Pet Food Processing - January 2024 - 15

in order to move to densely populated areas, " he added.
" In the big cities, it is common practice to live in very
small apartments, which only allow for small pets. This
trend is reflected in the 50% of all German cats living
indoors, one of the highest percentages of indoor cats
worldwide. "
In Spain, dogs remain on top population wise, but
cat food sales experienced far more growth in 2022
compared to dog food. According to Spain's National
Association of Pet Food Manufacturers (ANFAAC),
Madrid, dry cat food sales rose 16.6%, wet cat food
rose 17.6%, and cat snacks skyrocketed 25.7%, whereas
sales of dog food products experienced much
smaller increases at 12.8% for dry, 13.8% for wet, and
9.5% for snacks.
Looking across the pond to the United States, attritions
in pet ownership may begin to turn the tide
from dog-country to cat. According to research from
Rockville, Md.-based Packaged Facts, dog-owning
households decreased from 42% in 2018 to 38% in 2022
due to attritions in pet ownership, whereas cat-owning
households increased 1% during the same period.
Despite strong cat ownership levels, the dog-cat product
disparity is well known to cat parents. According to
Packaged Facts' September/October 2023 survey, 44% of
cat owners feel that cats are treated as second-class citizens
by pet food and treat companies, an increase of 6%
compared to January 2022.
Current offerings
With a clear growth market established, many cat-centric
companies have entered the market, paying a highlevel
of attention to feline nutritional needs that dogs
have received for decades.
" Over the past several years, marketers of cat food
Global demand
Though the offerings for cats are significantly smaller
than those for canines, the need for more cat-centric
nutritional products is steadily rising as cat ownership
levels flourish throughout the globe. According to the
Brussels-based European Pet Food Industry Federation's
(FEDIAF) Facts & Figures 2022 report, cats rule the
roost throughout the region with a population of 127.2
million. Additionally, FEDIAF estimates that 26% of
European households own at least one cat.
According to Shadra, this is due to trends in housing
and is mostly seen amongst younger generations, especially
in Germany.
" Many people, especially Millennials and Gen Zs,
leave behind larger residential properties in rural areas
and treats have been focusing on offering more premium
products, similar to what has been available in the
dog category for over a decade, " said Shannon Brown,
brand manager of Packaged Facts Pet. " We've seen new
product development in cat food and treats focus on
functional products, higher-quality proteins and ingredients,
more diverse formulations, including kitten
and senior products, and more cat-specific offerings in
areas such as supplements. We expect these trends to
continue as cat owner demand continues to drive these
developments. "
Among these companies includes The Better Cat,
which launched in 2022 with a focus on nutrition designed
with cats at the forefront. The company originally
launched with a range of dry cat foods but has since
expanded to include wet diets, freeze-dried treats, and
even some cat supplies. The company's food and treat
formulas are high in protein and contain superfoods,
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