Cats in the wild are carnivores and designed to eat meat. Even domestic cats have a strong hunting instinct and their bodies have evolved to be successful hunters. None of their teeth have grinding surfaces to break down vegetables or grains. If there weren’t meat available, cats would eat greens and grains to survive. However, a vegetarian diet does not include the nutrients cats need to survive. There are commercially available vegetarian cat foods with synthetic amino acids but feeding your cat these foods make it very difficult to sustain good health. Cats who eat these foods are prone to heart issues and urinary and bowel difficulties. It’s not impossible to feed your cat a vegetarian diet but it is not easy either. If you are a vegetarian, you may need to choose a meat-based diet, which is what is safest for your kitty. Contact your London, ON vet to learn more.