Do the ponies' pets eat meat

[Foxy Socks 2,599]

It is shown that ponies don't eat meat in the show, making the use of a meat industry pointless. It makes sense at first, but there is one problem. There has to be some kind of meat industry or source as many ponies have pets, some which are consumers of meat. Unless they made them vegetarians in the show, I don't see how pets like Opalescence or Gummy would live without it. They never shown them eat things like that, but they must somehow. What do you guys think? 

[They call me Loyalty 1,948]

Why woudn't they? It's only natural.

[CheeryFox 23,819]

I don't think they eat meat. If it looks like meat - it's not. 

[Clod 8,294]

Yep. Fluttershy once fed some fish to some of her animals. And if Fluttershy is feeding them meat I doubt the rest of them have a problem with it.

[CheeryFox 23,819]

2 minutes ago, meme said:

Yep. Fluttershy once fed some fish to some of her animals. And if Fluttershy is feeding them meat I doubt the rest of them have a problem with it.

But...is that meat? 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,295]

I bet there is some market out there for it. Other certain animals need meat, so there has to be some industry involved with providing that. Though it probably isn't mentioned at all because of its...rather dark nature. I can see it being a rather finicky subject for the ponies, maybe moreso than for people. Then again, humans are way more dramatic.

[Clod 8,294]

7 minutes ago, Stormfury said:

But...is that meat? 

Dead animal = meat

[Jeric 46,850]

Technically equines can eat meat and are occasionally fed it by owners. Should they? No. Teeth, biliary, and digestive system suggest it isn't healthy as they are not built for it. 

The characters in the show have not shown an aversion to meat eating, but are shown to consume a more expected equine diet. 

[Cwanky 17,562]

Just a clarification to the OP, ponies can and do eat meat or at least a source of protein. Rarity in considers eggs part of a proper breakfast in fact. And while semantically, eggs aren't meat per say, they are sources of protein that come from an animal and are essentially potential life.

 

Fluttershy, despite being the pacifist vegetarian she is, did feed some ferrets fish that she caught and killed. Eating meat just becomes more problematic when your standard farm animals, including the ponies themselves, are sapient and intelligent enough to have complex thoughts, emotions and societies. "Lesser" animals, like fish, bugs, and I'm willing to venture, rabbits and pigs are probably fair game, if not for ponies then for more omnivorous species like Griffons to eat. You better watch yourself Angel Bunny. 

[Cwanky 17,562]

Just now, Twilight Witch said:

I sure hope they don't.

And why would that be may I ask?

[Jeric 46,850]

1 minute ago, Twilight Witch said:

Because its cruel to do it if it isn't to survive.

I don't know about you ... but I would simply just die if I didn't have my filet mignon! 

</InnerRarity>

[Oleks 1,993]

As some of the pets are predators, they need meat as a part of their natural diet (well, a substantial part). That's given that the Earth's rules apply to Equestria.

But if they eat meat, I wonder what it's source is. Sheep and cows are sentient in Equestira, goats and rabbits are too, more or less. Pigs are not for meat, as Lauren Faust once said. So, what's left? Poultry, game and fish?  

[Fluttershy Friend 25,446]

Good question. Sometimes I think why Applejack has pigs on her farm.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

3 hours ago, Fluttershy Friend said:

Good question. Sometimes I think why Applejack has pigs on her farm.

To find truffles. QED.

I assume some kind of meat-eating goes on in Equestria, but for sure the ponies don't eat meat. I assume they can magic up food for pets if need be.

[Flutterstep 47,067]

10 hours ago, Cwanky said:

Fluttershy, despite being the pacifist vegetarian she is, did feed some ferrets fish that she caught and killed.

I knew Fluttershy fed animals other animals, but I never thought about her having to catch and kill them. I'd love to see how that scene would go.

"Please don't be angry..."

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

I am pretty sure they have to. Angel & Tank are vegetarian species, but Gummy and Owlowicious are predators and carnivores. Winona and Opal are carnivores as well, but could be eating processed food made with other ingredients made to simulate meat like some places here, which is always possible I suppose with Gummy and Owlow as well. Of course their diets really require meat, so giving them "fake" food may not be healthy in the long run. Equines "can" eat meat, but really should not... but I stand by my original statement if they introduced Bar-B-Que to Equestria.... holy crap it will be on.

A more disturbing question is... if they do make canned meat for Winona and Opal... the question is.. what goes into it? There is a certain meat that used to be very popular to put in dog food until it was made illegal to do so, however it is still practiced in many parts of the world... how civilized exactly is Equestria? I sure never see any cemeteries.

Food for thought.

 

[Jeric 46,850]

On 10/1/2017 at 10:01 AM, GrimGrimoire said:

There is a certain meat that used to be very popular to put in dog food until it was made illegal to do so, however it is still practiced in many parts of the world... how civilized exactly is Equestria? I sure never see any cemeteries.

I've been to France and had a burger with an egg on it. I thought the egg was weird until my father informed me it was a horse burger. The egg became decidedly less strange. This was in the late 80's ... so different time I suppose. 

[EpicEnergy 23,143]

I'm sure they found some form of food besides meat that they could eat, which would give them the proper nutrients.

[Tom Gallagher 33,581]

That would be… dark.