Who takes care of the family pets on Shabbat?

Answer 1

During Shabbat, the 39 categories of melachot ("work" or "deliberate activity", singular melachah) are off limits to observant Jews. The melachot consist of ploughing earth, sowing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, selecting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, shearing wool, washing wool, beating wool, dyeing wool, spinning, weaving, making two loops, weaving two threads, separating two threads, tying, untying, sewing stitches, tearing, trapping, slaughtering, flaying, tanning, scraping hide, marking hides, cutting hide to shape, writing two or more letters, erasing two or more letters, building, demolishing, extinguishing a fire, kindling a fire, putting the finishing touch on an object and transporting an object between the private domain and the public domain, or for a distance of 4 cubits within the public domain - all of which can be interpreted as including a wide range of modern day activities, but not - so far as I can see - to the usual tasks involved in caring for pets.

For example, while cooking usually involves kindling a fire (which includes switching on a modern oven according to rabbinic discussion and tradition), pets are not usually served freshly-cooked food - feeding your cat tinned food would not contravene this rule. Opening the tin may well do so, but with a little preparedness it would be easy to open the tin prior to Shabbat and use it when needed. Most other pets' needs could be similarly accommodated with good knowledge of the melachot and some imagination.

There is a tradition that at least part of each Shabbat should be devoted to pleasure, often shared with the whole family. Since we keep pets chiefly for the pleasure they bring us, it could be argued that caring for them is in itself a pleasurable experience and as such does not count as melachah.

In the past, and even today in some areas, Jewish families employ the services of a Shabbos Goy - a non-Jewish person who is paid to carry out tasks forbidden to Jews during Shabbat such as lighting lamps, cooking and so on (a non-Jewish friend of mine's mother made enough money each Shabbat while living in London's Stamford Hill during the 1970s to not have to work for the rest of the week) - who would also be able to carry out animal care.

Note: According to Jewish law, if a person owns animals, they are required to care for them every day including during Shabbat. This includes feeding, walking, and any other act that is necessary for the animal's well-being.