Yes, it's true, we "feed" animals.

We also feed babies. To go faster, we feed gas to the engine.
We feed wood to the fire in the fireplace when it gets low. We feed the flames of rebellion or discontent sometimes, and we feed wild rumors.

I'm sure if I wanted to bother to go to my unabridged dictionary I could come up with a lot of other "feedings". I guess I could feed a lot more usages to you, as it were.

"Feed" is a general word, and need have no negative implications.

Anyone who objects to "feed" in the situation you describe needs to be fed a right cross to the chops!

Dave Oesterreich