Question:
What is the halacha pertaining to pets with regards to feeding them and the use of a goy on shabbos?
Answer:
It’s even permissible to give the goy one’s animal on Shabbos itself.
Ba’er Heteiv 305:11 writes that implied from S”A is that it’s permissible to give or sell the animal to the goy even on Shabbos itself. However, the Sh”t Ram Alshaker 41 forbids giving it to a goy on Shabbos.
The commandment applies to making an animal carry in a reshut harabbim and even in a karmelit for something that is categorized as a burden.
Commanding one’s animal to perform a melacha on Shabbos is forbidden because of Amirah LeNochri.
The Or Letzion 1:23 proves from the Gemora Shabbos 19a that there exists a rabbinic prohibition of Amirah LeNochri for animals. He explains that there are two reasons that apply to regular Amirah LeNochri: 1) it appears as though the non-Jew is the agent of the Jew working on Shabbos and 2) one is not supposed to speak about weekday activities, such as melacha, on Shabbos. He says that even though the first reason doesn’t apply to animals, the second one does.
It is forbidden to feed an animal which doesn’t live in your house and doesn’t depend on you for food. For example, it is not proper to place wheat before birds on Shabbos Shirah.
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 87:18, Magen Avraham 583:5, Mishna Brurah 324:31, Mateh Efrayim 598:11. See Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 324:3 for a possible defense of this minhag, that we’re thanking them for singing at Shirat Hayam. Magen Avraham says the same is true of the minhag to throw bread crumbs to the fish during Tashlich. Aruch Hashulchan 324:2 writes that one can feed an animal that is visibly hungry and cannot find food.
The Gemora Shabbos 155b establishes that on Shabbos it is permitted to feed animals that rely on your for their sustenance but not animals that don’t rely on sustenance. Rashi explains that the issue involved is doing an excessive effort on behalf of animals that don’t rely upon you. Tosfot Beitzah 24b adds that on Yom Tov there is an additional concern that you might come to trap and so it is forbidden to feed animals even ones which rely on you for sustenance if you might come to trap. Shulchan Aruch 324:11 codifies that you may not feed animals that don’t rely on your sustenance. Therefore, the Magen Avraham 324:7 disapproves of the minhag to feed stray birds on Shabbos Shira.
Otherwise, it is permissible to feed pets, such as by placing food in front of them or pouring fish food into a tank.
Shulchan Aruch 324:11, Rabbi Eli Mansour. Beiur Halacha adds that it is even permitted to feed someone else’s pets. Some say that if the fish can survive without you feeding them, don’t feed them.
In either case, a dog may be fed.
One should not unnecessarily exert himself too much in the preparation of the food for an animal. For example, if the dog can eat the meat straight from the bone, one shouldn’t cut it into smaller pieces even if he avoids a violation of tochen.
One may not carry food for an animal even on Yom Tov unless there is an eruv.
It is forbidden to kill insects intentionally on Shabbos, even if they rest on one’s skin and may bite (as long as there is no real danger). One may gently remove such insects, but may not place them in a sink or water fountain where they may drown. Although trapping insects is normally forbidden, stinging insects that can inflict substantial pain may be trapped by covering them with an empty cup. Also, if a mosquito is near a small child who may suffer a reaction from a bite it would be permitted. |