Market Trends of europe cat food Industry
Cats are the major companion animals adopted in Europe as they are a symbol of good luck and adapt easily to small spaces
- In Europe, cats are the major pets adopted by pet parents, accounting for 36.4% of the total pet population in 2022. The high adoption of cats is mainly due to their adaptability to smaller living spaces, as they can be kept indoors without feeling cooped up. Also, in some European countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia, cats are symbols of good luck and fortune.
- Owning pets creates a sense of companionship, affection, protection, and unique bonds with the owners. Therefore, 90 million households in the European Union had pets in 2021, representing 46% of the households. The European cat population has been steadily increasing over the years, which increased by 14.9% during 2017-2022. Moreover, the higher adoption of cats as pets after the COVID-19 pandemic was mainly attributed to the increase in pet humanization, stimulated by loneliness, remote work, and helping prevent illness and allergies. From 2020 to 2022, the cat population increased by 7.1%.
- In Europe, Russia consists of a large cat population, accounting for 19.6% of the total population in the region in 2022, followed by Germany (14.8%), France (13.2%), and the United Kingdom (11.1%). There is a cultural affinity for cats in Russia, with many Russian literary works featuring cats as important characters, and they are considered good luck in Russian folklore. European shorthair, Chartreux, Russian Blue, and Siberian are among the major cat breeds adopted in Russia and the region.
- The adoption of harmonized rules for traveling with pets, growing online sales of cats, relatively lower maintenance, and urban living are some of the major factors that drive the cat population and, thereby, the pet food market in the region.
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The easy availability of e-commerce platforms and the growing consumption of private-label food brands are contributing to an increase in pet cat expenditure
- There was an increase in pet expenditure in Europe during the study period because of growing spending on different types of food and rising premiumization as pet parents are concerned about the health needs of their pets. These factors helped in increasing the pet expenditure per animal by 24% between 2017 and 2022. For instance, in 2022, pedigree cats gained popularity, with the number of Persian cats increasing three times and the number of pedigree cats growing by more than 20% since 2017. Although the cat population is higher than that of dogs in Europe, they consume less pet food than dogs.
- Pet parents are providing premium brand products to their pet cats. Due to the increasing humanization of pets and rising disposable incomes, pet parents tend to opt for food brands such as Royal Canin, Purina, and Whiskas for their cats. The medium-priced pet food segment is witnessing increased sales due to the similar nutritional values offered by premium products. Low-income pet parents have been purchasing private-label brands for cats as they are low-priced compared to premium brands.
- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in pet food sales through online channels as companies such as Bewital partnered with Zooplus and the convenience of a higher number of products available on e-commerce websites. This helped Amazon to be a leader in pet food sales in the United Kingdom, and online pet care sales in Europe are expected to register an annual growth rate of 5-9%. The rising consumption of private-label food brands and growing awareness about the benefits of healthy, nutritious pet food helped in increasing pet expenditure in the region.
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