How 2022 Supply Chain Challenges Affected Cat Food Sales and What to Expect in 2023

With pet house owners additional in tune with diet than in the past, cat foods and treat manufacturers and vendors are retaining a near eye on various component and format tendencies.

“The pet food market is continuing to evolve and innovate with high quality, substantial-top quality ingredients, and this can be noticed in cat foodstuff and deal with ingredient trends,” mentioned Kambria Newton, trade advertising supervisor for Petcurean, a producer in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada.

Throughout the past 12 months, nonetheless, some brands have struggled to get their hands on the elements they require amid provide shortages.

“We encountered ingredient shortages all through 2022 and ran out of stock on several of our meals kinds all through the yr,” said Mat Brost, advertising director for Dr. Elsey’s, a producer in Cheyenne, Wyo. “We’ve labored challenging with suppliers to make certain we never repeat that trend in 2023.”

Preserving the lowest probable value and greatest-top quality substances has been Dr. Elsey’s biggest priority.

“We refused to decrease the high quality of our foodstuff, and we refused to considerably increase rates for customers,” Brost stated.

Supply shortages have also affected customer actions. Purchasers are much more likely to choose range packs or worth packing containers, and they like to hold a stash of their cat’s food stuff on hand in circumstance products go out of stock, mentioned Dr. Danielle Bernal, world veterinarian for Wellness Pet Co., a manufacturer in Tewksbury, Mass.

“Even as offer constraints have eased, we continue on to see this behavior in cat parents, and quite a few companies, together with Wellness, are presenting a wider portfolio of goods in people amplified measurements,” she explained.

Wellness has famous cat house owners are trying to find selection not just in protein, but also in structure. Pâtés still lead the company’s cat meals gross sales, but other formats these as flaked, shredded and bits are outpacing pâtés’ advancement.

Retailers are noticing elevated curiosity in freeze-dried and raw diet plans.

“Petzlove is fielding extra queries on uncooked eating plans and has seen a substantial improve in gross sales,” said Aidan Gannon, proprietor of Petzlove Meals ’n Stuffz in Lone Tree, Colo. “Three several years in the past, we presented 3 makes of raw cat foodstuff at this moment, we have seven in stock.”

Frozen raw brand names this kind of as Significant Nation Raw and Iron Will Uncooked are selecting up steam at Ren’s Animals, a Guelph, Ontario, Canada-dependent retail chain with extra than 40 outlets. Ren’s Animals buyer Melissa Schmidt reported uncooked is the swiftest-increasing class all round for the chain.

Schmidt additional that Ren’s Pets buyers are split between all-natural meal plans, like these created by Acana and Open up Farm, and science-based mostly weight loss plans, this kind of as individuals by Vetdiet or Royal Canin.

Cats and their owners are vital clients at the stores.

“We take into account ‘cat’ a huge prospect group,” said Larissa Wasyliw, Ren’s Pets’ vice president of e-commerce and internet marketing. “Sales have been likely strong, and we’re looking at a lot more prospects in fact provide their cats into the store with them to store.”

Top quality Concentration

High-quality substances are cat owners’ principal emphasis when searching for foods or treats, according to marketplace insiders.

“Cat proprietors are paying out shut consideration to the ingredients and excellent of the solution they are getting for their animals,” claimed Tara Loupot, senior internet marketing manager for NPIC, a manufacturer in Plano, Texas. “We have discovered that pet mothers and fathers are also seeking for function- and option-based treats to ensure they are supplying their cat the most effective.”

The major component tendencies NPIC is noticing in cat meals are grain-cost-free, limited-ingredient and small-calorie diet plans.

Buyers want meat-first diets with recognizable, functional substances, Bernal stated. They are steering clear of components that are viewed as fillers, this sort of as cereal merchandise and artificial colours, flavors and preservatives.

Elements driving product or service improvement in the cat food items classification include things like sustainability, palatability and diet program alignment with owners’ very own having patterns, Newton mentioned. Petcurean has noticed enhanced interest in organic and natural and whole ingredients as properly as substitute proteins these as plant-based or mobile-cultured choices. The organization is doing the job to launch a new insect-dependent recipe afterwards in the year.

“Alternative proteins are a way to deliver our pets with a healthy food plan though reducing our environmental influence and accommodating own choices,” Newton said.

Cat entrepreneurs are also searching for chances to link with their animals through feeding and deal with time, Bernal famous. This signifies more toppers and far more treats, like lickables, that market conversation among entrepreneurs and cats.

