Commercial pet food is a very recent development when compared to the evolutionary history of dogs and cats. For thousands of years, these animals lived alongside humans while eating food that closely resembled what they would hunt or scavenge in nature. The first commercially produced pet food appeared in the mid nineteenth century. It was created by a businessman, not a veterinarian or a biologist. The product was developed by observing that dogs would eat leftover hard biscuits made for sailors. From this observation, it was assumed that a similar product could be created specifically for dogs.
This early pet food was shaped, dried, and shelf stable. Those qualities made it convenient to store, transport, and sell. Convenience, not carnivore physiology, was the driving force behind its creation. As industrial food production expanded, these same methods were adapted and scaled. Manufactured pet food fit neatly into a growing system that valued consistency, long shelf life, and standardization. Over time, these priorities began to define what feeding dogs and cats looked like.
As commercial pet food became more widely available, it gradually replaced traditional feeding practices. Repetition created familiarity. Familiarity created trust. Eventually, feeding processed pet food became the default rather than the exception. Once a system becomes normalized, questioning it often feels unnecessary or even disruptive. Education then shifts toward improving the system rather than reevaluating whether the system itself aligns with biology.
At Omega Raw Pet Food, we do not focus on blame or frustration. Decisions were made based on the knowledge, tools, and priorities of their time. Our role is simply to return the conversation to observable biology. When we look at how a carnivore’s body is built, how digestion functions, and how food behaves inside the system, many modern feeding questions begin to make sense. Understanding who created commercial pet food, and why it was created, is not about rejecting the past. It is about giving pet parents the context needed to make informed decisions today.
See the Alpha and Omega PAWdcast on "How did kibble come into existence?"
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Questions and Answers
Omega asks Alpha ...
Omega:
How did kibble become the normal way to feed dogs or cats?
Alpha:
Commercial pet food is a recent development. The first version was created in the mid nineteenth century by a electrician, not a veterinarian or biologist, after observing dogs eat hard biscuits. Shelf stability and convenience drove adoption. Over time, repetition created familiarity, familiarity created trust, and processed feeding became the default. Understanding this history provides context, not blame.
