So, if you were in a cage with a starving tiger, would you flip a coin to see if he'd get to eat you or you'd try to kill him, presuming that your lives are equally important? I bet the tiger didn't read any philosophers and wouldn't feel a moment of conflict over his priorities.

Personally, I think its natural for every animal to feel their life is more important and their species is more important, then others. I'm sure that a cat feels mice are food whereas other cats are not.

Unfortunately I think that some of the ethical vegetarians are so extreme they put their pets on vegetarian diets too. And that, I think, is cruelty to animals.