Kosher dog food

שו”ת › Category: Halacha › Kosher dog food

asked 2 years ago

Hello Rabbi,
I saw that there is a problem with meat in milk as dog food. Does this mean that dog or cat food should not contain milk ingredients? And perhaps even that the utensils in which the food is cooked should not be dairy-free?
Best regards,

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מיכי Staff answered 2 years ago

Meat in milk is forbidden to eat, cook, and enjoy. Usually, you don’t cook for the dog, but buy food that others have cooked. Therefore, there is no prohibition on your cooking here. As for the enjoyment, I’m not sure that there is your enjoyment here, since you have no say in whether the food is kosher or not. The seller has enjoyment, of course, but that is his prohibition. All the separations that are customary or dictated by various rabbinical principles should probably not be made stricter in food for animals. Separations that are a matter of Torah law – yes. And as for concerns when you don’t know the situation, I think there is room for leniency and not to be concerned about food for animals.

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אורן replied 2 years ago

Why is there no pleasure for me here? After all, from the moment I bought the dog food, I have in my hand an object that is forbidden to enjoy, and using it to feed my dog saves me from having to buy other food for him that does not contain a pleasure prohibition.

מיכי Staff replied 2 years ago

I look at the moment of purchase, not the moment of use. You've already invested money in feeding the dog, and now you've received a ban. In such a situation, I don't think it's correct to say that granting the ban saves you other food, but rather that not granting the ban will force you to spend more on food.