Investigation of Pet Owner Diets and Feeding Practices for Dogs and Cats

The role of companion animals has evolved over the years of their domestication from that of purely utilitarian hunting or working partnerships to a relationship now more closely resembling that of a family member. Unsurprisingly, trends in companion animal nutrition have begun to closely shadow trends in human nutrition, reflecting the desire of pet owners to feed their companions diets which they consider healthy and beneficial for their pets wellbeing. Plant-based diets also known as vegan or strict vegetarian – have been dominating media and nutritional forums worldwide, as the number of people eliminating animal ingredients from their diets has been steadily increasing. Recently, these diets have been introduced to the companion animal nutrition market as well. The proposed study aims to examine the general pet-owning population and ascertain what motivations and concerns are currently driving pet food purchasing behaviour, with a specific focus on plant-based diets.

Faculty Supervisor:

Adronie Verbrugghe

Student:

Sarah Dodd

Partner:

Petcurean Pet Nutrition

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Program: