The study, conducted by teams of researchers from Germany and the UK, with the support of the NGO ProVeg International concludes that plant-based diets are healthier for cats.
In total, 1,369 cat-owners were surveyed. 91% of respondents fed their cats a diet based on meat while 9% fed plants for at least a full year. The authors concluded that after examining seven indicators and factors of illness, including age, gender, neutering status and location, cats who are fed a vegan diet have fewer risks:
- 7% less veterinary visits as a result of illness
- Reduced medication use by 15%
- A reduction of 55% in the progression onto a therapy diet
- Veterinarians report a 4% drop in the number of cats that are deemed unwell.
- Reduced veterinary evaluations of severe illnesses by 8%
- There is a 23% decrease in the guardians’ opinions about more severe illnesses
- The number health disorders per sick cat has decreased by 16 %
Specific health disorders
Researchers also examined veterinary reports to determine the presence of 22 specific disorders. They found that cats who were fed a meat-based diet and those on a plant-based one experienced at least one…
