Vegetarian Pets

[Nitefly]

Just because their teeth are designed to eat meat, doesn't mean they NEED meat to be healthy, doesn't mean there's not something else that could replace that and sustain their health just as effectively. All it means is they evolved to eat meat bececause that's what was around them as a food source at the time, that's what was available and the best way for them to survive at the time and in those circumstances.

The differences are not superficial. A carnivores gut is designed to process meat. It can not process other material as easily. A dog can not gain the same nutrition from vegetables as humans.

Humans would have a pretty horrible time surviving if we tried to eat large amounts of grass likes cows. Its a similar (yet admittedly more extreme) comparison. Even then we would be better off eating grass compared to dogs.

 

[KittensCake]

That's true, but it still doesn't mean there's nothing that can be produced that would effectively replace meat.

 

[Teki187]

I wasn't referring specifically to the feeding pets meat subject when I called you ignorant, it was in relation to the entertainment thing. But anyway, do YOU know if say, dogs for example, NEED meat...etc in their diet? Just because their teeth are designed to eat meat, doesn't mean they NEED meat to be healthy, doesn't mean there's not something else that could replace that and sustain their health just as effectively. All it means is they evolved to eat meat bececause that's what was around them as a food source at the time, that's what was available and the best way for them to survive at the time and in those circumstances.

Dogs need meat for protein and the best natural source for protein for dogs is meat. Plus there wolf ancestry eat raw meat. They evolved to eat meat. Case closed.

 

[Rainmaker]

Its not the fact that cats need meat, its the fact that plant material is actually bad for them and will make them sick.

Yes and no. Cats are obligate carnivores and require flesh from other animals, and the nutrients from it, to survive. For example, taurine. It's found in heart muscle, and without it cats would (and not too long ago, thanks to 'pet food' did) die.

The argument that dogs might have evolved as carnivores but we can change that now, is ridiculous. They are carnivores, and need to be fed as such. You can't just say "Oh noes I don't want to give my dog meat, he can be a herb-etarean now"

Depriving them of the food stuff they have evolved to eat causes harm. Fact. Did you not read my previous posts? It's not just the nutritional content but the actual physical form of the food that is important for carnivores/predators.

 

[penski]

Biggest load of ******** I've ever read.

Only just become literate...?

You go and watch a gun dog do a days work and tell me he is not enjoying it.

Done it countless times. He isn't enjoying it, he is simply doing what his pack leader commands. Stop trying to place human 'qualities' on animals. It doesn't work.

I guess i should put my fish back into the toilet, i must be enslaving them. Moron.

You got your fish from a toilet? They may be brown but they certainly aren't trout, I can assure you.

Did your fish choose to live in your tank?

Thought not.

I already put a disclaimer in a previous post to try and ward off posts such as yours. I guess I just didn't count on the depths that idiocy can reach...

*n

 

[Nitefly]

That's true, but it still doesn't mean there's nothing that can be produced that would effectively replace meat.

The only thing that can truly replace meat, is meat. Sadly. The next best thing is Quorn.

 

[Teki187]

I already put a disclaimer in a previous post to try and ward off posts such as yours. I guess I just didn't count on the depths that idiocy can reach...

*n

Right, I'm not the one claiming humans are enslaving dogs.

Feed my pet, have your fill!

 

[Rainmaker]

The only thing that can replace meat, is meat. Sadly. The next best thing is Quorn.

For a human, maybe. If you tried to feed any carnivore (dog, cat, ferret) on that muck for long you'd have a very dead dog/cat/ferret

 

[KittensCake]

The only thing that can replace meat, is meat. Sadly.

So where's the evidence for this? Are you saying, that at no point in time will we ever be able to produce something which is an effective replacement for meat for animals? That there is NOTHING out there that can effectively replace meat for say, dogs? NOTHING that can ever be created to effectively replace meat? It is very likely there is something out there, or that something will be produced at some point through advances in technology, which will do the job.

 

[penski]

One of the funniest things I like about cats is when they you are going to feed them, their tail quivers like crazy.

Edited for truth.

*n

 

[mattyfez]

Sigh.

Ok, love thing. See previous post. Depends what you define as love. What is love? Again whatever it's obvious animals can like you and enjoy your company. Of course it can always goes back to something more basic and selfish, it's no different with anything any form of life does in that sense. It's the same with human 'love'.

