Vegan Cat Resources

This page is based on the research and experience of this site's membership. We are not scientists, nutritionists, or experts - just people who care deeply about all animals. Please make decisions for yourself (and your cat friends) with the help of your own research and the advice of veterinarians.

On this page:

• Vegan cat basics
• Vegan cat foods - Wet Foods - Dry Foods
• Treats
• Vegan cat food vendors
• Websites and articles
• Books

Vegan cat basics

1. Vegan cats need water. While cats love kibble, the higher water content of wet food (pre-prepared or home-cooked) is safer for cats, who we need to be sure keep well hydrated. When you do feed your cats kibble, try stirring it up with water and nutritional yeast for added flavor, nutrition, and moisture. A kitty fountain is a good idea, too - cats usually prefer to drink running water. Vegan Cat Institute agrees with us: "Because of the dehydrating effects and gastrointestinal issues associated with the consumption of dry food, we highly recommend that ALL cats consume ONLY a wet food product."
2. Strive for sustainability. Buying pre-prepared foods can be expensive, and takes a greater toll on the environment. Though it requires some preparation time, it can be cheaper and more environmentally friendly to buy a special supplement (Vegecat) and add it to ingredients that can be purchased from your local food coop or health food store's bulk section. Bring your own containers to save resources.
3. Every cat has different preferences. Some cats like variety, and will enjoy a sampling of different foods, changed up over time. Other cats might appreciate some choices initially so they can find their favorite, but then will shun variety and only eat their chosen flavor.
4. No matter what you decide to feed your cat, be sure to have his or her urine pH tested regularly to make sure it stays in a healthy range (5.9-6.4). Boy cats are more likely to run into problems with pH than are girl cats, so they require extra vigilance.
5. For your cat friend's sake, be honest and assert yourself, with your veterinarian and with vendors. Your knowledge and ideas matter, so speak up. And work with folks you trust and can really communicate with - you need to be able to ask questions and get real answers.
6. Veganism does not work for all cats. Some cats can not thrive on a vegan diet. If your cat has repeated run-ins with urinary crystals or other health problems, take these conditions very seriously and make changes as needed to ensure his or her health and well-being.

Vegan cat foods

Wet foods

Vegecat Supplement, Vegecat pH Supplement, Vegekit Supplement, and VegeYeast - Harbingers of a New Age (Hoana)

Vegecat is a supplement you add to simple combinations of ingredients including lentils, chickpeas, texturized soy protein (TSP), oats, rice, and other protein-rich staples. With oil, a special yeast and flavorings added in, it becomes a tasty paté you can make in minutes.

Their website reads, "Recipes meet nutrient levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Official's (AAFCO) Cat Food Nutrient Profile... without using any animal products." The supplement comes in variations for adult cats, kittens and queens, and cats who have had urinary tract issues.

We've found a lot of evidence to suggest that VegeCat is the best diet for vegan cats - it's economical, fresh, easy to make to your cats' liking, and of all the foods available, it seems to produce the most consistently healthy pH. Here are testimonials.

Where to find it: vegepet.com | vegancats.com, veganessentials.com

Vegetable Stew and Gourmet Entree Moist Cat Food - Evolution Diet
Canned food "carefully formulated to meet the nutritional needs of all your pet's life stages."

Here's info about a study (again, a disputed one) that found Vegetable Stew Moist Cat Food nutritionally inadequate. Here are testimonials from customers.

Where to find it: petfoodshop.com | vegancats.com, veganessentials.com

Vegan Feline Roast Mix - Vegan Cat Institute Food Project
Vegecat-based mixes sold by the pound by a very new indie company, "designed to provide balanced feline nutrition at a reasonable cost and requiring a minimum amount of time to prepare." Free samples available.

Where to find it: ixamall.com/VCI/

All Fresh Vegetarian Dinner - Evanger's Dog and Cat Food Company
Evanger's calls this a nutritionally complete diet for animals with food allergies.

Where to find it: evangersdogfood.com/cat/20101.html

Dry foods

AMÍ CAT - AMÍ Pet Products
A crunchy, extremely delicious (according to three cats this author knows) kibble. The recipe is based on 15 years of research. Here are positive comments from a veterinarian, a biologist, a physicians, a chemist, and other supporters. Dry foods are risky, especially for boy cats - kibble should be moistened, and served with a lot of water.

Where to find it: veganessentials.com, vegancats.com

Gourmet Pasta Cat Kibble - Evolution Diet
Kibble "carefully formulated to meet the nutritional needs of all your pet's life stages." Vegan Cat Institute says "we can not recommend this product for male cats, due to the manufacturer's inability to maintain quality control to yield a target pH of 6.5 as promised." Here are positive testimonials from customers, and here is a more negative review.

Where to find it: petfoodshop.com | vegancats.com

Vegecat KibbleMix - Harbingers of a New Age (Hoana)

Their website reads, "Extremely low magnesium recipes meet nutrient levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Official's (AAFCO) Cat Food Nutrient Profile for adult cats, without using any animal products."

Here are testimonials (note, they're for both this product and Vegecat, the product above). Here's information regarding a (disputed...) study that found KibbleMix nutritionally inadequate. Again, dry foods are risky, especially for boy cats - kibble should be moistened, and served with a lot of water.

Where to find it: vegepet.com | vegancats.com

Treats

These foods aren't uniquely cat-friendly, balanced foods, though some of them are ingredients in the foods above. Many cats love them though, and they provide flavor and variety. These treats should be enjoyed sparingly, as treats or served with healthier foods.

Foods which are toxic to cats include unlikely-sounding things like yeasted dough, raisins and onions. You might want to check the ingredients list on foods you already feed your cat friend to make sure they don't contain anything dangerous to cats.

