February 26, 2025 – Cat owners prioritize their pets’ health and well-being, making informed choices to meet dietary needs and enhance overall longevity. The demand for quality nutrition and ingredient transparency makes the cat food industry dynamic. Innova’s 360 research into cat food market highlighting the innovative product launches, and emerging preferences that shape this competitive landscape.
Pet Food Preferences
Cat food research shows that almost half of consumers in the US view cats as their family members. This bonding facilitates them to purchase premium, humanized, and health-conscious products. Consumers have become increasingly proactive in caring for their pets over the past five years. They seek food that supports their pet’s growth, maintenance, and aging concerns and purchase foods with complete and balanced nutrition claims. Dry food is the leading choice for cat owners due to its convenience, affordability, and health benefits.
The role of cats varies across generations. Young owners consider cats as companions. While the older generation view them in traditional pet roles. 46% of consumers in the US express no health concerns for their cats. However, notable top concerns include weight, gut, oral, and urinary health.
Consumers prefer classic formats for the main meal, including dry pellets, chunks in gravy/sauce, and pate/meatloaf/mousse. Fish, poultry, and red meat ingredients are the most preferred in cat food over the past year. Cat owners in the US combine convenience and personalization to provide balanced nutrition for their cats. Complete nutrition and protein sources are top claims in cat foods. They increasingly demand meat-free familiar cat food or snacks with protein.
Owners often feed treats to their cats weekly, preferring better-for-you, nutritional snacks, and low-calorie options. This reinforces bonding and routines without over-indulgence. In treats, younger cat owners prefer premium, interactive, and functional food options. In contrast, older generations stick to classic formats. They also feed cats with nutritional supplements. The top 5 supplements include multivitamins, dental care, fish oil, probiotics, and antioxidants.
Trends in Action
The information culture, with increased awareness and knowledge about nutrition, challenges brands to meet the targeted nutritional needs of cats. Brands focus on sugar reduction, high protein, grain-free, gut-focused, fiber rich, and hairball control in cat foods. This aligns with Innova’s ‘Precision Wellness’ trend which highlights that information culture has increased awareness and knowledge about nutrition, urging brands to meet the targeted nutritional needs of cats.
Brands innovate cat food formats and ingredients, offering goat milk snacks, plant-based ingredients, and tasty meals in formats beyond kibble or cans. This aligns with Innova’s top food trends of 2025, ‘Wildly Inventive,’ reveals consumers desire for extraordinary experiences, pushing companies to create surprising mash-ups through ingredients and formats.
More consumers are becoming aware of feeding their pets with microbiomes for gut health. This aligns with another of Innova’s top food trends of 2025 ‘Gut Health: Flourish from Within,’ which highlights growing awareness of feeding microbiomes for gut health creating space for ingredients like fiber, prebiotics and probiotics. These ingredients support pets’ gut health and digestion.
US Cat Food Market and Sales Trends
Rising demand for cat food premiumization and everyday consumption drives the expansion of the global cat food market. Total cat food in the US grows and is in line both in value and sales.
Macro trends such as wellness, personalization, convenience, sustainability, budget-friendly, food safety, and ingredient transparency shape the cat food and treats market in the US. As the aging population expands, consumer priorities shift. Older consumers prioritize wellness concerns, appealing packaging, and value for money. While the younger generation choose innovative, premium, sustainable, and functional products for their cats.
Both dry and wet cat food sales growth are in line, each displaying a 4% CAGR from 2019 to 2023. During the same period, the sales value of dry and wet food segments is in tandem, with 3% and 4% CAGR.
Cat Food Brand Strategies
Leading brands set standards and act as an example for newer or smaller brands in the US cat food market. They simplify consumer preferences by offering products targeting specific life stages (kitten, senior), health benefits, and indulgent experiences. Leading brands focus on research and development for new products. Their strategies include establishing mass retail, e-commerce specialty pet stores, and promoting products using emotional appeals.
New brands introduce fresh ideas, driving new marketing trends and innovations. They target areas larger brands overlook and cater to Millennials and Generation Z. Their strategies include product storytelling, ingredient transparency, and building credibility for novel concepts among consumers.
Brands leverage social media to engage and foster consumer loyalty. Influencers and online communities help brands grow consumer trust, share values, and integrate fun and indulgence. Brands keep pace with consumers’ expectations for sustainable practices.
Cat Food Product Launches
In the US, new cat food positions itself with convenience and quality claims. Convenience claims lead in the past four years but show signs of maturity in the previous year. Taurine leads in feline nutrition ingredients, followed by chicken, vitamin A, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin E.
What’s Next in the Cat Food Market Trends Trends?
Pet owners in the US show interest in functional health benefits in pet food and treats. Pet owners look for ways to make every feeding experience beneficial to their pet’s health. This can lead to an increase in demand for treats that add value without compromising on taste or enjoyment. Value-centric food delivery programs can allow easy customization based on the pet’s specific needs, reducing complexity for owners. Fresh food subscription services can meet the demand for healthier, human-grade nutrition and appeal to pet owners seeking more control over what their pets eat.
Increased ingredient and sourcing transparency is likely to remain a priority. The next frontier may include full ingredient traceability, which can strengthen consumer trust and loyalty, especially for premium brands.
The US cat food market is experiencing strong growth. Brands that focus on emerging priorities such as sustainability and functional nutrition or personalized solutions are likely to sustain this competitive market.
This article is based on Innova’s Cat Food in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
