The study found that owners of cats fed vegan diets reported fewer visits to the vet, less medication use and said that their vet would be more likely to describe their cat as healthy. The findings provide reassurance to a growing number of owners who are considering alternative diets for their pets, the researchers said.
Cats need a high-protein diet that includes certain nutrients, like taurine, which are only found naturally in meat. However, these nutrients can be synthetically manufactured or sourced from specific plants and added into vegan food as supplements.
The same supplements are used for vegan food to make sure it's nutritionally sound, said Knight. The researchers could not rule out the cats obtaining meat.
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