In September of last year, a research paper about feline health was published to the open-access journal PLOS-One, going mostly unnoticed.
The paper’s authors claim their research proves cats fed a “nutritionally complete” vegan diet are not only just as healthy as their meat-eating counterparts, they’re actually less likely to need veterinary visits, less dependent on medication, and more likely to be given a clean bill of health by their veterinarians.
When a company called Wild Earth announced the launch of a new line of vegan cat food this month, the company pointed directly to that paper as proof that “cats fed nutritionally sound vegan diets are healthier overall than those fed meat-based diets,” as the paper’s lead author put it.
Wild Earth CEO Ryan Bethencourt, who does not have a professional background in veterinary medicine or feline nutrition, summed up his goal in a tweet: “People aren’t ready for us to turn carnivore cats vegan but I’m going to do it.”
He painted the new offering as a bold counter to skeptics who say vegan cat food is unhealthy.
“We expect aggressive resistance from the meat industry on the launch of this industry-pioneering vegan cat food, but we know there are A LOT of cat parents looking for healthier plant-based and more sustainable options and we want to be the leader in providing them with that choice,” Bethencourt wrote in a statement.
What he didn’t mention was the fact that the loudest voices opposing “vegan cat food” are animal welfare organizations like the SPCA and Humane Society, as well as veterinarians and nutritionists, the same people who see the consequences of cats who are deprived of meat. Over the years they have reiterated that felines are obligate carnivores who have evolved to get their nutrients from meat, with digestive systems that cannot process most plants, meaning they can’t break them down and derive nutrients from them. That’s why we don’t see servals or leopards foraging for fruit in the wild.
In addition, the announcement did not mention that the 2023 research was funded by ProVeg International, a non-profit dedicated to reducing global meat consumption, weaning people and animals off of meat and onto plant-based food.
That didn’t stop other credulous reports, like one from GreenQueen claiming Wild Earth’s vegan cat food is “built on research proving that felines can be healthy on a vegan diet.”
And that’s exactly the point — the “study” was conceived and published so that advocates of vegan cat food can point to it and say “science says” cats can survive on plants.
Bad data makes for bad science
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, but the 2023 study did not examine veterinary records or log the results of vet visits over years. Instead, the data was self-reported by participants.
A total of 1,418 people responded to the survey, and only 127 of them said they feed their cats exclusively vegan diets. The claims that their cats get sick less often and do better in veterinary check-ups are based on their subjective assessments and recollections. The paper’s authors don’t know which vegan brands the 127 respondents were giving to their cats, nor do they have information on whether the food was wet or dry, how often the cats were fed, and how much they ate.
One of the metrics cited by the authors is “guardian opinion of more severe illness,” which means arbitrary feedback from people who aren’t experts in veterinary medicine or nutrition.
If including respondent opinions as “data” doesn’t bother you, consider how many people buy products like Airborne, concluding that it works because they didn’t get sick once on a cross-country flight. Airborne, you may recall, was “invented” by a teacher who claimed she figured out how to cure the common cold, something no physician has done in centuries of trying.
Like vegan cat food proponents, Airborne had its own “study” that claimed its efficacy. The company eventually paid out more than $23 million in a class action settlement for its false claims. That’s not to say vegan cat food makers are precisely like Airborne, but pointing to poorly conducted research is a tactic that works because most people won’t go to the effort of finding the study and reading it.
Current global meat consumption is unsustainable, but…
I’m a vegetarian and I’ve seen enough evidence to convince me that the current rate of meat consumption, especially in the first world, is untenable as the global population rises toward its expected 11 billion-plus peak. Those forecasts and the horrors of factory farming are motivation enough to hope human civilization consumes less meat in the future.
But I’m also a guy who loves his cat, and I think if you’re going tell me that my little pal, designed by nature to be an obligate carnivore with a digestive system and body plan that hasn’t significantly changed for ages, can stop eating meat entirely with no deleterious effects — despite the experts saying otherwise — then you really need to show me something better than a self-reported survey paid for by a vegan advocacy group.
Especially when veterinarians who have no financial interest in the pet food industry relate horror stories of their four-legged patients slowly going blind and cats with no other ailments suffering catastrophic consequences, with their organs shutting down because they’re not getting the vital nutrients and proteins they need to survive.
It’s a horrific way to die, and it happens because misguided people think human morals should apply to cats. Notice in the press releases and marketing materials from vegan cat food manufacturers, there’s no mention of what’s in the best interest of cats — it’s all about people making “bold” choices, “disrupting” industries and leading the Earth to a shiny future without meat or suffering.
