They do plan to have a food trough. It was mention in the blog.
As for feeding, it is a balance idea. Remember that if a pet is not following you, the other use is to have them produce resources. So basically, pets become a transmution process. Put plant fiber in, get silk out or something. The food becomes the input material and limits the resources produced.
For the details Funcom provided, see:
https://forums.funcom.com/t/weekly-community-newsletter-all-about-them-pets/29734