LTS3 and daftcat75 said, they will begin to rely on you for food, even if they are not receiving the adequate protein and nutrition that they are in need of.
Again, thank you for caring about these kitties! God bless

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Dry food is cheap, stores well, and has very little smell...to US. That's what I feed my ferals, dry isn't ideal, but it beats anything they'll find in the garbage.

 

[moxiewild]

I’m also a vegan, and been a vegetarian since I found out what meat even was.

But my cats eat animal protein heavy foods with as little plant matter as we can manage.

While you don’t intend to make the food you’re feeding to be their primary diet, plant-based foods can still cause health issues for cats. This is why you’re being discouraged from feeding anything vegetarian.

And if they’re not great hunters, or prey is not plentiful, then what you’re feeding may indeed be their main source of food.

Additionally, by feeding them when they call, you are only reinforcing that exact behavior. If you want to wipe your hands clean of these poor kitties, then the best course if action is to ignore them and not feed them at all. They will stop asking after a while.

You can also try finding a rescue to place them in. If you need help with that, let us know, and we can try to find information for you!

 

[fionasmom]

I am also a vegan and while it is for health reasons, much of it is also tied into animal welfare issues. I know that PETA insists that animals can be vegan but they are not correct. Additionally, there are some outlying vegetarian dog and cat food brands, but most are very expensive. I would not consider feeding them to my cats, so I can't discuss ingredients in them or if it is even a good thing to try.

My neighbor tried to feed fruit and bread to a stray litter we had a few years ago....all TNRed and rescued...and they simply did not eat it. It does not work.

I am not sure what motivates your veganism but you are not really making a dent in saving any animals from being slaughtered by not buying a bag of regular cat food and feeding these cats. You did say you offered them milk which StefanZ referenced, so do you use dairy. I do not but I still feed regular cat food. You are kind to try to help these cats.

 

[rubysmama]

N notfairchild : Welcome to TCS. And thank you for being concerned about these cats. I'm glad you found us, and are reaching out for guidance in helping to feed them.

How long have they been hanging around your home? How old are they, do you think? Adult cats? Or younger cats/kittens? Do they look well feed / healthy, or sickly and malnourished?

As a vegetarian, I completely understand your hesitation to buy a meat food for them. That bothered me for a long time, before I finally realized my lifelong love of cats, and my desire to give a shelter cat a home, was stronger than my feelings about not having a meat product in my home. So I eventually compromised and adopted my meat cat food eating kitty, Ruby.

You don't state where you live, so I'm wondering if commercial cat food is even available in your country? That, of course, will make a difference in what foods we can suggest for you to feed them.

If commercial dry cat food is available, you'll find it doesn't look anything like meat, and has other ingredients besides the meat protein, so perhaps you'd be comfortable buying something like that.

It's been a couple days since you posted. Please give us an update, if you can. And, again, thanks for reaching out to us for help.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

You heard it from the many members who responded to your thread, but here is an article that breaks it down why cats can't be on a vegatarian or vegan diet. It is way to dangerous for them they need protein and the vitamins and amino acids that is found in it, especially Taurine.

Thank you for trying to feed these kitties, but it does them no good to eat strictly vegatarism food. The diet that is good for you is no good for them.

Anyway, here is an article to give you more info in this matter.

Why cats can’t be vegetarian | Animal Wellness Magazine

Cats are not only carnivores – they’re hypercarnivores. Here's why your feline companion can't be a vegetarian, and why he need a meat-based diet to thrive.

animalwellnessmagazine.com