What if cats were herbivores

Wouldn’t the world be better if all creatures were herbivores? Herbivores eat plants to live. There would be no killing. No animals would prey on another animal. I am looking at this very simplistically but as there would be no killing there would be a lot more animals. The planet wouldn’t be able to sustain them so their lifespan would have to be much shorter. We’d all live for five years maximum and eat grass 😉

That includes cats. But what if everything is as it is now but cats were herbivores. You know what would happen, no one would like cats anymore. One reason that we like cats is because they are such impressive predators. We admire them for their skills. They have developed superbly athletic anatomy and skills to hunt efficiently.

If cats were herbivores they would not have these skills.  Society has a schizophrenic attitude towards the cat.  On the one hand we love the lythe, powerful and athletic abilities and on the other we moan and complain bitterly about cats preying on birds and not being native species. What do we want? One of the other?

But if cats were herbivores and had some how developed athletic skills, no one would moan anymore about cats killing birds. The moaners would leave the cat alone.

And what if cats had one litter every five years with a maximum of two kittens per litter. No one could moan about cats breeding like flies, which by the way it a misrepresentation. You wouldn’t even need spaying and neutering.

Personally, I would prefer it if all animals including the human animal were herbivores. It would be a better word. No killing to eat for a start. I think shorter lives would be an improvement too We’d probably live for about a year! It would be a very happy year, though.

Are herbivores more gentle creatures? They appear to be. Deer are gentle, aren’t they? Cows are benign and passive. Think how unaggressive the world would be if all animals were obligate vegetarians.

Carnivorism = agressivity. Vegetarianism = passivity. Is that right?

An animal has to have an aggressive streak to be an effective carnivore as (s)he has to hunt. The more aggressive a hunter the more effective the hunter is (as long as it is accompanied by guile).

So, the obligate vegetarian cat would be super passive. He’s probably have no claws and small teeth. No canine teeth (the long ones at the either side of the upper jaw, at the front). He’d be a passive pudding, a blob. That would suit some people. The people who like to modify their cat to make the cat a fluff ball.

People would not be fearful of the herbivore cat. This would mean they would treat the cat better. Or would they? If humans remained as they are they’d find some way to hurt the cat whether the cat was a vegetarian or a carnivore. But if people were also herbivores, they’d be more passive and leave cats alone.

If people were herbivores and cats carnivores we’d be in danger of being eaten by our domestic cat ;).

Conclusion: If cats were herbivores, they’d no longer be cats. Cats can’t be herbivores because being a carnivore is what makes the cat a cat.

Associated: Cat that eats vegetation.