And again back to the entertainment thing. So lets say, I adopt a dog from a dog santuary. This dog has been abused...etc all its life. I'm doing that for no other reason than for my own entertainment and as my little play thing? Whatever man.

I wasn't referring specifically to the feeding pets meat subject when I called you ignorant, it was in relation to the entertainment thing. But anyway, do YOU know if say, dogs for example, NEED meat...etc in their diet? Just because their teeth are designed to eat meat, doesn't mean they NEED meat to be healthy, doesn't mean there's not something else that could replace that and sustain their health just as effectively. All it means is they evolved to eat meat bececause that's what was around them as a food source at the time, that's what was available and the best way for them to survive at the time and in those circumstances.

Thats exactly why a dog should be fed on mainly meat, its digestive system, and metabolism has evolved over many years, as have its other features such as sharp teeth and strong jaw for ripping up carcasses.

To feed a dog on sprouts and protien drinks will at best give it a bad stomach ache.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Yes and no. Cats are obligate carnivores and require flesh from other animals, and the nutrients from it, to survive. For example, taurine. It's found in heart muscle, and without it cats would (and not too long ago, thanks to 'pet food' did) die.

Taurine eh? Does that mean I can give my cat dried food soaked in Red Bull and they should be fine?

 

[Nitefly]

For a human, maybe. If you tried to feed any carnivore (dog, cat, ferret) on that muck for long you'd have a very dead dog/cat/ferret

Heh, very true What do you do when you are not on the forum, out of curiousity?

So where's the evidence for this? Are you saying, that at no point in time will we ever be able to produce something which is an effective replacement for meat for animals? That there is NOTHING out there that can effectively replace meat for say, dogs? NOTHING that can ever be created to effectively replace meat?

Its quite hard to provide evidence towards something the equivilent of 'you can not turn lead into gold'.

In a word, no.

 

[Tefal]

Taurine eh? Does that mean I can give my cat dried food soaked in Red Bull and they should be fine?

You could just vomit on your cats dinner should do too.

 

[MofoKilla]

How the hell anyone could not eat meat is truly beyond me

 

[KittensCake]

Thats exactly why a dog should be fed on mainly meat, its digestive system, and metabolism has evolved over many years, as have its other features such as sharp teeth and strong jaw for ripping up carcasses.

To feed a dog on sprouts and protien drinks will at best give it a bad stomach ache.

I know, but that doesn't mean there is nothing out there or something that can be created that will do the same job, which isn't meat. When you break it down it's just a load of simple building blocks which can be found from many sources, and it's entirely possible that something could be created that has similar properties, but is not derived directly from animals.

 

[Nitefly]

How the hell anyone could not eat meat is truly beyond me

*yawn*

I know, but that doesn't mean there is nothing out there or something that can be created that will do the same job, which isn't meat.

Yes it does. Without meaning to sound like a broken record, the only substance which has the same molecular structure, consistancy, nutritional value and edibility (digestability) of meat for a dog is... meat.

 

[Energize]

I'll extend it to virtually every vegan/veggie I've met.

Precisley not representative. My dad has been a vegetarian for years because he doesn't want animals killed, as have many others, some people are vegetarians for environmental reasons, so to say that all vegetarians are hypocritical for having pets is incredibly ignorant.

That's true, but it still doesn't mean there's nothing that can be produced that would effectively replace meat.

Meat has in fact already been produced by culture, in the future it seems likely this will replace a significant amount of animal meat sold, due to the advantages it has.

 

[Rainmaker]

What do you do when you are not on the forum, out of curiousity?

Jack of all trades now, thanks to my neurological disease I did a degree (first class honours) in psychology specialising in psychopharmacology, and wanted to study medicine. I'd spent five years working full time in a vet surgery as I already had a strong interest in my working dogs and vet medicine/surgery. I joined the Raw Meaty Bones Lobby once I'd learnt as much as I did, and nowadays thanks to my illness I can't carry on to study medicine so I'm stuck on the PC talking to you lot instead

That said, my illness/disability has let me spend a lot of time in front of a PC learning Linux/networking/overclocking etc so it's a mixed blessing really lol

 

[mattyfez]

Meat has in fact already been produced by culture, in the future it seems likely this will replace a significant amount of meat sold, due to the advantages it has.

I was going to say that actually, lab grown meat cultures could be an alternative, still meat but without the moral baggage of killing somthing