Obligate Carnivore: Cats, Dogs, and What it Really Means to be Vegan

I have just finished reading "Obligate Carnivore," which makes a powerful and persuasive case in favor of all-vegan diets for companion cats and dogs. I then read the reviews here in the hope of discovering whether an equally persuasive case could be made for the other side. But the MOST negative review here makes no such case. The reviewer claims that Gillen's arguments are ideological and based on emotion, not science. Did he read the same book I read? Yes, Gillen's personal position IS emotional and ideological, based on his belief that anything which increases the suffering of animals is morally and ethically indefensible. He makes this point clearly. But the beauty of Gillen's book is that most of the points he makes are completely unrelated to his personal moral compass. He builds his case using logical arguments and scientific evidence, NOT emotion or ideology. Furthermore, the negative reviewer claims that since "meat"-based pet foods are a by-product of animals that are slaughtered for human food, refusing to buy such pet food will do nothing to reduce animal suffering. This argument makes no sense to me: I assume that the pet food industry is no different from any other industry in that it is profit-driven. If the waste products of an industry that slaughters chickens, cows, and other sentient beings for human consumption could not be converted into profitable "meat"-based pet foods, I suspect the slaughterhouses would be driven to reform at least some of the outrageous and abusive conditions in which animals are kept, prior to being slaughtered. After all, they would no longer be able to profit from the carcasses of animals that died of neglect and abuse and are unfit for human consumption. To realize any profit at all from those animals, they would have to take better care of them before slaughtering them. My companion cats and I have only recently begun moving toward a vegan lifestyle, but already I can see benefits. For instance, the "meat"-based kibble attracted flies and ants; so far, the vegan kibble hasn't attracted those pests, although the cats love it. Jed Gillen's wonderful book has addressed all my concerns about switching my cats to a vegan lifestyle. Moreover, it's fun to read, informative (especially the delightful crash-course review of the Socratic method!), and blessedly brief (but so entertaining I was sorry when it ended). Thank you, Jed Gillen!

Finally a book that presents reasons both philosophical and logical for diverting from the norm and choosing an all-plant diet for our companions! I entered this book and the introduction of veganism to my three cats with skepticism and doubt. Can an animal whose natural inclination is that of a carnivore be content and healthy with an herbivorous diet? Absolutely. My cats have been vegans for over a year, and are doing better than ever. Molly is 17 and spritely as a kitten. Katze, at 5, has lost her excess(ive) fat and become more active. Mietze, now 3, suffered from bloody stools and chronic gas from kittenhood to six months. She has flourished on her new diet; she no longer suffers from intestinal problems. But is it natural to inflict our morals on our companions? This question seems to be the premise by which most people deny a vegan diet can sustain our feline friends. Yet we rarely ask ourselves if a cat's natural environment would include living indoors, sleeping on beds, crapping in a box, eating pre-packaged food, co-habitating with humans... much less taking down a steer for supper, drinking bovine milk or consuming processed cheese, cannibalizing their own kind.... need I go on? With the threat of prionic disease for both us and our feline companions, veganism is not only an option but perhaps the most healthy alternative to a questionable mainstream food supply. As a bonus, you get to promote - via consumerism - companies who do not support the exploitation of animals. But don't take my word for it; read the book. Check the facts. This is information every pet owner should know.

After reading this book I was convinced. The topics of dietary health, natural diet, and the mass pet food industry are examined at length. Since reading this I have slowly transitioned my cat onto a vegan diet. It has been over a year and she is actually doing much better health wise. My vet gave my cat a much better bill of health this year than a year ago (no urinary tract or dental problems anymore.) And since then I have discovered a range of products that cater to the vegan cat at about the same price of high end mass market cat food. This is much easier to do than one would think!

As one of the original purchasers of this book directly from the author earlier this year, it was just one resource of many that led me to conclude that cats can be raised vegan successfully, if we follow a few simple rules. Rule one is that many if not most commercial cat foods contain products that are slowly poisoning our companion cats. At least two commercial products can avoid this poisoning. Rule two is that cats require some essential ingredients that can be found in two commercial vegan cat foods sufficient to maintain the health of our cats. Rule three is that if you do enough research on the subject, you can learn enough about the various issues to make an informed decision in favor of vegan cats without risking harm to your feline family. Rule four is to ignore all the doom and gloom from your vet if they are unwilling to study the issue. My experience from interviewing several dozen vets is that they are part of the animal disease industry, and anything that threatens their source of income is something they are reluctant to support. Some rare animal friendly vets are enlightened enough to support the issue of vegan cats. You just need to seek them out. A current scientific study is being performed at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Vet Med, to lend some credibility to the issue. There is a vegetariancats website for further info. My feline son has been eating Evolution Kibble for the past 6 months and his health has had a marked improvement. At 11 years of age he now has the energy of a kitten. His urine pH is at the acidic levels to avoid struvite problems. He has lost the fat that had accumulated around his middle over many years. He sleeps less and plays more. And best of all, no other animal had to die to feed my son. Jed's book added significant information essential for me to make the decision to leave the world of Purina in favor of vegan food from Evolution. The book has a humor component which may enhance the message but the bottom line is that the content is valuable in making an informed decision. I highly recommend this easy to read book and encourage anyone interested in the issue to supplement their knowledge with additional information through other resources. An online search for vegan cats will bring up a wealth of information about this important issue. ----------------------------------- Since writing this review in 2004 I have had 3 years of personal use of the Evolution Feline Kibble product and no longer recommend this food for male cats. An inconsistent manufacturing program resulted in a lack of adequate control of urinary pH levels that the company originally promised. I now recommend a product called Vegecat pH which has been used successfully for the past year. I now have 4 1/2 years of research and personal experience to back up my claim that vegan cats can be extremely healthy and survive quite well without sacrificing the lives of other animals.

I read Obligate Carnivore in order to get more information about feeding my cats and dogs a vegan diet. This book is filled with great information about that topic. But it also offers so much more. It made me think about veganism in new ways. Most importantly, it's a really entertaining book. It's filled with funny stories that made me think about how I am living my life. If you are thinking of cutting that last tie to the slaughter house by switching your cats and dogs to a vegan diet, if you already have but are looking for better ways to defend your choice to your friends, or if you just want an enjoyable book to read, I highly recommend Obligate Carnivore.