By utilizing toppers and other items, buyers are discovering techniques to upgrade kibble foods.

“The major evolution has been to ‘kibble plus’—enhancing the nutrient density and hydration of a kibble diet with the additions of freeze-dried, canned, broth and uncooked milk,” Gannon claimed. “There is however a reluctance to go ‘kibble-less’ fully with the cat’s diet.”

Gannon added that consumers are gravitating towards purely natural treats. Though freeze-dried treats are the most preferred style at his retail outlet, semi-crunchy treats are getting floor as models ever more present limited-ingredient options.

Component Aim

To Grain or Not to Grain

The grain-in versus grain-no cost debate is not restricted to doggy foods. Some manufacturers are supplying cat foods with grains, whilst many others prefer to only acquire grain-absolutely free formulation.

Petcurean, a company in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, delivers each grain-free of charge and grain-inclusive eating plans. Trade promoting supervisor Kambria Newton said grains can be superior for cats.

“Grains are an vital resource of complex carbohydrates, and even though they are not deemed necessary nutrition, they can be a remarkably digestible, commonly available resource of vitality for cats,” Newton explained. “Grains are also a supply of fiber, protein, natural vitamins and minerals.”

Dr. Danielle Bernal, global veterinarian for Wellness Pet Co., a producer in Tewksbury, Mass., agrees that carbohydrates from grains can be an crucial resource of power for cats. Like Petcurean, Wellness features both grain-inclusive and grain-cost-free solutions.

“Even even though cats are traditionally carnivores, their digestive tracts are fairly efficient at processing carbohydrates from grain,” Bernal explained.

On the other hand, Dr. Elsey’s skips grains entirely in its reduced-carb Cleanprotein lineup.

“Grains, alongside with vegetables and fruits, are superior in oxalate and carbs,” stated internet marketing director Mat Brost. “Oxalate is a main component in resulting in urinary-tract stones in cats. … Moreover, the carbs from grains direct to a speedy boost in a cat’s blood glucose, which in fact improves a cat’s starvation.”

Brost stated Cleanprotein meal plans are motivated by animal-dependent protein concentrations observed in a cat’s normal prey, and that cats do not normally crave grain.

A grain-no cost diet can be helpful for cats with foods sensitivities or intolerances, as grains are often affiliated with allergic reactions or tough to digest, Newton said. In addition, grain-free diet plans are normally better in protein.

In the long run, Newton and Bernal agreed that the selection to feed grains or grain free of charge is a pet owner’s particular alternative.

“What is most crucial is that they opt for to give their cat premium, large-excellent elements that provide a finish and wholesome food plan,” Newton stated.

New Products and solutions

Selection Is on the Menu

From soaked to dry and even insect-centered formulas, manufacturers are focusing on conference consumers’ expectations by supplying a large variety of cat recipes.

In summer time 2022, Wellness Pet Co. in Tewksbury, Mass., launched Wellness Complete Overall health Age Advantage Chicken and Tuna & Salmon pâtés. Built specifically for cats age 7 and up, the recipes are designed to aid immunity, electricity, and nutritious muscles, joints and coats. Wellness Total Health and fitness Kitten has also added 5.5-ounce wet cans, a new moist seafood recipe and a new dry foodstuff, which is rooster and rooster food centered.

The enterprise also launched Wellness Core Little Tasters formulas for kittens and adult cats. The single-serve address or mild meal pâtés are now available in Rooster for kittens, and Rooster, Beef, Tuna, Salmon and Shrimp for grownup cats.

Past September, Petcurean in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, extra two dry cat meals less than Go! Options, its flagship brand name. Go! Answers Excess weight Management + Joint Treatment Grain-Free of charge Chicken Recipe is formulated with managed unwanted fat and purposeful elements like L-carnitine to market a wholesome pounds and cell joints. Go! Options Digestion + Intestine Wellbeing Salmon Recipe with Historical Grains has ingredients to help a healthful gut microbiome and great digestion.

Petcurean also has programs to launch an insect-primarily based Go! Methods recipe later on in 2023.

Dr. Elsey’s in Cheyenne, Wyo., is working to increase a “first-to-market” cat foods to its Cleanprotein line in early 2023.

“It’s an all-meat components with no additional h2o and will be an remarkable possibility for cat mother and father that are in a hurry or on the go with their cats,” mentioned advertising and marketing director Mat Brost. “More aspects coming shortly.”