VEGGIEANIMALSEXPERIENCE- Boe, Artemisa y Perséfone.

1. Tell us the story of your dog/cat

B. Boe was my maid's cat, who, when she moved out of the flat, they didn't let her take him with her. He came to me when he was 3 years old and thinks he is a human. He prefers to stay away from other cats and join human parties. He is the only one in whom I have experienced changes as a result of feeding (I will comment later).

A. Artemis was given to me by my ex-girlfriend. I don't agree with giving animals as a gift, but in this case it worked out very well. For years it was almost impossible to touch her, as if she had some previous trauma. In the last few years she has changed quite a lot and wants to spend a lot of time in company, but only when it's very quiet. She is absolutely in love with Boe and is able to notice when other cats or humans are unwell.

P. Persephone arrived, like so many animals every month, at the Bonavida Sanctuary, where I often volunteer. She was found in a petrol station drain. My boyfriend decided to adopt her and, wow, she doesn't live with me anymore, but Persephone has stayed - I just realised that this is a pattern in my life ↁ_ↁ. She's a lovely cat, even if she is totally crazy.

2. Tell us his name, age, weight, breed and/or mix and if he has any diseases.

B. Boe, female cow, 14 years old, 6 kg.

A. Artemis, tricolour, 11 years old, 5 kg.

P. Persephone, tortoiseshell, 2 years old, 3.5 kg.

None of them have known pathologies.

3. How did you first hear about VeggieAnimals and what was your opinion of 100% plant-based dog/cat food at the time? 

I first came across the feed in the Vegans & Bio shop in Barcelona. Even then I was already buying Benevo and I was aware of the studies on the subject. Although few and with small samples, they all pointed in the same direction: that there is no problem in feeding a vegetable diet as long as it is properly supplemented and, in the case of dogs, there were indications that it was even more beneficial than a meat diet. 

4. How long has your partner been using VeggieAnimals, what did he/she use before, and what changes have you noticed since you started using it?

B. 40 months. I discuss changes below.

A. 40 months.

They ate Ultima and Compy (the Mercadona brand). 

P. 20 months. She has been eating VeggieAnimal s since I got her.

5. How does she eat it and what do you think about the palatability?

B and A had slight problems eating the previous food. That's why I always varied from tuna, beef, chicken, ball control, sterilised.... They were 1.5 kg bags and towards the last third they seemed to get tired, or is it that the feed dried out? I don't know, but it was difficult to make them finish the bags. On the other hand, I've been very surprised that the 12.5kg VeggieAnimals bags never tire them out.

6. How active is he and what is his coat like since he's been on VeggieAnimals?

B. He's an old man, so it's normal for him to be very lazy. He still has a daily marathon in the corridor. The surprising thing is the change in his coat. I can't find any pictures where you can see it, but he's really changed the shine a lot.

A. Although not as much, you can also tell he's got his years. He plays fight with Persephone a lot. I didn't notice any changes in the coat, which was already nice and colourful.

P. She is very active, as is normal for her age. Her coat is very shiny.

7. Have you noticed any changes in stools, number of stools, consistency or odour?

As there are three cats, it is difficult to discriminate whose is whose. But in general, they are quite consistent and almost odourless, unlike pee-pee.

8. Changes in your weight?

B. Another positive change was the weight, as Boe was close to obesity and now he is not overweight. He lost 1 kg in one year and a little more in the next.

A. I did not notice any change for 1.5 years, but then he had some extreme hormonal changes and started to eat a lot more and behave more docile. She easily put on 4 to 5 kg.

P. Obviously, the cat has developed from a child to an adult. Here I knew that VeggieAnimals was not ideal, as small cats (like any fast-growing animal) require a higher proportion of protein in the diet. However, the growth has turned out very well, and it is hard to imagine a healthier cat.

9. Has he had any recent blood tests or how was his last check-up?

B. 1 year ago and everything was excellent.

A. It's been longer than it should be.

P. 1 year ago and everything was excellent.

10. Does your vet agree with this type of feeding?

Yes, but our vet is not ordinary: she is an animal activist and has a clinic where they only offer VeggieAnimals and other scented chew toys, but no animals. 

My local pet supply shop, on the other hand, thought it was a lousy idea. According to their prognosis, they would all be blind by now, if not outright dead.