For a lot of pet meals’s historical past, cats have been second-class residents after canine. Whereas cats have been the second hottest companion animal by a large margin, the pet cat inhabitants has all the time lagged behind canine in the US. Nevertheless, urbanization, demographic shifts and different forces have elevated the recognition of pet cats within the U.S. and all over the world.
Extra U.S. households buy canine meals and treats than cat consumables, with 61 million patrons within the dog-owning column versus 38 million shopping for cat merchandise, Andrea Binder, vp of retail account growth at NielsenIQ, stated throughout her International Pet Expo 2024 presentation on March 21 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
“Cat is definitely rising quicker although,” she stated. “Extra cat-owning households are rising quicker and purchasing within the class than these dog-owning households. The worth per purchaser goes up for each, however these cat-owning households are spending extra within the class than your dog-owning family at simply over US$1,000 a 12 months.”
Cat meals and deal with improvements
Pet meals corporations have seen this possession pattern, mirrored within the variety of new cat merchandise on show at International Pet Expo’s new merchandise showcase.
“This 12 months, a number of our innovation is behind cat,” Dr. Danielle Bernal, international director for vet diet with Wellness Pet Firm instructed Petfood Business. “What we have seen from the analysis is that now extra of what we name our next-gen pet dad and mom, millennials and Gen Z’s, who characterize nearly all of pet dad and mom, have now really began to undertake extra cats and canine.”
These cat house owners need meals that present preferrred diet, particularly formulated for cats. Nevertheless, inflation has had a adverse affect on cat house owners’ skill to afford moist meals.
“With costs rising, cat dad and mom are shifting again to dry and lowering their moist,” Bernal stated. “Whereas this would possibly make financial sense, cats additionally want plenty of hydration to help their urinary well being. Moist meals is one thing you need to embody of their diet as a result of it is 80% water. It’s a good way of giving them a drink to assist their urinary well being. So behind that, we’re launching an entire new vary, what we name Appetizing Entrees. They’re out there in three completely different kinds, every with three completely different flavors.”
Appetizing Entrees are available 1.4-ounce containers. These single-serving meals will assist keep away from the wastage that may end result when fussy cats refuse the second half of a can that’s been stored within the fridge. Wellness additionally plans to promote the cat meals on specials, like 10 for $10 to scale back the monetary boundaries to offering cats with moist meals. Wellness additionally launched a 0.4 ounce tube of puree to be used as a deal with or topper that gives well being advantages and hydration together with the bonding enjoyment of giving cats a deal with.
Whereas moist cat meals assist with hydration, kibble can nonetheless present full and balanced diet for felines. As cat house owners are wanting for extra dry choices, pet corporations are responding to that demand.
“The cat has cat inhabitants has been rising,” Jeremy Couture, director of enterprise growth at Nestlé Purina North America, instructed Petfood Business. “We have been very profitable within the cat house particularly with Professional Plan. But, Professional Plan and pet specialty general have all the time been very canine dominant.”
To counter that canine bias, Purina launched a number of new cat meals at International Pet Expo. One was a dry model of Fancy Feast in a kitten formulation. Purina has additionally expanded their Professional Plan line with a concentrate on supporting cat well being.
Wholesome merchandise for cats
“One of many issues we find out about cats is that they do not get taken to the vet as typically as canine,” Couture stated.
Cat meals can’t substitute common visits to the veterinarian, regardless of how traumatic for each cats and house owners, he stated. Nevertheless, cat meals with well being advantages may help forestall issues earlier than they happen.
Whereas cats are reticent to go to the veterinarian for a fundamental check-up, getting a dental examination is but extra unenjoyable for everybody concerned. Wellness has launched one other set of cat treats to handle dental well being. Canine chews and treats designed to scrub the animals’ tooth have develop into widespread, however comparable dental well being merchandise for cats are uncommon as hen’s tooth.
“We all know that 70% of grownup pets have dental illness, however there’s not that many cat dental merchandise on the market,” Bernal stated. “Whimzees is our tremendous profitable model for canine. We’re now launching our Whimzees cat treats that are designed to be porous, crunchy treats. Cats’ tooth sink in to scrub round that tooth, which works to assist preserve their tooth clear. They the extremely palatable, which is sweet, as a result of they should have them each single day to preserve their tooth clear.”
Humanization of cat treats
Cat house owners need to care for their pets’ well being, however they additionally need to have enjoyable whereas doing so. The fulfilling bonding expertise drives house owners to provide treats to their cats. Whereas these cats aren’t conscious of particular occasions like birthdays, their house owners are. Like baking a birthday deal with for some other member of the household, cat house owners can put together a wholesome cake for his or her cats utilizing a kits Melinda Stenger, founding father of Petcakes, added to her line-up this 12 months.
“This 12 months, I am launching a birthday baking equipment for cats,” Stenger stated. “That features not simply cake, however ice cream and frosting and the pan sprinkles and a candle.”
Not like decadent human birthday truffles, Stenger’s creations include no wheat, corn or soy, salt, sugar or preservatives. The icing is made with one ingredient: dehydrated yogurt. Cat house owners can customise each cake, ice cream and frosting with one thing their cat likes by including a tablespoon of one thing wholesome, comparable to rooster, tuna, turkey or salmon.
Home made birthday truffles for cats exemplify the humanization pattern in pet meals. As cats develop in reputation with U.S. pet house owners, innovation in cat consumables appears to be preserving tempo.