The truth is, felines cannot synthesize the proteins that are absolutely necessary for their survival, and their digestive systems aren’t evolved for breaking down nutrients from plants. Those are well-established facts, and ignoring them will not change reality. So anyone who claims “vegan cat food” is healthy faces a much bigger task than asking people to take a self-reported survey. A survey paid for by a nonprofit that lobbies for veganism isn’t proof, it’s wishful thinking masquerading as science.
Even if the authors of the paper had the complete veterinary records of the same cats, it would only be one tentative first step toward challenging everything we know about cat nutrition. Questions aren’t settled after one study, especially with such a small data set. Studies must be repeatable, and the difference between correlation and causation isn’t settled with a single well-designed, unimpeachable study, much less a self-reported survey.
When the stakes are the lives, happiness and health of innocent animals, we should be absolutely sure we’re doing right by them.
Pain In The Bud 
Vegan cat food?
I, like many others, have believed for a while that the human race is going down the tubes, but now I’ve heard everything!
And if the proponents think that they are preventing “animal suffering,” they are saving a cow at the expense of the animal who lives in their own home.
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To Susan. Me and my vet had this discussion last year. She and her fellow vets read every single article on this bs. They all agree it is bs and this ahole should get an effing job instead of pandering to pet owners. Ever since this bs came out rescuers and rescue groups need to find out what thier last cat ate before adopting out cats. And now it is written in contract that there must be two house visits after cat is adopted. If they refuse? THAT IS A RED FLAG.As few years ago one of ours rescues was declawed!
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Probably not saving cows or chickens anyway since most pet food is made from the leftovers after “human grade” cuts are taken out.
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Go Susan!!! Rah rah rah!!!
Grrrr. People who have their own ideas on how people should do things! Just to sell Cat food! Vegan cats, my patootie!
I can’t even picture a cat eating salad! That picture of the white cat’s look is priceless!!!
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Dogs can survive on a vegan diet.CATS CANNOT!! This shit needs to stop. It is ANIMAL ABUSE. All the vegans i know with cats and dogs would never do this!!
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Vegan cat food being beneficial to cats is a concept that refuses to die. Cats haven’t evolved to live well on plant based foods. They are obligate carnivores. Unfortunately a lot of the cat food and treats available contains some type of grain or plant base. I’d prefer to feed my cats on meat exclusively but can’t afford to.
To illustrate how much grain regular dry cat food (Purina) contains: our resident wood chuck loves it!!
But yes, vegan cat food is no good. Don’t feed it.
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The shelter we adopted our youngin’ from was (obviously) being subsidized by HIll’s Science Diet. The kit came with diarrhea that didn’t look OR smell like diarrhea – no surprise after reading the ingredients on the bag of Hill’s cat food they gave us. The next day we went down to our fav pet store and bought Orijen kitten food which contains 90% animal protein. Within 24 hours the diarrhea was gone! Once he was old enough, we put him on the same diet as my 5-year-old: Fussie Cat wet food… and we haven’t looked back.
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I usually don’t endorse any particular food on this blog, especially because every cat is different and brand availability varies quite a bit depending on where you live, but yeah…Science Diet is sold at premium prices without premium ingredients. It’s not much different compared to grocery store brands. The difference is in marketing and perception.
The brand of wet food I’ve been feeding Bud is a decent balance of quality and price, but after some research I’ve found food that has much better ingredients and isn’t more expensive if I buy it by the case, which is what I do anyway.
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We buy by the case, as well – but they still (especially The Kid) eat us out of house and home. LOL Well worth every cent, though, to keep them healthy and happy.
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You spoil your cat that much? We don’t… Especially since he has all he could want! Including boxes galore, laundry bags galore (monitored for safety), (he has his lickingnplastic fetish…???!) his favorite mouse, and a toy box full of unused toys! Plus his favorite food! And he has his own chair. Well, we LET him think it is his own chair… My husband won’t disturb him at all if he is sleeping in it. Nope we don’t spoil him at all!
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The pet food/toy/supply companies know we all spoil them and take full advantage of that fact. The Blue Buffalo commercials really lean into that: “They’re family, right? Then feed them like it!”
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Yeah! They are sure they will get the $’s! Mr. Man (as a friend calls him) says HE ISNT SPOILED!!! He just expects certain things from us lowly humans! Turkey, water, RESPECT! He loves that Aretha Franklin song… Was it Aretha? Yup! Thats all he craves, thank you but add turkey or chicken too…
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He’s still basically a kitten though, yeah? When I adopted Bud, I was told he should be given as much food as he wants for the first year or until he stopped growing. Of course he still thinks he’s growing toward his eventual full tiger size.
