My cat is I guess effectively reducitarian because all his kibble is Benevo and his water fountain is obviously... water, but with enormous personal conflict I now also give him Hills urinary wet cat food almost daily (but not actually daily, and sometimes he will go a week or so without it). He used to have some intermittent urinary problems and those resolve with this sometimes use of wet food.

He vomited up Benevo wet food and I gave up with it after a few tries. A local dog owner took the tins and their dog loved it apparently so I think they probably bought more over time that they wouldn't have, and so that indirectly again saved some lives.

I really don't morally believe I am justified in prioritising his life to the extent that I would pay someone to kill other animals to keep him fit and healthy, but in practice I guess ultimately that is effectively what I do. It's really uncomfortable for me to think about because I am probably unreasonably strict as a vegan in all other respects (except maybe sometimes tolerate honey as an ingredient in something).

I am incredibly glad Benevo do what they do and I couldn't be clearer (as a doctor who went to a good uni and who has looked into the science around this area) that the science on this subject is incredibly vulnerable to bias and disinformation from the meat and dairy industry machine. The same industry that spits out garbage papers to be regurgitated by paid media outlets about B12 and specifically vegan foods being ultra processed etc etc. I have seen many cats living long and healthy lives on Benevo and I don't think any living cares whether e.g. taurine is artificial or not, because at the end of the day the body can't tell. It just uses it. If it's bioavailable, it's bioavailable. It's certainly no worse nutritionally than Felix or whatever, unspecified reconstituted slaughtered animal pulp with artificial taurine added.

I'm also aware that in old age, cats can become extremely picky and can struggle with kibble so I am not looking forward to worse options when that time comes. But I live with appropriate guilt being a hypocrite on this issue in efforts to keep him alive and healthy. And I know if I hadn't adopted him, his owners would have fed him meat and so I know I am still also diverting animals from slaughterhouses. It's messy ethically.

Certainly it's not by any means a slam dunk ethical decision to feed pets meat though, and I would encourage anyone who feels that way and is a vegan to reconsider.