What to feed your pet on Passover

DISCLAIMER AND CREDIT:  I am not a halachic authority (nor do I play one on tv). All the lists and guidelines mentioned here came from two excellent halachic sources:

• CRC 2015 Pesach Guide, pages 60-61.
• Star-K 2015 Pesach Guide pages 79-82.

These lists are good only for Passover 2015.  I urge you to consult with your local halachic authority and not to rely on Rabbi Internet for any halachic questions you might have regarding pet food on Pesach.

On Passover/Pesach, according to halacha, a Jewish person may not even "derive benefit" from chametz, which means that while your pets do not need to keep kosher, you may not feed them food containing chametz on Pesach.  You many, however feed them food containing kitniyos, such as rice or corn.

You don't need to buy a new food bowl for your pet on Pesach, but you must wash out your pet's bowl very thoroughly and remove all traces of old food.

The lists below were taken verbatim from the two kashrus sources cited above, the CRC and the Star-K.  Even when purchasing a brand name mentioned on this list, make sure to check all labels. There should be no chometz listed. A product listing both meat and dairy ingredients may also not be used any time during the year or on Pesach.



Here are a few guidelines mentioned by the CRC for reading pet food labels:

1. In addition to checking for the five chametz grains – wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt – also look for brewer’s yeast (a common flavoring agent, which is chametz), malt (a barley-based sweetener), pasta, xanthan gum (a thickener which may be fermented from chametz), and other generic terms which may refer to a chametz ingredient (e.g. flour, gluten, middlings, starch, et al).
2. Many varieties of animal feed contain a multitude of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, some of which may well be chametz, and there is no realistic way for a consumer to determine which of them are problematic.  However, the good news is that vitamins comprise such a small percentage of the animal food that they are batel. Therefore, it is generally accepted that if the animal food was created before Pesach, it may be used on Pesach.
3. Some common ingredients used in pet food which do not pose a Pesach concern are:
   • Animal, poultry and fish products.
   • Vegetables, such as alfalfa, asparagus, beets, and carrots.
   • Assorted kitnios foods, such as buckwheat, corn products, lentils, millet, peas, rice, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and soy products.
   • Other items, such as barley grass, BHA, BHT, carrageenan, cellulose, colors, eggs, gums (other than xanthan gum), kelp, lactose, linseed, milk products, molasses, oils, psyllium, and whey.
4. Feed available at zoos is often chametz and should not be purchased or fed to the animals on Pesach. 
5. It is advisable to mix regular and Pesach food together one to two weeks before Pesach before switching completely to Pesach food. The ratio of regular and Pesach food should be changed slowly to get the animal used to the new diet. Check with your veterinarian before changing diet.
6. By no means do these pointers cover all of the ingredients used in pet food, and you might want to be in touch with a kashrus professional if you are unsure about any of the other ingredients in a given pet food.

Please be aware of the following:  according to this recent alert from the CRC, some varieties of Hill's Prescription Diet Pet Foods have been reformulated and now contain chometz, although they are listed in past Star-K Passover Guides.  The following cat and dog foods may contain chometz -- c/d, k/d.

CATS:

• Evanger’s: 100% Sweet Potato; Beef Tips with Gravy; Freeze-Dried Beef Liver; Freeze-Dried Beef Tripe; Freeze-Dried Wild Salmon; Whole Chicken Thighs; Wild Salmon or here.
• Before Grain (dry): Chicken and here, Salmon and here.
• Before Grain (canned): 96% Quail and Chicken, 96% Chicken, 96% Salmon, 96% Tuna, 96% Turkey.
• Blue Wilderness Grain-Free (dry): Adult (Chicken, Duck, Salmon, Trout), Kitten (Chicken)
• Friskies (canned): Classic Paté Classic Seafood Entree, Classic Paté Salmon Dinner, Classic Paté Turkey & Giblets Dinner, Classic Paté Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner, Special Diet Classic Paté Ocean Whitefish Dinner, Special Diet Classic Paté Beef & Chicken Entrée, Special Diet Classic Paté Turkey & Giblets Dinner, Special Diet Classic Paté with Salmon, Senior Diet Classic Paté Pacific Salmon Dinner in Sauce
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free (dry): Adult (Healthy Weight, Real Salmon, Real Chicken), Healthy Senior
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free (canned): Salmon Paté, Tuna Paté
• Prescription Diet: a/d, d/d except duck, g/d dry only, m/d canned only, r/d, s/d, t/d, w/d dry only, zd.
• Wellness Core Grain-Free (dry): Original, Kitten, Turkey & Turkey Meal & Duck, Indoor
• Wellness Core Grain-Free (canned): Kitten Formula, Beef & Venison & Lamb, Salmon & Whitefish & Herring

