The pet food industry uses enormous quantities of animal products, with welfare implications for the billions of farmed and wild-caught animals in cat and dog diets.
Pet food represents a significant and often overlooked component of the total animal welfare impact of pet ownership. The chickens, fish, and other animals in pet food experience the same welfare conditions as those in human food products. Consumers who care about farmed animal welfare for their own food can apply the same considerations to pet food choices. For dogs - omnivores that can thrive on complete plant-based diets - this is straightforward. For cats - obligate carnivores - welfare-certified animal ingredients or novel protein sources like insect protein may be the most welfare-positive options.