Question:
What kashrus concerns are there during the year for pet food and on Pesach?
Answer:
Hello,
Pets are not Jews, therefore they are allowed to eat non-kosher food. There are however a few kashrus concerns that the owner should know. First of all, the food bought for the pet may not contain mixtures of milk and meat. One of the interesting aspects about the prohibition of mixing milk and meat, is that if the two were cooked together, even if it by the company, we may not have any benefit from it. This includes feeding it to our pet.
Another concern would be that we have to treat pet food as trief. Therefore, any bowl, dish etc., that they come in contact with, have to be kept separately from utensils that humans are going to use. For example, don’t put them in your dishwasher or use your kosher sponges to wash them off.
Regarding Pesach, you should only buy pet food that is Kosher for Passover, not that your pet has to keep the mitzvos, but because we may not own any chometz, have it in our possession or benefit from it, which would include feeding to our pets. Most prepared bird and cat food contain actual chometz. Pets mat eat kitnios on Pesach, however make sure that they stay separate from any Pesach foods.
Best wishes
