Vegans do not take meals from animal-based products and don’t believe that animals should suffer from human attributed pain.
They also believe that animals should be accorded freedom like humans.
And that is exactly why the question of whether vegans should keep pets or not comes up.
So, Is It Justifiable for Vegans to Own Pets?
Keeping a pet is fine for vegans but with certain regulations. For instance, the animal to be kept as a pet must be one from a rescue home, animal charity, or a sanctuary. Vegans should not buy pets from breeders and shops.
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In this article, we will confirm that it is okay for vegans to own pets.
Additionally, we will dive into details of what it takes a vegan to own a pet how vegan pets should be taken care of. And there is more!
Do Vegans Keep Pets?
The answer to this question can be a yes or a no.
Some vegans ARE pet owners. Provided the pets will be fed by plant-based meals, keeping a pet is no offense for vegans.
Vegans refer to pets as companion animals that should be accorded the freedom to move about as they please just like human beings.
So, do not be surprised if you see a vegan’s pet roaming around in total freedom.
Vegans believe that it is a bad idea to cause physical and psychological torture on animals. That is why they are against the gauging of animals.
Vegans also keep and treat pets as family members.
They treat an animal the way they treat a fellow human.
They show them love, compassion, and dignity at whatever cost.
These three values are among the core ethos of veganism about pets and other animals as well.
Vegans’ Appeal On Pets
Vegans’ appeal to vegan pets is crystal clear. They advocate for vegetarian pet diets devoid of any animal meal.
There are plenty of vegan justifiable concerns to the environment and especially on the greenhouse effect.
Food sustainability is also one of the key vegans’ appeals to vegan pets.
It is a prudent idea for both animals and humans to live amicably without interruptions.
This would keep the environment safe for everyone. Cantered on compassion for animals, vegans advocate for fair treatment of animals
The need for security for animals and freedom for them to move around without human manipulation and interruptions is what vegans appeal for.
Animals are presumed to have feelings and should be accorded the same respect and freedom as humans. No one should inflict pain or misery on them.
No one should hunt them for fur, milk products, skin, and hides. Instead, humans should focus on obtaining their food from plant-based meals.
Vegans Take On Rescue Animals Vs, Purposeful Breeding
As we mentioned earlier, one of the ways vegans obtain their pets is from rescued animals.
In an attempt to provide hospitality and show love, vegans can find themselves having pets this way.
Just like humans, they believe animals should also be given much-needed help in times of need.
On the contrary, vegans are against the idea of the intentional breeding of animals.
That would mean interfering with their freedom.
They have drawn a line between keeping pets and purposeful breeding.
They want to make sure that no single animal is held in captivity if they had a chance to be freed.
You, therefore, do not expect a vegan to take animals for pets from shops and breeders.
They only believe in giving animals a home in case of an intractable problem. That is an ideal time to show compassion to the.
Is It Safe for Your Dog or Cat to Eat Vegan Diet?
Keeping in mind that vegans’ pets do not have to eat animal-based food, you are probably asking yourself whether they would survive with a vegan diet alone.
Pets like cats that rely on meat for survival may bump on a challenge adapting to a vegan diet. So are dog pets.
Can A Cat Be a Vegetarian?
Vegans have to train their cat pets to be vegetarian.
No option. So what happens if you train your cat to be a vegan?
Can they survive? Well, while it is possible to train cats to eat vegetables exclusively, it is a daunting task.
It takes time. Cats are obligate carnivores that rely heavily on meat to survive. But vegans are against that.
Consequently, cat pets should be trained to survive on plant-based meals alone.
A major concern is whether they will make it or not. In the long run, a health issue can come up.
If cats stay for a long time without meat, their health can adversely deteriorate.
Eye problems and liver ailments are two major concerns that vegans should pay attention to.
Some cats may, however, adapt while others may not. Or if they do, their health status may be weakened.
Can Dog Pets Be Vegetarians?
Compared to cats, dogs can adapt quite fast to new diets.
Special attention should be paid to their plant-based meals to ensure that they are rich in nutrients that can supply what meat would have otherwise supplied.
Initial health issues may show up though they may not be very serious.
These include signs of vitamin D deficiencies. If exposed to immense exercise, vegan dogs may develop blood-related diseases.
On the other hand, dogs feeding exclusively on vegan meals are at low risk of contracting bladder stones.
Which Is the Ideal Vegan Pet Food?
Vegans should master plant-based diets very well to ensure that there is very little compromise on the diet of their pets.
After all, plant sources contain all the nutrients that animal-based meals have.
A primary issue here is usually the short guts of most animal pets like cats and dogs.
That would mean digestion is less effective for plant-based diets which take time to be absorbed.
Appropriate nutrient sources should be chosen to ensure that the animals remain physically fit and healthy.
There are many commercially produced vegan food for pets these days.
Such food has been designed to gather for all nutrient requirements to ensure that they get enough of it.
Can You Prepare Your Vegetarian Diet for Vegan Pets?
Yes. Though it proves difficult to design an appropriate meal with the required amount of nutrients you can cook a nice meal for your vegan pets.
For young pets like puppies and kittens, nutrient supplements can be used to meet their nutrient requirements.
For adult pets, however, too much vitamin A supplementation can cause potential fusing of the bones.
This can be a disaster as the pet can be paralyzed.
This could cause pain and distress thereby, breaching vegan’s ethical laws on pet keeping.
Final Words
It is okay for vegans to keep pets only if they can make to feed them exclusively with plant-based food.
Pets kept by vegans should not be the ones bought from pet shops and intentional breeders.
A vegan can get a pet from a rescue home and help provide hospitality for them as companion animals.
There is a vast array of vegan food that can be obtained for vegan pets.
Attention should be paid to ensure that the pets are obtaining the right amount of nutrients from plant-based food.