Ms. Camahort puts out a fairly light column in Silicon Veggie this go-round, though it touches on a touchy subject... Two, actually.
First, she describes feeding her cat meat salvaged from her family's Thanksgiving meal. Second, she (*gasp*) describes her continued enjoyment of the smell and and appearance of meat, despite 17 years of vegetarianism.
So, despite the unusual injection of levity at my site (ha-ha), I do think she manages to raise some blog-worthy points I'd like to discuss.
First, I do want to address her statement that "You won't find anyone claiming to have discovered a healthy veggie feline diet." Well, I have come across many people who disagree, including at least one veterinarian. But we're not talking about feeding our cats Gardenburger, either. Poor things. They're missing out on the Riblets, let me tell you.
That said, my four cats are still on the 75/25 (vegan Evolution kibble/organic meat-based Pet Promise) diet, so I'll be the last one to criticize her for feeding her cats turkey that would have ended up as a cold sandwich or getting dumped in the trash after turning green in the fridge. Unless it was pumped full of hormones... I probably would have let that rot.
I just thought it important to point out that cats have been known to thrive without fresh or cooked meat. My silky-soft cats were tearing the place up at around 11pm, like they always have. (What is it with the elevenses?!) While certainly not a controlled experiment, I most definitely do not feel I'm depriving them of anything at this point.
As for the other notion, that meat is still attractive to the eye and nose, I've found that this varies wildly among vegetarians and vegans of all stripes. For instance, the smell of grilling cow's flesh does not offend my olfactory senses, while the smell of cooking birds and pig flesh does. And these days, the sight of any animal flesh repels me instantly.
When it comes to other animal products, perfectly-browned cheese on top of a pizza still looks appealing, but it doesn't make me want it anymore (instead, a Pizza Hut commercial that aired early on during the Rose Bowl did get me out the door to a local joint that sells Follow Your Heart mozzarella for a $3 upcharge, along with Yves veggie pepperoni).
However, the smell of eggs in any cooked form makes me gag, literally. I had to switch tables once when sitting at a restaurant next to someone who'd ordered an omelet. I didn't do this to make a scene or even a point, but because I thought I might throw up on my own plate if I didn't get clear of that odor. Strange, isn't it? I used to eat Denver omelets with zeal, and now I can't bear the stench.
I wonder at the things that have grown so unappealing, while others have not lost their appeal. Ultimately I'm down with Elisa's bottom-line sentiment:
I like to think that I make up for it by sticking with vegetarianism despite the fact that I am not revolted by the taste, smell or look of meat, only the idea of it!If anything, this is the strongest statement for vegetarianism one can make. If you're only doing it for your health, or because you never liked meat anyway, what does that say about your commitment for the animals?
If you're vegetarian despite your appreciation for its culinary appeal to you, then -- apart from the fact that you make a good case for the deprivational argument against vegetarianism -- you are truly leading an animal-friendly life, one that is not based on fickle tenets, but rather on a firmly-held belief that eating animals is wrong for humans to do when it is not necessary to our survival.
