The animals interest in taste certainly has to be taken into account for their well-being. And especially for cats, chewing on a tough meat-like substance is also necessary to maintain dental health.

But I don’t see how the pet benefits from the murder of another animal. There is no fundamental reason that prohibits a diet for pets that does not result in animal suffering. As long as nutritional components, taste, and texture fulfill the requirements, there is no reason to object to a vegan pet diet. But of course, not every vegan diet fulfills these conditions, and especially for cats, we are still learning how to best implement that kind of diet.