Faithful to their principles, vegans who have banned meat and fish from their diet also do not want to feed their cats and dogs with the flesh of other animals. More and more of them want vegan food for their pets, so the animal feed industry has adapted its offer. But is this type of food suitable for little four-legged animals?
Valéry Giroux takes in stray cats at home, which she says are very numerous in her neighborhood.
A vegan, she finds it difficult to justify that farm or livestock animals are killed, after pitiful living conditions, to feed her felines.
She sees a contradiction in it: “It’s like undressing Peter to dress Paul. “
She is concerned, however, that she will not take proper care of cats – small carnivores – if she feeds them food without animal protein.
“I believe that animals have rights, including those not to suffer and not to die prematurely”, explains the woman who has a doctorate in philosophy and researcher in animal ethics at the Center for Research in Ethics (CRE).
So, how do you meet the needs of your cats and at the same time respect the rights of other animals? “I ask myself these questions”, because there are really contradictory obligations, she judges.
As for those who say that only scraps of meat intended for human beings are used in the manufacture of animal food, she finds this argument invalid: the pet food industry makes commercial breeding remains very profitable.
Who eats what
It is of course possible for a human to have a vegan diet: omnivorous, he can adapt to everything, like dogs, explained in an interview the veterinarian Cloé Gervais St-Cyr, of the veterinary hospital of Houssart in Trois. -Rivers.
But not cats, which are “obligatory carnivores”, she continues.
It is therefore for them that the question of a vegan diet is more delicate – and controversial.
Cats need, among other things, taurine, an essential amino acid for them which is found naturally, and in abundant quantities, in meat and fish. Otherwise, they are at risk of heart disease, heart disease, says the veterinarian. They can also have vision problems and gastric disorders, adds Dr.r Younès Chorfi, professor of nutrition at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal.
“You shouldn’t play with that. “
If the idea behind the vegan diet is to respect nature, but then you have to fill the gaps in the food given to the animal by adding chemical nutrients, such as synthetic taurine, “it is not. not coherent ”, he judges. He notes that some animal foods sold in stores or online that claim to be vegan do not necessarily contain the amount of taurine recommended for a balanced diet, necessary for a cat’s health. He believes it is more difficult – given the delicate balance of nutrients required -, but possible, to create vegan foods for cats.
Vincent Duhamel made the choice years ago, for himself, to eat plant-based foods. Respect for the environment played a role for the Montrealer, but for him it was above all a question of animal ethics. He opened the doors of his home to alley cats. For the moment, seven are basking there.
The dilemma presented itself for him too: aware of the health problems that a diet only based on plants can cause in cats, he made the choice to give them “half and half” portions: he mixes them in their bowl 50% traditional croquettes containing animal protein, and 50% vegetable food. Felines do not sort the kibble, he assures us.
And at least “it reduces the amount,” he says, and the impact on animals.
Except that the discomfort does not disappear completely: the meaty food, “I don’t feel very good about that”.
The seven cats have no health problems, he says. Valéry Giroux’s cats either: they are followed by a veterinarian, precisely to ensure that this diet is not harmful for them. Some 15 cats and 12 years later, no disease has been diagnosed.
“But if I’m wrong and it shortens their life expectancy, the question remains,” she said.
She would like there to be more research on the nutritional needs of cats: if science finds a solution for their diet, the “ethical problem evaporates”.
As part of his practice, the DD Gervais St-Cyr has never cared for a sick animal due to a plant-based diet. However, she does not recommend it for cats, like many other vets.
However, recent studies indicate that such a diet would be possible if the missing amino acids are added.
As for Sophy Bernier, also a vegan, who has long looked after a foundation that welcomed abandoned animals, she says she is impatiently awaiting the commercialization of synthetic animal proteins, created in the laboratory, which she believes would solve the difficulties raised for the cat food. Because Animals, a biotech company, will launch its first cultured meat food in 2022.
Industry response
At Mondou, a major chain of animal products stores in Quebec, consumer demand for vegan food and others based on different proteins has been noted for four or five years, indicates in an interview Nancy Oliveira, specialist and buyer. of products for the Quebec company.
“People are more aware of what they eat, and what they want for them, they want for their animals. “
While she sees increased demand for these more specialized products, she points out that this is “quiet growth”.
Jonathan Bourget, Executive Director of Bio Biscuit, a manufacturer of animal food known especially for its Oven-Baked Tradition branded products and business partner of Mondou, developed vegan recipes for dogs that had food allergies and intolerances, although they were surely bought for other reasons.
“For now, it’s still a niche product,” he says, although it’s “growing”. Its vegan “semi-wet” dog food, however, has seen an 80-100% increase in sales over the past year, reports Mme Oliveira.
He too immediately distinguishes between dogs and cats: “It’s impossible for us to develop totally vegan food that would be viable for the cat. “
As for those who wish to reduce their environmental footprint, they have more options than before. And Mr. Bourget notes that the sales of its fish-based foods have “greatly” increased, especially over the past year. Bio Biscuit has developed more environmentally friendly foods, including animal treats made from insects.
“We’re going there,” he said. The consumer should not be rushed, but eventually the supply of meat will become more and more difficult and expensive. “