DOGS:

• Evanger’s:
  • 100% Beef (6 oz, 13 oz) or here; 100% Buffalo; 100% Chicken;  100% Duck;  100% Organic Chicken;  100% Organic Turkey with Potatoes and Carrots; 100% Pheasant; 100% Sweet Potato; All Natural Beef Liver Chunks; Beef with Chicken; Beef, Chicken, & Liver; Beef Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Beef Dinner; Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy; Catch of the Day; Chicken Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Chicken Dinner; Cooked Chicken; Duck and Sweet Potato Dinner or here; Freeze-Dried Beef Liver; Freeze-Dried Beef Tripe; Freeze-Dried Wild Salmon; A Hunk of Beef; Lamb and Rice Dinner; Lamb Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Senior Dinner; Turkey Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Whole Chicken Thighs; Whole Mackerel with Gravy; Wild Salmon or here.
• Alpo Chop House Originals (canned): Filet Mignon Flavor, Ribeye Flavor, Top Sirloin Flavor
• Blue Freedom Grain Free (dry): Adult (Lamb, Chicken)
• Blue Freedom Grain Free (canned): Chicken Recipe (Small Breed, Puppies), Grillers (Beef, Lamb)
• Blue Wilderness Grain Free (dry): Adult Chicken Recipe, Small Breed Adult Chicken Recipe, Adult Salmon Recipe, Adult Duck Recipe, Puppy Chicken Recipe, Senior Chicken Recipe, Healthy Weight Chicken Recipe
• Blue Wilderness Grain Free (canned): Salmon & Chicken Grill, Turkey & Chicken Grill, Duck & Chicken Grill
• Hills Ideal Balance Grain Free (dry): Adult Natural Chicken & Potato, Adult Natural Salmon & Potato
• Mighty Dog: (canned no gravy): Chicken Egg & Bacon Country Platter, Chicken & Smoked Bacon Combo, Hearty Beef Dinner, With Lamb and Rice.
• Prescription Diet: a/d, d/d, g/d, h/d, j/d dry only, n/d, r/d, s/d, t/d, u/d, w/d dry only.
• Science Diet Grain Free (canned): Adult (Beef, Chicken)
• Wellness Core Grain Free (dry): Original, Reduced Fat, Ocean, Small Breed.
• Wellness Core Grain Free (canned): Puppy, Turkey & Chicken Liver & Turkey Liver, Salmon  & Whitefish & Herring, Beef & Venison & Lamb.
• Wellness Grain Free Ninety Five Percent (canned): Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Turkey

FISH: 

• Fish food, including pyramid feeders, and vacation blocks often have chametz. Goldfish and tropical fish can be given tubular worms, frozen brine shrimp, and freeze-dried worms (if they do not contain fillers).
• The Star-K has listed Tetra Tropical Slow Release Gel Feeders (Tetra Weekend 5 days, and Tetra Vacation 14 days) as being chometz free. 

BIRDS (PARROTS, PARAKEETS, COCKATIELS, MACAWS):

• Millet, sorghum, wild bird food (check for chametz ingredients) as main diet.
• Peanuts, sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds can be given.
• Larger birds, such as parrots, can eat pure alfalfa pellets (make sure it is pure alfalfa since it is common to add grains) or dry dog food (see above for list).
• Smaller birds can also eat pure alfalfa pellets – crush before feeding.
• Can supplement with sliced grapes, cottage cheese, rice cakes (birds like these), small pieces of lean meat, matza, berries, eggs, canned baby fruits. All large food should be shredded before serving.
• These items should be given sparingly.
• For minerals, can have oyster shells (calcium) or mineral block such as Kaytee Tropical Fruit Mineral Block Treat.
• The greater the variety, the better.

HAMSTERS, GUINEA PIGS, GERBILS & RABBITS:

• Best to feed pure alfalfa pellets. Make sure it is pure alfalfa since it is common to add grains. Dried alfalfa may also be given.
• Can supplement with mixture of cut-up fruits and vegetables - carrots, grapes, apples, melon, kale, parsley, oranges, celery, dry corn, sunflower seeds, or cabbage. Can also give some matza. If not accustomed to these items, give sparingly.
• Guinea pigs will especially benefit from kale, parsley, and oranges.
• Hamsters will especially benefit from apples.
• Guinea pigs need vitamin C added to diet.

LIZARDS:

• Be aware that mealworms, which as living creatures are not chametz, are commonly sold in a bed of wheat flakes or oatmeal, which is chametz and, therefore, may not be owned or used on Passover.
• Live crickets are permissible. 
• Whole insects (live or dead) with no additives or other ingredients are permissible.

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