No, cats cannot be vegetarians because their bodies are wired to be true carnivores. They have a special need for specific nutrients that can only be met with a meat-based diet. One of these nutrients is taurine. It is a type of amino acid that are essential to cats. Unfortunately, their bodies are unable to synthesize taurine thus they have to eat meat for their daily source of the nutrient. Cats that are placed on a vegetarian diet will fail to thrive as they become more prone to specific nutritional deficiencies. They need regular intake of meat. Compared to dogs, cats are inflexible when it comes to their dietary needs. Thus, if you give dog food to cats, they can still suffer from specific dietary deficiencies.
Your pet’s diet should be one of the important concerns that you should discuss with your vet Westminster, MD on your pet’s regular wellness checks.