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He turned one year last May (he’s a Taurus). Developed a “catitude”shortly thereafter, too. I am closely monitoring his food (and treat) intake as he will tend to gain weight – UNLIKE Ramses. Yes, The Kid’s already a bit of a butterbull. We joke that we have to be careful lifting him lest we strain a groin. LOL
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lol I call Bud “Budderball” sometimes.
Have you seen Zoltan Kazsis’s comedy bit about his fat cat? It’s funny because it’s so true: https://youtu.be/jTf03_rzVt0?si=dPn6YXPH9B6z_bc8
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Every time Spunkmeyer gets on my lap, I swear he has grown more and he is going to be 5 (approx.) In January!!! I understand him when he says at least it is “all muscle!” And it is! He doesn’t crave “people food” like all of our other rescues. They all ate people food! Not much but some! Spunk turns his nose up at most of what we eat! Except for fowl parts! He will deign to eat a bit of chicken or turkey. But no more!
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Every time Spunkmeyer gets on my lap, I swear he has grown more and he is going to be 5 (approx.) In January!!! I understand him when he says at least it is “all muscle!” And it is! He doesn’t crave “people food” like all of our other rescues. They all ate people food! Not much but some! Spunk turns his nose up at most of what we eat! Except for fowl parts! He will deign to eat a bit of chicken or turkey. But no more!
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Hills went to crap when they were bought by whichever big Corp. bought them in the late 80’s-early 90’s (?). Same thing with Iames. They used to be top of the line too. Blue Buffalo is going that way too since they got bought out.
We don’t buy the “premium” stuff because our cats won’t eat it. We’ve tried. Bought every “expensive” brand under the sun and they turn their noses up at it. Asked our vet if that’s a problem and he said nope. As long as they’re eating, drinking water and being active, they’re just fine eating the cheaper stuff. I’m not gonna feel guilty about it since all of our cats have lived well into their 20’s and were pretty damn healthy when we had to let them go. It was the same way with my Cockatiel. She would only eat birdseed and people loved to tell me she needed other stuff too. Well, I tried to get her to eat the “other” stuff and she refused. She died in my arms when she was 25. My vet was shocked when I told her how old she was when we lost her. People just get hung up on having the latest thing, like that Farmers Dog stuff that’s out there. You can make the stuff yourself at home. My friend does for her dog. It’s like chicken, rice, veggies, etc. It’s ridiculous how some people pay more than they have to because it’s the “latest” thing.
We spend at least $100 every time we go into Petsmart to get food. We go a couple times a month to pick up food. Sometimes it’s almost $200. We feed our 3 cats and our outdoor kitties too.
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Spunkmeyer and I both (if we could) be in lime at the meat.department counter, picking and choosing our next meals!
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You notice he is hugging his vegan DOG…
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I could see vegan cat food as maybe a snack – surely Churro, and Temptations are not loaded with nutrition – but it’s an inescapable fact that cats need meat to survive.
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I just saw an ad for Temptations wet food. I guess it was inevitable, and maybe it’ll do some good for cats who otherwise won’t eat, but I’m interested in seeing the ingredient list.
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Maybe we don’t want to see the ingredients…. (Hi Buddy from Spunkmeyer)
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They have a dry foos out right now. Started seeing the bags of it a couple months ago. Don’t know if I’d buy it, but it’s out there.
We do buy the treats though. The little monsters at our place won’t eat anything else.
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Churros are too expensive. Baby food are good snacks and no preservatives.
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Yes!!! BABY FOOD! They ARE our babies, after all!!!
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And people who are at the too of their game spout things about how healthy they are but what about their cats?
Makes you wonder who needs more attention, them?
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Yes, it’s more about them than the cats. Anyone who is even remotely invested in keeping their cat(s) healthy and alive will steer well clear of this stuff unless there is legitimate research showing it’s not harmful.
A survey is not going to cut it, not even close.
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Cats are vegans? Sure……that’s why they go after mice and birds, bc they’re so vegan.
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“Spunkmeyer Here! I Don’t chase birds but i would if they would sit STILL! Darn feathers make me sneeze too! Mice are way better! Thankfully they don’t have feathers! I bring them to my mom cause she is a lousy cook! NO VEGGIES! EEEUUU!”
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My feral Bootsy was playing hockey with fig from my fig tree!! Not one veggie harmed by him. Rats? They do not stand a chance. Killed about 9 this year alone. My neighbors happily say he kills thier garden rats.
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