The production of conventional pet food uses significant quantities of farmed animal ingredients, creating welfare trade-offs between companion animals and farm animals.
The welfare implications of pet food extend beyond the companion animals consuming it to the farm animals whose bodies constitute the ingredients. A dog or cat eating high-meat pet food is the end point of a supply chain that involves the same welfare compromises as the human food system. The growing premium pet food market, with its emphasis on human-grade meat ingredients, may actually worsen the aggregate welfare impact by using higher-quality cuts that compete with human consumption and incentivise production of animals in conditions their owners would not accept for their own food. Sustainable pet food alternatives including insect protein, plant-based formulations, and by-product utilisation reduce the farm animal welfare footprint of pet ownership without necessarily compromising companion animal nutrition.