Despite the hectic lifestyles of consumers in the 21^st Century that had led to a decline in ownership of cats and dogs, this trend now appears to have slowed. Perhaps in a reaction to increasingly stressful lifestyles the benefits of pet ownership are now being appreciated more, and indeed where people do decide to have a pet they are more likely to have two cats or two dogs rather than just one. This may of course be down to lifestyle again, as owners may feel that if they are out all day at work that pets may get lonely and so two is better than one. This is of course a positive trend for pet food manufacturers in that not only will purchasing be higher in volume terms but also the absence of owners for extended periods in the day encourages the purchase of treats and premium pet foods. Mintel’s research has shown that consumers tend to feel guilty when leaving pets and also consider them very much to be part of the family so will be prepared to spend more to provide the best food they can afford.

Two of the key themes in the industry are the move to greater convenience for users and towards premium recipe cat and dog food products. As such, single-serve packs have become very popular, especially in the cat food market, while the convenience of dry complete foods has been particularly successful in the dog food sector. Bulk buying of multipacks is also increasingly popular, saving consumers both time and money, especially on higher prices options such as single-serve pouches and tins. This move upmarket has helped to boost the value of the cat and food market, despite no significant rise in volume sales. In this new report an overview is provided of the market as well as an assessment of future directions and prospects for growth.