In a 2022 survey of U.S. pet owners by Mintelaround a third of consumers identified potential improvements in the health and well-being of their pets as the main reason to consider change your pet’s brand of food. This focus on health has eclipsed reasons such as taste or price.
Cat owners reported focusing more on health (33%) than dog owners (32%). Likeability is slightly higher among dog owners than among cat owners, while cat owners place slightly more importance on price. However, beyond price and palatability, health and well-being are reasons to choose a dog or cat food.
Consumer Demand for Healthy Pet Foods
“The growing variety of pet foods with health claims reflects growing consumer demand for healthier pet foods,” wrote Kate Vlietstra, global food and beverage analyst at Mintel, in her report on the results of the survey of pet owners. “A large portion of the market is willing to go the extra mile to secure these health benefits…
“In previous years, insect protein has become a trending ingredient in pet food, but pet food consumers now seem particularly interested in how their pet food is preserved. One of the biggest emerging options in the pet food aisle are fresh, frozen and homemade options that tap into this demand for tailor-made, freshly prepared meals for our pets. In the United States, frozen pet food saw double-digit growth in 2020-2021, while more than half of pet food buyers choose freshly prepared options because they perceive them to be more healthier than store-bought pet food.