Market Trends of north america cat food Industry
Increasing adoptions from young adults and millennials are driving the cat food market
- There is an increase in the adoption of cats as pets in North America, owing to the high demand for companionship and less expenditure on pet food for cats than dogs. In the region, cats as pets increased by 13.6% between 2017 and 2022 due to the rise in pet humanization and because cats require less area to live than dogs. For instance, in the United States, households owning a cat as a pet was 26% in 2020, which increased to 53.5% in 2022.
- The United States, Canada, and Mexico witnessed higher adoption of cats as pets during the pandemic because of the work-from-home culture leading to a demand for companionship and a higher number of pet owners being millennials. For instance, in 2022, millennials were 33% of pet parents in the United States, and in 2020, 40% of the cat pet population was adopted from animal shelters in the country. Additionally, pet parents purchased cats from pet stores due to high income. For instance, in 2020, 43% of cat parents in the United States purchased cats from pet stores. Therefore, cats as pets in the region increased by 5.34% between 2020 and 2022.
- Young cats are being adopted more than adult cats in the region, with the United States leading in terms of that number. For instance, in 2021, the adopted cat population in the United States was 684,144, and young cats accounted for 53.5% of the cats adopted. The higher population of young cats and millennials being pet parents is expected to help in the growth of pet food products during the forecast period. An increase in the adoption and purchase of cats and an increase in pet humanization are expected to help in the growth of the pet population. The increasing pet population will help in the growth of the pet food market in the region.
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The surging demand for premium cat food products is driving the market
- Pet expenditure is increasing in North America. The rise in pet expenditure is due to the availability of different types of pet food and the growing premiumization of pet food products in the United States and Canada. In North America, cat owners prefer to provide their pets with premium pet food and are willing to adopt eco-friendly pet care products. For instance, in 2022, more than 50% of pet parents were willing to provide their pets, including cats, with eco-friendly pet care products by paying a premium price; 42% of cat owners provided cats with premium pet food.
- The highest expenses of pet parents are on pet food and treats, which are estimated to increase during the forecast period. For instance, cat food and snacks accounted for 22.7% of expenses incurred for cats in the United States in 2022. The share is projected to increase as more pet parents treat their pets as family members and the awareness about specialized pet food increases. Cat parents are willing to provide their cats with natural pet food and treats as a high number of millennials are pet parents in the region.
- Pet parents are also investing in other services such as pet insurance, pet grooming, and pet training for socialization. Pet parents are getting their cats insured as emergency veterinary care can be very expensive. This is evident as pet parents, including cat parents, in the United States invested USD 2 billion in pet insurance in 2020, an increase of 27.5% from the previous year; 17% of the cat population was insured in 2020.
- Premiumization and rising awareness about the benefits of quality food are factors anticipated to help in increasing pet expenditure in the region.
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