My suggestion is that when you increase the amount of pets you have, when you explore, the amount of food you find increases, so people are able to keep up with their pets and provide for them.

( Or at least have a Thanksgiving event where for every hour of every day for the week of Thanksgiving, you recive: 100 animal carbonhydrates, 100 animal fats, 100 animal proteins and 100 plant fats, 100 plant proteins and 100 plant carbonhydrates and the food you find at islands is increased. Maybe the event can be called the Annual Harvest! )