Cat-safe human foods that many cats enjoy include:

• Seitan and canned faux meats (available at Asian foods stores and from Evolution Foods)
• Soy cheese
• Cooked chickpeas, lentils, oats, brown rice, quinoa
• Reconsituted texturized vegetable protein (TVP) or texturized soy protein (TSP)
• Little bits of nori (the seaweed wrapped around sushi), nori flakes
• Corn off the cob
• Fresh cantaloupe
• Squash cooked soft
• Applesauce
• Cooked pasta
• Vegan pancake batter
• Tomato paste

Nutritional yeast is loved by many cats, and can be sprinkled on top of food for added flavor.

Vegan cat food vendors

Harbingers of a New Age (Hoana)
vegepet.com
Creators of Vegecat, Vegecat pH, Vegekit, Vegecat KibbleMix, and VegeYeast, which can all be purchased on the site. Site also includes case histories and photos of vegan cats, and products for vegan dogs.

VeganCats.com
vegancats.com
This shop was started by Jed Gillen, author of Obligate Carnivore, but is under new management and has had a facelift. They carry handy starter-packs that allow your cat to sample new foods while transitioning to a vegan diet, along with vegan nutritional supplements, Jed's book, and the major vegan cat food options: Ami Cat Vegan Cat Food, Evolution Canned Vegan Cat Food and Kibble, and the Vegecat family of products from Hoana, including VegeYeast. They also carry collars and leashes, catnip, products for vegan dogs, and coat care products.

Evolution Diet
petfoodshop.com
Creators of Evolution Diet canned food and kibble. The site also sells treats like veggie scallops, vitamins and supplements, Jed Gillen's Obligate Carnivore, gift certificates, and dog and ferret food, and provides a lot of supporting information including testimonials and an FAQ.

Vegan Essentials
veganessentials.com
VeganEssentials offers a huge array of items for vegans - and now they have vegan cat and dog food, too. Their vegan cat offerings include AmiCat, VegeCat supplements, Evolution canned food and kibble, dietary supplements and first aid products, collars and leashes, food storage containers, and Vegetarian Cats & Dogs (a DVD by James A. Peden of Hoana).

Vegan Cat Institute Food Project
ixamall.com/VCI/
In addition to selling Vegan Feline Roast Mix by the pound, VCI offers free samples and includes a free informational CD with every order. Their site includes testimonials, articles and other supporting information, and printable advocacy materials.

Evanger's Dog and Cat Food Company
Direct link to only vegan product: evangersdogfood.com/cat/20101.html
Evanger's makes a lot of animal-based foods, but they also happen to make a food that vegan cats love: All Fresh Vegetarian Dinner. It's very affordable and they ship quickly. However, we're not sure if this diet is nutritionally complete for vegan cats, so please use with caution. The company calls it "complete" and provides it for animals with food allergies.

Websites and articles

Vegankatter
vegankatter.wordpress.com (English auto-translation by Google)
A vegan cat blog run by Vegan Cats Ning member VK

VegePets.info
vegepets.info
"www.VegePets.info was created following extensive research, including a review of the relevant biomedical literature, in order to assist animal guardians, animal carers and veterinary personnel who wish to gain a sounder understanding of the health and nutritional issues associated with meat-based and vegetarian companion animal diets."

"Evaluation of cats fed vegetarian diets and attitudes of their caregivers" by Lorelei A. Wakefield, VMD; Frances S. Shofer, PhD; Kathryn E. Michel, DVM, DACVN, Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (July 1, 2006, Vol. 229, No. 1, Pages 70-73)
avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.229.1.70
"All cats evaluated had serum cobalamin concentrations within reference range, and 14 of 17 had blood taurine concentrations within reference range," and the cats with taurine below reference range were not low enough to be considered critically deficient.

Vegetarian Cats
vegetariancats.com
"Whether it meets with their vet's approval or not, many caregivers have begun to feed their cats vegetarian food. To date, there have not been any scientific studies about the health and nutritional status of vegetarian cats in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to gather preliminary data so veterinarians can properly advise clients that want to feed their cats vegetarian food."

AMÍ Pet Products
aminews.co.uk
An Italian company whose kibble is becoming more and more available - but not through this site. (See links to shops above to purchase AmiCat.) The site includes nutritional information, an FAQ, comments from experts, and a feeding guide.

Can you feed a cat or dog a vegetarian/vegan diet? (International Vegetarian Union)
ivu.org/faq/animals.html
"Not only is it POSSIBLE to feed most cats and dogs a non-meat diet, it is also DESIRABLE. Buying "normal" pet food is supporting the same meat industry with its attendant cruelty, exploitation, waste, and environmental damage that veganism is so opposed to."

Vegan Cats? by Dan Robinson (VegFamily)
vegfamily.com/natural-family-living/vegan-cats.htm
"Considering that the vast majority of the commercial pet foods are filled with poisons that come from the rendering industry as well as the latest risk of contaminated vegetable products like gluten, the advantages of a properly formulated vegan cat food are enormous. Vegan cats can be extremely healthy because they are no longer being fed poisonous materials that build up over time to create unique diseases that we have never seen before in cats. Then there is the ethics of killing one animal to feed another, when in truth it really isn't necessary."

Get The Facts: What's Really in Pet Food (Animal Protection Institute / Born Free USA)
api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1
"This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands — the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores — but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses. What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered 'unfit for human consumption' and similar waste products to be turned into profit."

Books

Obligate Carnivore: Cats, Dogs, and What it Really Means to Be Vegan by Jed Gillen

Vegetarian Cats & Dogs by James Peden (now available on DVD)