Taurine is a vital component in vegan pet food. Taurine is an amino acid (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) - a chemical that acts as building block of proteins. It was discovered in 1846 by English chemist Edmund Ronalds. Taurine is involved in many fundamental biological processes of cats and dogs (and humans too), such as fetal development and growth. It is essential for cardiovascular function, development and function of skeletal muscles, vision, and the central nervous system. Dogs are able to produce their own taurine from sulfur-containing amino acids (primarily cysteine, but also methionine). For this reason, taurine is not considered an essential amino acid for dogs.1 Cats, by contrast, lack the enzyme necessary to produce taurine and must therefore acquire it from their...
Did you know that cats, and especially dogs, set out New Year resolutions the same way as humans do!? 😉 Well, to be honest we don't know if that's really the case, but we thought it would be fun to watch our furry friends fulfilling the same New Year Resolutions as we do! Can you guess which resolution is being accomplished in each image? Comment below with your guesses and image numbers! As a big challenge for 2021, we encourage you to save 100 animals by switching your pets to a vegan diet. Over their lifetime cats and dogs consume hundreds if not thousands of animals. By switching their diet you save lives of chickens, sheep, cows and tuna, while also giving your pet some...
In her interview Dr. May (DVM) explained that there are many common practices for cats that do not happen in nature. For example: > Living in a house or an apartment VS. roaming the wilderness > Regular eating intervals provided by pet guardians VS. gorging in anticipation of long periods of hunger/starvation in nature > Eating pre-made dry kibble or wet food in cans VS. hunting mice, lizards, critters etc. in nature > Health checks at the vet’s office VS. taking care of own wounds/illnesses in nature > Being spayed or neutered VS. intact cats searching for a mating partner This list illustrates that although some common practices do not happen in nature, they are are widely used for the benefits...
A commercial pet food supplier, ADM Animal Nutrition, recently published a report recognizing validity of plant ingredients in cat food and advising their inclusion in cat food formulations. That's great news, but let's pause for a second. A commercial pet food supplier advocating for plant-based ingredients? Well, that's rather odd. Most pet food suppliers supply meat-based products and advocate the inclusion of meat-based constituents. Their objective is usually to make the optimal food for cats, with high palatability, not necessarily the most ethical food. That is why it's unusual to have a pet food ingredient supplier advocating plant-based ingredients and backing up their claims with research. So what does ADM say in their report? ADM Animal Nutrition Report In their report ADM...
Explaining to your friends and family that your cat (or dog) is now vegan is tough. Our family and friends don’t have the benefit of seeing the research we’ve done prior to switching, and they certainly don’t see all the pros and cons we’ve carefully weighted. They simply “know” that cats/dogs need meat. And they are not wrong, since that’s the very definition of an obligate carnivore to hunt prey and eat flesh. They may also think you’ve gone a little too far with the whole vegan lifestyle and saving animals 'thing'. Others may even start thinking you are downright crazy and call you animal abuser, since you “force your believes” on your poor cat/dog to eat only lettuce, tomatoes...
