There are several reasons, but mainly I don't eat animals because I don't think an animal should have to die so I can eat. And, no, an animal killed in the wild is not any better than one raised in captivity (in my opinion). Plus, if it's okay to eat some animals, why is it not okay to eat other animals?

I realize animals eat meat. We feed our cats meat. But, we care about them and want to keep them healthy, so that's what they need to eat. There are some people I've talked to who have tried to raise their animals to not eat meat, and it's very difficult and they still have many health problems doing it.

Humans don't need to eat meat. You don't need a lot of protein like the government (and the beef industry) makes you believe. The same can be said for calcium. In fact, vegans need very little, if any calcium. Eating meat robs your body of calcium, which is why you need to replace it. Humans have a very difficult time digesting animal protein. Your body creates acid to digest it (which is where acid indigestion comes from). That acid can't just sit there because it will burn through your stomach. Remember chemistry class? What's the opposite of an acid? A base. Your body has a large supply of base in the form of bone. It leaches calcium from your bones to neutralize the acid it created to digest the meat. Your body will eventually replace it on its own, but not at a rate nearly fast enough to counter the effects. So, people are told to drink milk. Milk is another subject all together. Cows are treated very badly in dairy farms. They are often injured when they are milked. They develop sores that ooze pus. Often times those sores develop on the inside of their utters. So, guess what's in that milk and cheese? That is one of the main reasons I quit dairy. Also, cows are like humans. They only produce milk after having given birth recently. In order for them to develop milk without giving birth, they are given hormones. Those hormones don't just disappear. They go into the cows' blood and into the milk they produce. Ever wonder why 12 year old girls have huge racks these days? The same hormone that makes the cows utters grow larger to hold more milk works on humans too.