As per FMI’s estimates, the vegan cat food market is projected to attain USD 9,291 million in 2023. From 2023 to 2033, the vegan cat food industry is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 6% to reach USD 17,158.8 million by 2033.
Vegan cat food is made entirely from plant-based and natural components, with no trace of animal-derived raw materials. The vegan cat food industry is expected to gain momentum as the year's roll by due to factors like the proliferation of vegan trends, the humanization of pets, and the surging number of pet owners.
How is Pet Humanization Impacting Vegan Cat Food Sales?
There is nothing those folks would not do for their cats and this mentality has only grown in recent years. Most pet owners found in the United States treat their pets as their family members. This trend parallels the growing popularity of certain vegan cat food categories, such as vegan nutritional snacks, vegan specialty pet meals, and other higher-end options.
Cat owners are willing to spend huge amounts of money on high-quality premium vegan food and products to improve their cats' health and quality of life, which is driving the market growth. Informing customers about ingredient sources, unique processing techniques, functionality, certifications, packaging claims, and labels can help establish brand equity and confidence.
Customers also want confidence that the freshness of their cat’s food should be maintained, as this is crucial to their health. Cat owners routinely replace the packaging with various storage containers to ensure food safety, but new packaging alternatives allow for direct decanting and fully secure closing mechanisms. Reusable packaging benefits consumers since it adds value and eliminates waste.
Vegan Trend Catching up in Vegan Cat Food Market?
Since the last decade, human diets with less or no animal meat have grown in popularity. Pet owners have a high level of empathy toward animals than people who do not have pets. As a result, a rising number of pet owners are focused on feeding nutritious meals to their animals.
Plant-based and vegetarian diets have recently been introduced into the vegan cat food industry, offering a potential solution to the moral dilemma faced by vegans and vegetarians who live with carnivorous and omnivorous cats.
Constipation, yeast infections, rashes, vomiting, dry and itchy skin, gas, eye discharge, and hair loss are all signs of food allergies in cats. Long-term exposure to allergens is harmful to one's health since it weakens the immune system. Plant-based foods are inherently allergy-friendly, so the cat can finally receive some relief from unpleasant symptoms.
Why Is the Demand for Premium Products in the Vegan Cat Food Market Increasing?
From 2013 to 2019, trading-up has helped increase average unit costs in cat food by almost 24%. This is due to pet owners' growing willingness to pay more for premium, high-quality food to improve their pets' health and welfare. Additionally, as transparency became important, natural, meat-free, and ancestral diet ideas gained popularity. Despite this shift, the focus of luxury vegan cat food has remained on the content of the ingredients.
There has been an overarching focus on product development for decades. This transformation is the outcome of broad dietary changes. Consumers are shifting away from processed foods toward chilled or refrigerated goods that maintain a fresh or less processed image.
| Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Forecast CAGR of Vegan Cat Food Market (2023 to 2033) | 6% |
| Vegan Cat Food Market Size (2033) | USD 17,158.8 million |
| Vegan Cat Food Market Size (2023) | USD 9,291 million |
| Vegan Cat Food Industry Size (2022) | USD 8,934.00 million |
| Vegan Cat Food Industry Size (2018) | USD 7,606.0 million |
| Historical CAGR of the Vegan Cat Food Industry (2018 to 2022) | 4.1% |
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The vegan cat food industry is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period in comparison to sales growth registered at a CAGR of 4.1% between 2018 and 2022.
A human diet with less or no animal meat is increasing in popularity since the last decade. This trend though is no more limited to human food items but has made its way into the pet food sector as well. A rising number of cat owners are concentrating on feeding diets that are healthy for their cats.
Recently, plant-based and vegetarian diets are introduced in the pet food market, providing a potential tenacity to the moral predicament of vegans and vegetarians alike who share their homes with omnivorous and carnivorous cats. As people's attitudes about their pets shift change, vegan cat food manufacturers face new challenges in meeting customers’ demand to feed cats like people.
Vegan cat food is expected to become popular as cat adoption rises. Increasing cat ownership is a key driver of non-discretionary and discretionary product demand, including toys, treats, and other food items. Millennials, the aging population, and single-person homes are all factors to consider in the growth of the vegan cat food industry. Nowadays, pet owners are well-informed about the pet food they buy, including the ingredients and nutritional benefits.
Nutrition has become increasingly important in the last few years and sales of items that fail to satisfy customer expectations in this area are frequently hampered. Consequently, manufacturers of vegan cat food have begun to integrate high nutritional value into their products. For this reason, manufacturers have begun to obtain nutrients from sources such as pea protein to boost the nutritional content of vegan cat food.
| Country | The United States |
|---|---|
| Market Share % (2022) | 33% |
The United States market for vegan cat food is expected to be valued at more than USD 2,616.28 million in 2023. The CAGR is forecasted to be 5.1%.
