The Pet Food Insider

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

💡 Pet Owners Want Purpose — and Personalization
Wisdom Panel’s 5 million DNA test milestone shows 81% of pet parents see their pet as a child, and 97% talk to them like a person. Today’s consumers expect personalized care—not one-size-fits-all solutions.
🧠 Takeaway: Tailored nutrition, DNA-based plans, and breed-specific benefits build deeper trust with modern pet parents.

🧬 Functional Ingredients Move Beyond Basics
Pet parents want more from functional ingredients—prebiotics, joint support, plant-based proteins—especially when backed by science and aligned with sustainability.
🧠 Takeaway: “Functional”...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

📉 Pet Ownership Plateau — But Cats Climb
New data from Packaged Facts shows U.S. pet ownership has leveled at 50% of households. Dog ownership slipped, while cat ownership ticked up from 23% to 24%, driven by housing affordability and a rise in low-maintenance, cat-friendly living.
🧠 Takeaway: Dog-centric brands should recalibrate. Feline-forward strategy is now a growth priority.

⚠️ Obesity Continues to Undermine Pet Health
Despite growth in weight-control diets and fitness tech, 61% of cats and 59% of dogs are overweight or obese. Yet just 28% of cat owners and 17% of dog...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🏥 Chewy’s Vet Clinics Power Growth and Loyalty
Chewy’s veterinary services strategy is outperforming expectations. Its 8 vet clinics are exceeding projections—and over 50% of new clinic visitors shop Chewy retail within 30 days. While expansion is coming, 2025 is capped at 20 new locations due to operational constraints.
🧠 Takeaway: Health services drive high retention. Adjacent service models can deepen ecosystem loyalty and recurring revenue.

🌍 Consumers Are Confused About Sustainability—But Open to Learning
The Pet Sustainability Coalition reports 71% of premium pet food buyers are open to sustainabili...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🧬 Cultivated Meat: Who Will Be the Next Meatly?
UK-based Meatly debuted the first lab-grown pet treats earlier this year, but competition is heating up. BioCraft Pet Nutrition and Prefera Pet Food are advancing with a 99% cell-cultured cat food mousse, while U.S.-based Noochies! is betting on regulatory tailwinds to reach market faster.
🧠 Takeaway: Cultivated protein is nearing scale. Monitor regulatory shifts and early adopter signals to shape your entry strategy.

🦠 Biotic Ingredients Drive Premium Spend
Nextin Research reports 60% of dog owners are more lik...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🐾 Pet Parents Rewriting the Rulebook
A new Gallup study reveals that 52% of U.S. pet parents have skipped or declined vet care—mostly due to cost. This affordability crisis is reshaping how pet parents choose food, treats, and brands.
🧠 Takeaway: Transparent value, health-focused formulas, and cost-sensitive offerings will build long-term trust.

🏷️ Label Literacy & Consumer Trust
According to Yummypets and Pets International, 88% of pet parents want accurate, transparent labeling—yet 58% say terms like “natural,” “premium,” and vague health claims are misleading.
🧠 Takeaway: It’s time to in...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🦠 Biotics Driving Digestive Health Purchases
A 2025 survey by Nextin Research found that more than 60% of dog owners are influenced by probiotic content in pet food, with 27% willing to pay more for it. Prebiotics and postbiotics are also gaining traction - a signal that biotic formulations are quickly becoming mainstream in the gut health conversation.
🧠 Takeaway: Brands incorporating and clearly communicating biotic ingredients can leverage high consumer trust to drive premium positioning.
Source: Biotic ingredients drive pet food purchases

🏡 Pet Ownership Skyrockets - Thanks, Gen Z
Pet ownershi...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

📦 Amazon Pet Day: High-ROI Channel Activation

With lower competition and focused traffic, Amazon Pet Day (May 14–15) offers a better-performing alternative to Prime Day for pet brands. Experts suggest prioritizing Subscribe & Save offers, reorder coupons, and high-margin SKUs to boost visibility, discoverability, and long-term customer value.

🧠 Takeaway: Pet Day isn’t just about volume — it’s a springboard for lasting profit through smarter promotions and retention mechanics.

🧬 Personalized Nutrition Moves Beyond Trend

At the center of Ollie’s growth is its fully customized, fresh and human-grade meal plan system, which combines...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🌍 Global Pet Food Production Rises 4.5%

Pet food production reached 37.7 million tonnes in 2024, with a 4.5% global increase, outpacing all other feed sectors. Growth was strongest in Africa (+60%), Asia-Pacific (+11%), and Latin America (+2.8%), driven by pet ownership expansion and premiumization.

🧠 Takeaway: Brands seeking growth should watch emerging markets closely and invest in innovation tailored to premium nutrition and affordability.

🧠 Health > Habit: Value Redefined by Wellness

Pet owners are spending more carefully, but not cheaply. Health and wellness now define perceived value, according to Packaged Facts. Gently cooked, freeze-dried, and fresh-style products wit...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS
🛍️ Omnichannel or Bust: The “All of the Above” Shopper Is Here
According to Packaged Facts and MRI-Simmons, 56% of U.S. pet owners shop across multiple channels—rising to 68% for Millennials. From Walmart to Chewy, shoppers mix platforms for value, service, and convenience.
🧠 Takeaway: The omnichannel shopper is now the norm. Brands must build visibility and loyalty across multiple platforms—not just one.

🌍 Sustainability Messaging Needs a Makeover
77% of global consumers believe sustainability shouldn’t mean sacrifice—yet only 42% of North Americans bought sustainable products last month. Cost...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🧠 “More Truth, Less Marketing” Becomes a Consumer Mandate
At the 2025 Pet Food Conference, BSM Partners revealed that 93% of consumers want greater transparency in pet food manufacturing, and 79% feel ads are misleading. Most don’t understand terms like “microbiome” or “postbiotics,” but 82% support stricter labeling regulations.
🧠 Takeaway: Simpler language, clearer branding, and value-driven storytelling will drive trust in 2025.

🐱 The Cat Opportunity Is Getting Louder
Cat ownership in the U.S. has grown to 32.1 million households, yet many owners feel neglected. 82% say food is their top pet care priorit...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🌾 Fiber’s Big Rebrand: From Filler to Functional
Fiber is shedding its “filler” label and gaining traction as a premium, functional ingredient. It now supports immunity, digestion, and nutrient absorption. 75% of U.S. pet parents view fiber positively, with 17% actively researching prebiotics in the past year.
🧠 Takeaway: Blends with inulin, chicory, or tapioca present a clear win — promoting transparency and real digestive benefits.

🐾 Functional Treats Go Mainstream
Treats are no longer just for fun — they’re delivering health benefits. Immune, mobility, gut, and skin health are now...

🔍 INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS

🧬 Precision Nutrition & the Rise of Pet Tech
 2025 is the year pet tech shifts from novelty to necessity. Wearables, smart collars, and diagnostics are enabling hyper-personalized nutrition—from breed-specific enzyme blends to real-time health tracking. Pet parents want control.

🧠 Takeaway: Consumers expect personalized food experiences integrated with health-monitoring tools.
Source: Technologies in the pet space, 2025

🧪 Customization, Functionality, Premiumization
 Three trends define pet food in 2025: tailored nutrition (customization), science-driven ingredients (functionality), and elevated experiences (premiumization). Consumers mix formats like top...