Can a cat be vegetarian or vegan?
No, not safely. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they rely on nutrients that are only reliably found in animal tissue to survive, not just prefer meat as a matter of taste. Without animal-source protein, a cat’s diet can fall short on the essential amino acids and fatty acids her body cannot make on its own, and prolonged deficiency can cause serious, sometimes irreversible health problems including heart and eye disease. This is different from a person’s diet, where plant-based eating is a genuinely viable, well-studied choice. There is no version of a vegetarian or vegan diet currently considered safe as a cat’s sole food source.