Many people in America are turning to plant-based food products for themselves and their pets as their worry about the environmental implications of livestock agriculture and meat availability grows.
Gluten allergy in pets is becoming increasingly common in the United States. As a result, demand for vegan cat food made from non-wheat sources has skyrocketed. Food claims have become extremely significant for both manufacturers and customers, as they are the only assurance that consumers have.
| Country | China |
|---|---|
| Market Share % (2022) | 4.3% |
According to FMI, China’s vegan cat food is expected to account for over 39.0% in the year 2023 of East Asia market.
Targeting emerging economies, which are quickly becoming opportunity hotbeds for numerous worldwide industries, holds the actual potential for growth in the global vegan cat food industry. Moreover, emerging economies provide the extra potential for manufacturers to fulfill pet owners' dietary changes due to significant expansion in the number of pet owners, a high prevalence of urbanization, and high disposable incomes.
| Country | The United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Market Share % (2022) | 8.7% |
According to FMI’s analysis, the United Kingdom is expected to hold a market value share of more than 24.0% of Europe’s market for the year 2023.
Crunchy snacks are the significantly growing vegan cat food category in the United Kingdom, demonstrating that pet owners enjoy spoiling their pets. Because the vast majority of cat owners consider themselves pet parents rather than pet owners, they naturally feel a high sense of responsibility for their pets' well-being.
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| Market Share % (2022) | 17% |
Germany’s vegan cat food market accounted for a 17% share of the global market in 2022. The country is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.1%.
Concerns over animal cruelty in the country, as well as the negative environmental effects of meat and dairy consumption, are driving the vegan cat food market in the country. The growing focus on pet health in Germany has bolstered the market for functional vegan cat food. Furthermore, cat owners are on the lookout for foods with high nutritional value. The need for functional vegan cat food is fueled by a growing awareness of healthy vegan cat food.
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Market Share % (2022) | 1% |
Japan’s market is projected to develop at a CAGR of 6.2% in East Asia, over the assessment period. Because of changing lifestyles in Japan, the demand for frozen vegan cat food is expanding. Additionally, customers’ perceptions of cat health are changing, resulting in a surge in demand for frozen vegan cat foods.
| Segment | Kibble/Dry |
|---|---|
| Market Share % (2022) | 35% |
Kibbles or dry vegan cat food held the maximum share of 35% in 2022 and is estimated to witness a CAGR of 7.8% in the forecast period.
Dry vegan cat food is created by making dough out of dry and wet ingredients. In the extrusion process, the dough is cooked under pressure, then driven through a die machine, which slices the kibbles as they expand due to the pressure shift.
Kibbles come in a variety of sizes and shapes, depending on the product. The kibbles are dried, cooled, and sprayed with a protective coating. Extrusion is not the only approach to creating a product.
Adult vegan cat food is dominating the global vegan cat food industry with a market share of 65.3% in 2022. Cats are defined as a kitten just 6 months from birth while the rest of its life span which is an average of 5-15 years is spent as an adult.
Store-based retailing is the popular sales channel, accounting for more than 86.4% of the market in 2022, and is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period. Supermarkets are the most favored channel for purchasing vegan cat food, with a market share of 42.0% in 2022 and 33.4% projected in 2033.
Bags hold the maximum share of 35.8% in 2022. In the vegan cat food packaging market, the use of stand-up bags is the latest trend. It is a cost-effective alternative to the cumbersome jars and containers that were once used in packing. Shipping and transportation costs are greatly reduced due to their lightweight.
Leading vegan cat food manufacturers are focusing on strengthening their internet presence and spending on research and development (R&D) to reach out to customers. Furthermore, multinational vegan cat food companies are focusing their efforts on increasing their manufacturing facilities and obtaining local players to expand their product offerings. There are a few factors estimated to further contribute to the expansion of the vegan cat food market, which includes:
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Forecast Period | 2023 to 2033 |
| Historical Data Available for | 2018 to 2022 |
| Market Analysis | USD million for Value |
| Key Countries Covered | The United States, Canada, Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, GCC Countries, Northern Africa, and South Africa |
| Key Segments Covered | Product type, Age Group, Packaging, Distribution Channel, and Region |
| Key Companies Profiled | Benevo; Wysong; Evanger's Dog & Cat Food; Nature's Recipe; My Aistra; Evolution Diet; Cannapple; Eco Dog and Cats; Nature's diet; Dr. Good pet |
| Report Coverage | Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, DROT Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives |
| Customization & Pricing | Available upon Request |
Kibbles or dry vegan cat food holds the maximum share in 2022.
The United Kingdom held a market share of 8.7% in 2022.
The rising popularity of meat-free, natural, ancestral diets drives market growth.
High-quality food improves the pets' health and welfare by driving sales in the market.
The market is forecast to register a CAGR of 6% through 2033.
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Vegan Cat Food Market
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