A cross-sectional study of owner-reported health in Canadian and American cats fed meat- and plant-based diets

Abstract

Background: Cats, being obligate carnivores, have unique dietary requirements for nutrients most commonly found in dietary ingredients of animal origin. As such, feeding a diet devoid of animal-derived ingredients has been postulated as a possible cause of nutrient imbalances and adverse health outcomes. A small proportion of cat owners feed strictly plant-based diets to the cats in their care, yet the health and wellness of cats fed these diets has not been well documented.

Results: A total of 1325 questionnaires were complete enough for inclusion. The only exclusion criterion was failure to answer all questions. Most cats, 65% (667/1026), represented in the survey were fed a meat-based diet and 18.2% (187/1026) were fed a plant-based diet, with the rest fed either a combination of plant-based with meat-based (69/1026, 6.7%) or indeterminable (103/1026, 10%). Cat age ranged from 4 months to 23 years, with a median of 7 years, and was not associated with diet type. No differences in reported lifespan were detected between diet types. Fewer cats fed plant-based diets reported to have gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. Cats fed plant-based diets were reported to have more ideal body condition scores than cats fed a meat-based diet. More owners of cats fed plant-based diets reported their cat to be in very good health.

Conclusions: Cat owner perception of the health and wellness of cats does not appear to be adversely affected by being fed a plant-based diet. Contrary to expectations, owners perceived no body system or disorder to be at particular risk when feeding a plant-based diet to cats. This study collected information from cat owners and is subject to bias, as well as methodological limitations. Further research is warranted to determine if these results are replicable in a prospective investigation.

Keywords: Alternative pet diet; Feline nutrition; Health perception; Pet feeding practices; Pet owner survey; Vegan cat.

Fig. 1

Owner ranking of positive cat wellness indicators based on visual sliding scale ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest), with comparison between cats fed different diets. n = 1147. MB = meat-based, PB = plant-based, PB+MB/H = plant-based with animal-derived treats/snacks/supplements and/or ability to hunt

Fig. 2

Owner ranking of negative cat wellness indicators based on visual sliding scale ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest), with comparison between cats fed different diets. n = 1145. MB = meat-based, PB = plant-based, PB+MB/H = plant-based with animal-derived treats/snacks/supplements and/or ability to hunt

Fig. 3

Kaplan Meier survival function of previous cats as reported by participants in the “Pet Health and Wellbeing” survey, with comparison between cats fed different diets. No statistically significant differences were detected by log-rank test, P = 0.192. MB = meat-based (n = 807), PB = plant-based (n = 67), PB+MB = plant-based with animal-derived treats/snacks/supplements (n = 40)