Feeding during travel, early ageing preparation and phased anti-ageing approaches are set to be new growth drivers for the pet food category.
Pepper Peng, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel uses the following definitions:
Mintel defines the pet food market as food and treats for household pets, including cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, fish, reptiles, amphibians and birds. This Report primarily focuses on food for dogs and cats, categorised into dry food, wet food and treats. The market size includes only dry and wet food designed for pet cats and dogs; all snacks/treats are classified as dry food. Although pet food for other animals is not covered in the market size, it is covered in the consumer research and discussed in The Consumer section.
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Executive summary
- Key issues in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market overview and new product trends
- Consumer trends and insights
- Keys to success
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The market
- Market factors
- National pet food hygiene standards are becoming increasingly regulated
- Group standard for Complete Puffed Pet Food is released
- Tariff increase on imported pet food
- China Railway expands pet transport on selected routes
- Market size and forecast
- Although growth is slowing, the market is still expanding quickly; future gains will be driven by quality upgrades
- Cat food market remains strong
- eCommerce sales overview
- Overview of dry dog food ecommerce sales
- Graph 1: ecommerce* sales of dry dog food, 2024-25
- Overview of dry cat food ecommerce sales
- Graph 2: ecommerce* sales of dry cat food, 2024-25
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New product trends
- Strong activity in wet food launches, while snack category contracts
- Graph 3: share of new pet food products, by subcategory, 2022-25
- Digestion-focused functions remain mainstream, coat health claims continue to rise
- Graph 4: top 10 claims in new dog food products, 2022-25
- Graph 5: top 10 claims in new cat food products, 2022-25
- Squab flavour leads growth
- Graph 6: fastest growing flavour elements in new dog food, 2024-25
- Graph 7: fastest growing flavour elements in new cat food, 2024-25
- Examples of squab-flavoured products
- Stuffed pet food is further diversified
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The consumer
- Feeding overview
- RMB300-499 is the main range of monthly pet food expenditure
- Graph 8: average monthly pet food expenditure, by spending range, 2025
- Graph 9: average monthly pet food expenditure, by pet ownership, 2025
- RMB300-499 is the most common spending range across city tiers and age groups
- Graph 10: average monthly pet food expenditure, by city tier, 2025
- Graph 11: average monthly pet food expenditure, by pet owner’s age, 2025
- Overall food types and feeding frequency remain stable
- Graph 12: pet food feeding frequency, 2025
- Younger pet owners show greater diversity in feeding approach
- Graph 13: feeding of select pet foods – once a day or more, by pet ownership, 2025
- Graph 14: feeding of select pet foods – once a day or more, by pet owner age, 2025
- Dry staple foods account for 41-50% of most pets’ diets
- Graph 15: distribution of dry staple food proportions in pet diets, 2025
- Graph 16: distribution of dry staple food proportions in pet diets, by city tier, 2025
- Differences between cats and dogs are more evident in wet food feeding ratios
- Graph 17: distribution of wet staple food proportions in pet diets, by pet ownership, 2025
- Pet feeding during trips
- Short-distance travel occasions hold strong potential
- Short-distance travel with pets is widespread across city tiers
- Graph 18: modes of travel with pets, by city tier, 2025
- Nearly 40% of pet owners have taken their pets camping
- Taking pets on trips is more common in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities
- Graph 19: travel activities, by city tier, 2025
- Feeding challenges while travelling are common and diverse
- Water safety is the top concern
- Graph 20: feeding challenges while travelling with pets, 2025
- The Chinese pet drinking water market is gradually emerging
- Preference for domestic and imported brands
- Chinese pet owners view domestic brands favourably but regard imported brands as more advanced in patented innovation
- Graph 21: comparison of domestic and imported brand perceptions, 2025
- Pet owners in Tier 1 cities generally place more trust in imported brands
- Graph 22: perceptions of imported staple food brands, by city tier, 2025
- Cat and dog owners show different preferences
- Graph 23: percentage point difference in perceptions of domestic and imported brands, by pet ownership, 2025
- Domestic brands have gained a good reputation in air-dried/baked and freeze-dried staple foods
- Graph 24: percentage point difference in perceptions of domestic and imported brands, by daily staple consumption type, 2025
- Prove the capability of domestic brands on the international stage
- Food safety and formulation are the top factors pet owners use to assess brand trustworthiness
- Food safety: traceable ingredients
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Issues and insights
- Overview
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Early preparation and phased anti-ageing support ensure a smooth transition to old age
- Pet ageing awareness remains nascent, with anti-ageing concepts increasingly aligned with care for humans
- Coat and digestive concerns persist throughout life, while cognitive decline remains less recognised
- Graph 25: top concerns in pet ageing, 2025
- Examples of cognition-support pet food
- Ageing in dogs often first shows in energy, mobility and appetite
- Dog owners are more concerned about joint and mobility issues, especially for dogs aged 5 and above
- Graph 26: concerns about ageing, by pet ownership, 2025
- Graph 27: concerns about ageing, by the age of pet dogs, 2025
- Examples of joint health-related food for senior dogs
- Anti-ageing for dogs: pet owners remain sceptical about senior dog food
- Extended lifestages support smoother anti-ageing transitions for pets…
- … especially pet dogs
- Pay early attention to the pet travel meal market
- More convenient and more tailored travel portions
- New product inspiration 1: concept product for travel with pets, designed by Mintel Spark
- More balanced nutrition for travel
- New product inspiration 2: concept product for travel with pets, designed by Mintel Spark
- Make digestive health tangible across all stages
- Chinese pet owners are most concerned about digestive issues
- Define digestive health across the full life cycle
- Visualise the importance of digestive health: from absorption to immunity and mood
- Visualise effectiveness: combine patented technology and a formulation concept
- Establish tangible digestive health indicators
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Market share of leading companies
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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