We all love to share food with our pets, and vegans and non-vegans alike tend to indulge in a little bit of spoiling when they can. However, if you’re a vegan and you have a cat, you are probably pretty limited in what you can safely give it. That doesn’t mean your cat won’t take an interest in your meals, however!
If your cat has eaten a small amount of Beyond Meat, you don’t need to worry too much, but you should not give your cat this food. Cats should not consume Beyond Meat, as this product is not suitable for a carnivorous species. Cats do not digest plant-based foods well, and Beyond Meat could be dangerous for your cat.
In this article, we’ll find out why cats can’t eat Beyond Meat and check out what you should do if your furry friend has got hold of some by mistake.
Why Can’t Cats Have Beyond Meat?
Cats cannot have Beyond Meat because this is a product designed for vegans. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they must eat a diet predominantly based on meat, and they struggle to digest plant foods well. That can be tough for vegans, who may be very conscious of the damage associated with the meat industry, but unfortunately, it’s true.
Most felines are not well equipped to consume plant proteins, and Beyond Meat is very much a plant protein-based food. Many Beyond Meat products contain things like:
- Rice protein
- Canola oil
- Coconut oil
- Pea protein isolates
- Apple Extract
- Sunflower lecithin
- Potato starch
While none of those things are thought to be directly harmful to cats, they shouldn’t consume them, because they haven’t evolved to eat these things. If your cat eats a small amount of Beyond Meat, it’s not likely to hurt them and you probably don’t need to worry too much, but you should not actively feed Beyond Meat to your cat.
Beyond Meat is a fantastic option for vegans looking to enjoy a meat-like product, but it isn’t a viable thing to feed to your pet. It does not contain the proteins and other nutrients that the cat needs, and a cat that is regularly fed Beyond Meat is quite likely to end up with health problems or major deficiencies.
What Should You Do If Your Cat Has Eaten Beyond Meat?
Because the product is designed to replicate meat as closely as possible, there’s a chance that your cat might take an interest if it comes across some Beyond Meat in your home – which is unfortunate. If your cat does show an interest, try to keep these products out of its reach, and do not leave your cat unattended in a room with them.
However, if your cat does get hold of some Beyond Meat, you should try to assess how much it has eaten before deciding how to react. If your cat has eaten a large quantity of Beyond Meat, the safest course of action is to speak to your veterinarian. This will give you far more peace of mind than wondering about it.
On the whole, the ingredients of Beyond Meat are highly unlikely to actively hurt your cat – they just won’t nourish it. However, eating large quantities of unsuitable foods could cause digestive discomfort, diarrhea, or vomiting, so it’s best to be safe and not leave it to chance. Speak to a qualified vet and ask for advice.
Don’t try to induce vomiting or otherwise remove the food from your cat. The chances are that your cat will successfully digest some of the food and eliminate the rest, and this is far safer than intervening. If your cat does show signs of distress, however, you must take it to a vet as soon as you are able to.
Do Cats Like Beyond Meat?
There aren’t enough studies on this food yet to know whether cats like or dislike it. It is designed to replicate real meat as closely as possible, so there’s a chance that your cat will be tricked – just as humans may be – into thinking that it should eat Beyond Meat.
However, other cats may be able to smell that the food isn’t meat, and will therefore be disinterested in it. It depends on your cat. If you are going to have Beyond Meat in your house regularly, it’s worth checking whether your cat is interested so you know how careful you need to be about this food.
Conclusion
You probably don’t need to worry if your cat has eaten a small amount of Beyond Meat. It is unlikely to do any harm. However, you should not actively feed your cat this vegan food, and you shouldn’t let it eat large quantities, as it may cause digestive distress.
