Sechora - Pet Food

QUESTION: Am I permitted to buy non-kosher pet food to feed my pets?

ANSWER: Yes. One may purchase non-kosher pet food. Furthermore, Rav Schachter ruled that a Jewish storekeeper may sell pet food as well even though the meat is from non-slaughtered animals. The prohibition of doing business with non-kosher food is limited to foods that are designated for human consumption. Pet food is not included. But in all cases, one must be careful that the pet food is not Basar B’chalav (meat from a cow, goat, or sheep cooked together with milk). The reason for this is, is that there is an additional prohibition of deriving any benefit from Basar B’chalav, and this would include feeding it to an animal. If the pet food contains a mixture of chicken and milk, or pork and milk, it may be fed to an animal.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.