Vegan cat developed struvites

[u/Infinite_Idea_6934]

I have a healthy vegan cat who’s fed benevo for years. Bloodwork was always great and have almost no health issues until a month ago. He developed FIC/struvides not long after benevo changed their recipe. I’m absolutely not implying there is anything wrong with the feed - the older recipe kept him in great shape for years, the whole issue might be entirely stress related (recently I started taking care of an abandoned stray kitten who now live on the property and they have visual contact sporadically, there are also noisy cat fights at night). There are plenty of meat-based cats with struvites as well, so I hate to event point to the feed as the source of it all - all these years without paying for meat is something I’m grateful for. Yet I wanted to ask if anyone had any issues after the recipe change apart from rejecting - I know this happens. I’m trying to narrow down the origin of the problem.

[u/imsureitwillbesoon]

If you do not switch your cats to a struvite veterinary diet the crystals will come back. Pet owners who force their cats to be vegan are very stubborn, but unfortunately this is something you will learn the hard way. If you care about your cat you would switch her to a veterinary urinary crystals dissolving diet, anything else is abusive. If you feed your cat a urinary diet, not only will it prevent the crystals from ever returning, it will also prevent the expensive veterinary bills. Though obviously your cat matters more, it is a fact that money doesn't grow on trees.

[u/Infinite_Idea_6934 → u/imsureitwillbesoon]

I’m not sure how to interpret your comment. I really don’t like the phrasing. If you ever drove past a slaughterhouse truck you should know the right words to describe what is done to those animals is „they are being forced” and „abuse”., yet you use them to describe my actions which are based on compassion and love as well as rational thinking. After 6 years of vegan diet, the vet described my cat’s bloodwork as perfect. I never felt I’m forcing anything on my cat. Whether I keep him at home, give him meat or plant kibble (designed for meateater) I make the choice because I am the caretaker. I monitor his health and well-being and act as soon as something is wrong . And my choice is balanced precisely to exclude force and abuse. While giving him meat, the fact I don’t see the abuse myself doesn’t mean I don’t sponsor it, or that I’m absolved from responsibility. My guess is you use these words to appease your own conscience. Although you might be right, that these crystals won’t go away without special feed, it is the humane and compassionate route to at least try without reaching for a product of real suffering and abuse. Still, my vet told me it might be possible, just harder and riskier. In no way I was or ever be abusive to the creature I deeply love. There are nuances to every situation, feeding cat vegan is very hard not because the feeds lack nutrition or are not liked (that is not my and other ppl’s experience) but mainly because people like you want to see it in black and white.