Apparently this is National Vegetarian Week. To which I have to say; that piece of chicken I had for lunch went down well.
Look, I have no problem with people choosing not to eat meat for whatever reason, I merely object to their sanctimonious whining at the rest of us. That said, at least I can tell them where to get off if they cross the line and annoy me enough. Not so for cats and dogs. Naturally, this being the Guardian where the moral compass points east, we are asked two – presumably rhetorical – questions that are absurd, stupid and typical of the self-righteous codswallop we expect from that tome. Questions to which any rational, moderately intelligent person will already know the answer and therefore dismiss the rest of the piece as barking bunkum.
So is it ethical to impose a vegetarian diet on your pet? And for a start, is it healthy?
The answers, by the way are; “no” and “no”. That doesn’t stop the subject being explored further and one of the commenters to the execrable piece letting us know that her dog is a vegetarian. This is animal cruelty – but these idiots are too wrapped up in their own warped morality to see this.
I wonder if these lackwits have thought of going on safari so that they can point out to the big cats where they are all going wrong and how those five fruit and veg a day are so good for one’s health and longevity. I’m sure the first pack of lions they encounter will wise them up…
If you are a veggie and you really cannot accept the fact that in order for one organism to live, another will die, then don’t keep pets. However, if you can face the fact that vegetation can die, you could keep herbivorous creatures such as a tortoise, but do remember, dandelions have rights, too.
“her dog is a vegetarian”
Her dog is not a vegitarian. And niether are any of the other pets whose owners force them to eat only veg.
You are quite right Longrider, its animal cruelty.
I would even argue that their children are not vegitarian. At least until they are old enough to size up the facts and make that determination themselves.
An Englishmans CAstle had a very succinct take on ‘vegetarian’ pets
‘I used to have a dog that all he wanted to eat was vegetarians, hippies and lay-abouts…’
Yeah, I saw that… I’m sure my cats would be happy to eat vegetarians and hippies, providing they were chopped up into manageable chunks first. 😀
I follow a strictly vegetarian diet- I never eat carnivores.
In fact, I just had a partridge for lunch, specially shot for the purpose.
.-= My last blog ..Hedgehog Fetishism Revisited =-.
Want a ‘Veggie pet’? A lamb or calf perhaps? A Hamster or Guinea pig even, but dogs and cats on vegetarian diets? That’s just plain mean. Their digestive systems aren’t evolved for long term exclusively vegetarian diets.
Call the RSPCA.
“This is animal cruelty – but these idiots are too wrapped up in their own warped morality to see this.”
Personally, od say that the announcement that you intend to keep a dog or cat on a vegetarian diet should be an indicator that you aren’t capable of owning a pet.
I wonder where the utterly useless RSPCA stands? Ever prosecuted someone for this?
I bet the answer’s no…
.-= My last blog ..You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat Dock… =-.
What I’d like to know is how on Earth anyone gets to keep a cat on a veggie diet ? Dogs you could probably just about manage as they will eat more or less anything you put in front of them but cats, well they will just up and find someone with sense who is perfectly happy to feed them meat, either that or they’ll catch it themselves. That’s just fine isn’t it ? Quite wrong to feed a cat meat but perfectly OK for it to go ravaging the local wildlife, very ethical I’m sure.
The Guardianista wouldn’t recognise ethics if it ripped their head off and shat in their neck.
The only sentient beings in this house who eat meat are the cats. Almost all of them have or had a passionate liking for some human food or other (Brussel sprouts, cheese and onion crisps, dolcelatto cheese amongst many others) but the idea of forcing a carnivorous beast whose entire system is designed (more suitably than the human digestive system) for digesting meat is absurd. One could tell the RSPCA if they cared a jot about animal welfare anymore.
And my line on vegetarianism is that I am only prepared to eat what I am willing to kill myself. In the past that has included rabbits, pigeons and trout. I have a healthy respect for meat eaters who don’t pretend they are eating something other than an animal, and disdain for the hypocrites who blanche if you mention pig, cow or sheep.
Somewhat aside, cats are useful in other modern ‘philosophical’ arguments too.
I use them in the ‘foxhunting’ argument. Cats hunt for both food and sport: see them hunt that same mouse again and again.
Are they are real naturists, or what?
Best regards
My one year old ginger tom is definately not vegan.
He dragged a fully grown Pidgeon into our kitchen last week his mouth firmly wrapped around the unfortunate birds neck.
Ouch.
What went through my mind at the time were two things ,firstly how such a small cat overcame a large Pidgeon ,secondly we feed him regularly so therefore his behavior was not based on hunger but instinct.
If I fed the poor little cat on vegatables he would definately … die.
However i’m sure the local Pidgeons would feel safer then.
Steak ,anyone ?
I had to read it twice before I realised it was not satire. Then I remembered it was the groan.
It frightens me that there are people, often reasonably sucessful in their chosen field, who see the this rag as inviting intelligent debate.