My Pets Eat Well Too!

It is important to me to feed my family well, including my dog and two cats. Over the years I have changed their pet food based on my knowledge and their needs.

Coco, my 9 year old rescued Havanese mix, now eats V-Dog dog food which is corn, soy, wheat, gluten and GMO free, made in the USA, and ships free (+$30 orders). While listening to the brilliant Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s free podcast entitled “Being Vegan is a Means to an End. It is Not an End in Itself” (#22 on the list at this writing), I learned that domestic dogs can healthfully live on a vegan diet. Coco also loves to eat lettuce, red bell peppers, bananas, pistachios, and coconut oil which I often share with her.

Colleen is an acclaimed vegan speaker, award-winning author of six books, expert ethics commentator, and a multimedia host, beloved for her entertaining and unparalleled cooking shows and her intimate and inspiring podcast, Food for Thought. If you enjoy intellectual vegan commentary, check out Colleen’s podcasts and website at JoyfulVegan.com.

Colleen also clarified in her aforementioned podcast that domestic cats are obligate carnivores, unlike dogs or humans, and can not thrive without meat in their diet. She recommends several brands of non-grain, high-protein foods for cats. I have chosen Orijen Six Fish Cat Food and order it through a local boutique pet supply store.

It is important to feed cats, especially male cats, grain-free foods as grains tend to create crystals and give male cats urinary tract infections. This is precisely what happened to my 5 year old male rescue tabby cat, Houdini. He took to urinating in the bath tub which showed blood. As soon as I switched him to a non-grain food, his UTI cleared up and he hasn’t had one since.

Houdini and Magic, my 1.5 year old rescue black & white female cat, live both indoors and outdoors. They supplement their indoor dry cat food with rodents, reptiles, and an occasional bird. (I have removed all our bird feeders as to not encourage their visits.)

Are these pet foods inexpensive? Nope. They are an investment in my pet’s health. I value their wellness, as I do my own, and I am rewarded with their good health. Our mobile veterinarian visits us once every three years for mandatory vaccinations. We’ve had a couple emergency calls, but other than those, we see our veterinarian infrequently because Coco, Houdini, and Magic are so healthy, saving us money on annual check-ups and visits.

We have in-home pet care givers, so my pets no longer board at kennels on the occasion when we travel. This is less stressful to them and it cancels the need for the bordetella vaccination.

I love my dog and cats and feel responsible to give them the best and most comfortable life that I can afford. I’d love to hear in the comments below how you take wonderful care of your beloved pets.