Two studies co-led by Griffith University Adjunct Professor Andrew Knight and published in the journal Animals have examined consumer attitudes to sustainable diets for pets.
The first study surveyed 2,639 dog guardians worldwide, finding that around 84% of them currently feed their pets a conventional or raw meat-based diet. However, 43% of this group said they would consider at least one type of more sustainable dog food, such as vegan, vegetarian, or cultivated meat formulations.
Of these options, cultivated meat-based dog food was the most popular, with 24% saying it would be an acceptable option. 17% would consider a vegetarian diet for their dogs, while 13% said a vegan diet would be acceptable. When asked what the most important characteristic would be for a sustainable dog food, 85% named nutritional soundness, while 83% cited good pet health outcomes.
A previous report published in 2023 found that almost half of people with dogs or cats would be likely to consider feeding cultivated meat to their pets.
Transforming the pet food system
The second study collected responses from 1,380 cat guardians, 89% of whom fed their cats conventional or raw meat-based diets. 51% of this group considered one or more sustainable diet options to be acceptable.
Cultivated meat was once again the most popular alternative at 33%, followed by vegan diets at 18%. Similarly to dogs, the most important characteristics for alternative diets were good pet health outcomes at 83% and nutritional soundness at 80%.
Guardians who themselves reduced or avoided meat were the most open to alternative diets for their pets, alongside those with higher educational qualifications. Older consumers and those from the UK were often less open to alternative foods than those in other European nations, North America, or Oceania, though these differences were usually not significant.
“Recent studies have demonstrated our dogs and cats collectively consume a substantial proportion of all farmed animals,” said Professor Andrew Knight. “Pet diets such as those based on plant-based ingredients or cultivated meat could transform the pet food system, lowering adverse impacts for farmed animals and the environment.”
