By Jed Gillen

Reviewed by Caity McCardell


Remember when you first learned that people can live without eating meat? It was radical thinking at first because, after all, vegetarianism turns upside down all the rules we learned through childhood about health. It rearranges facts that we've held so dear throughout the years: that meat is good for us; that it's necessary for good health; that we're, by nature, obligated to eating it. For many people, reading John Robbins' Diet For a New America was a turning point - the book that flicked the switch in thousands of people's brains. We don't need meat! Suddenly a radical concept became normal. They vowed to stop eating animal products because the information Robbins presents is undeniable and inspirational. It simply made sense.

Jed Gillen is the John Robbins of the pet food industry. His book, Obligate Carnivore, exposes vegan guilt, vegan hypocrisy - that we are so firm about avoiding animal products, but we (gasp!) buy them for our companion animals. The book offers up evidence that cats can live healthy, happy lives without meat products with a little help from supplemental taurine. It doesn't focus on dogs because dogs don't require taurine for health, stripping them from the "obligate carnivore" label.

One of the many insights Gillen has is the leather shoe commentary. If you've ever been to an animal rights protest, you've probably had someone yell out to you, "Your shoes are made of leather, though!" Well, no, actually, they're synthetic. So there! Where they would really trump us is if they yelled out, "You feed your cat meat, though!" Hmmm. You got me there.

Obligate Carnivore is a good laugh, considering it's riddled with very serious considerations about cat health and the downer topic of farm animal abuse. Once I got accustomed to his humor (it took a few pages), I found Jed upbeat, fun, and bold. Chapter titles include "I Was a Vegetarian Idiot" and "Gwagwagwe." This last one had me laughing out loud for at least five minutes. That's a long time laughing; I thought I wasn't going to stop.

A smile creeps to my face remembering the chapter "The Aching-Ass Equation."

Without the humor, Obligate Carnivore would sound to a carnivore cat guardian like an annoying vegetarian to a meateater - a vegetarian who spews out facts that the meateater just isn't open to hearing. Even if you're unwilling to change your cat's diet, the perspective in this book is absolutely imperative to examine if you don't eat meat for ethical reasons. Vegetarians pride themselves in being committed to exploring the truth of health, environment and animal welfare issues. Therefore, if evidence suggests (and healthy cats prove) that vegan diets work, the obligation is to take a look.

"You're not feeding your cats and dog meat? You're crazy!" Ah, but I'm not. I'm just vegan.

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