Cat Food Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Product Type (Kibble, Wet Food, Semi-moist Food, Frozen And Freeze-dried Food), By Cat Age (Kitten (under One Year), Senior (one And Above)), By Price Type (Economic Segment, Mid-range Segment, Premium Segment), By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2023 To 2028

The cat food market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.63% to reach US$97.597 billion in 2028 from US$71.117 billion in 2021.

Market Overview:

Cat food includes the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids a cat needs for optimal health. It's crucial to keep in mind that a cat has different nutritional requirements than humans. Since commercially produced cat food provides essential nutrients for sustaining cats' weight and energy needs, demand for it has gradually grown throughout the world. One of the key elements enhancing the prospects of the cat food market is online sellers. The Cat food market is expected to grow in the online segment. In Canada, although store-based merchants continued to be the primary distribution channel for pet food from 2019 to 2021, sales of cat food in grocery stores fell by 15.9% while those on the internet rose by 92.3 percent. By 2022, grocery store sales of cat food will be gradually declining, while internet sales will be steadily rising. Cat owners are also selecting eco-friendly packaging and fresh, high-quality foods that are easily accessible through internet platforms (Source: fas.usda.gov).

Growth factors:

• Increasing numbers of cat owners

The primary driver of the cat food industry is the rise in cat ownership. 12.2 million of the 17.4 million households with pets in 2022 are expected to be cat owners (Source: ukpetfood.org). People are thus spending more on nondiscretionary and discretionary items like food, toys, and other consumables. Pet ownership is on the rise among millennials, the elderly, and one-person families. Sales in the cat food industry are being driven by the growing popularity of cats as family pets.

• Among the segments, wet cat food is promoting growth.

One of the main factors propelling the expansion of the global wet cat food market is cat owners' choice to feed their pets wet cat food. This is because these products have several advantages, some of which include reducing intestine troubles, urinary tract problems, and other digestion concerns. Fish and meat are the main elements of wet cat food, which provides a meal fit for a cat's dietary requirements. Among the dry and wet food segments, the wet food market will have the highest share of the overall market for the forecasted period. For instance, to produce its trademarks Purina One, Pro Plan, Felix, and Fancy Feast, the American division of Nestlé 2022 announced the building of a new 93,872 square meter plant for Purina in the southern province of Rayong, less than 200 km from Bangkok. The wet cat single-serve food product line will be the main emphasis of the new machinery, which will also feed the Asian, Oceanian, and African (AOA) regions.

• Humanizing cats will spur development in the premium cat food market.

The humanization of cats has become a major trend, driving the global cat food business and the pet food industry as a whole. Owners treat their cats as though they were their children. Owners' desire for more foods that resemble human cuisine has continued to fuel innovation and sales growth in the sector. Pet food producers have taken note of this and are creating a variety of items that are comparable to human meals. The promotion and labelling of pet foods likewise adhere to the humanization philosophy by featuring mouth-watering images of pink salmon, steaks, broccoli, and carrots to draw in pet owners. For instance, In August 2022 FGV ALMA created Purrrfect Super Premium cat food, which is based on tuna, salmon, chicken, and duck and offers a range of nutrients to ensure that pet cats get enough nourishment. It is also filled with various protein and mineral sources that are excellent for promoting the growth and development of muscles and bones, in addition to taurine, for the benefit of the cat's sense of sight.

Key Developments:

• August 2022: IAMS, a Mars Petcare trademark, declared that its dry cat food products had been introduced in India. IAMS' Proactive Health Cat Food line, which consists of three kinds and formulas to address particular health issues in kittens and adult cats, including a special recipe created for kittens and their moms, was also launched.
• July 2022: Packaged foods and beverages company Nestle India announced the acquisition of pet food company Purina Petcare India for an estimated price of 125.3 crores. While Purina Petcare India mostly offers dry dog and cat food, the business also introduced wet cat foods earlier this year under the Fancy Feast brand.
• November 2021: The Honest Kitchen, a producer of natural pet foods, treats, toppings, and vitamins, announced the introduction of their line of cat products made entirely of human-grade ingredients. The new product range offers toppers, snacks, and a hydration booster, as well as balanced, fully dehydrated, dry, and wet diets.

COVID-19 Impact

The worldwide cat food market suffered from global supply-chain disruptions, particularly in the early stages of the pandemic. However, the market is anticipated to recover quickly as the overall situation returns to normalcy. The lockdown brought on by the coronavirus contributed to a rise in pet adoption, which undoubtedly increased the demand for pet food. This has given the cat food business a boost, and the producers are now aiming to maintain the momentum. Due to the expansion of e-commerce, premiumization, and science-based offers, the cat food market and the pet food industry as a whole both experienced outstanding growth during the lockout.

Cat Food Market Scope:

Segmentation:

• By Product Type
  • Kibble
  • Wet Food
  • Semi-moist Food
  • Frozen and Freeze-dried Food
• By Cat Age
  • Kitten (under one year)
  • Senior (one and above)
• By Price Type
  • Economic Segment
  • Mid-range Segment
  • Premium Segment
• By Distribution Channel
  • Online
  • Offline
    • Supermarkets/Hypermarts
    • Pet Stores
    • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa (MEA)
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Isreal
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Taiwan
    • Others