Global pet food is set to grow at a 3.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2030, but what stands out is how uneven the drivers are across the supply chain and the shopping habits behind them. With 38.4 million US households owning a cat in 2023 and wet food alone reaching $18.6 billion in US retail sales that year, the label claims and regulatory expectations around safety and nutrition start to look like more than fine print.
Key Takeaways
- 3.7% CAGR projected for the global pet food market from 2024 to 2030
- Global pet food market size was $118.3 billion in 2023 (VPG estimates, as reported by Petfood Intelligence)
- US pet food sales through retail channels were $44.6 billion in 2023 (Circana, as cited by Petfood Industry trade press)
- 84.6 million cats were kept as pets in the US in 2024
- 38.4 million US households owned a cat in 2023 (ASPCA estimate)
- US cats consumed 4.0 billion pounds of cat food in 2023 (estimate based on industry shipments and cat share)
- In 2021, 41% of US pet food consumers said they look for “high protein” on labels
- US pet food manufacturers were required to meet Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and GMP regulations under 21 CFR Part 507 (effective 2017 for human food; applicable requirements for animal food under preventive controls in 21 CFR Part 507)
- In 2023, 44% of FDA animal food inspections were related to compliance with preventive controls expectations for risk-based programs
- UK pet food manufacturing food safety is governed by retained EU Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and the Food Hygiene regime under UK law
- In 2023, subscription pet food services reduced churn for participating brands by 12% year over year
- In 2022, the top 10 cat food brands accounted for about 45% of the US cat food market
- In 2023, Blue Buffalo/General Mills was among the top cat food brands in the US by category sales
- In 2022, US establishments in NAICS 311119 totaled 1,730
- In 2022, China accounted for about 30% of the global pet food manufacturing footprint by capacity indicators
The global pet food market is set to grow steadily as high protein demand and safety compliance shape US and EU trends.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
3.7% CAGR projected for the global pet food market from 2024 to 2030
02
Global pet food market size was $118.3 billion in 2023 (VPG estimates, as reported by Petfood Intelligence)
03
US pet food sales through retail channels were $44.6 billion in 2023 (Circana, as cited by Petfood Industry trade press)
04
Wet cat food represented $18.6 billion in US retail sales in 2023 (Circana, as reported by trade press)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global pet food market expected to grow at a 3.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2030, reaching $118.3 billion in 2023, and US retail pet food already totaling $44.6 billion in 2023 including $18.6 billion in wet cat food, the market size data shows steady expansion with wet cat food as a major share of current US demand.
02 · Category
Pet Ownership2 stats
01
84.6 million cats were kept as pets in the US in 2024
02
38.4 million US households owned a cat in 2023 (ASPCA estimate)
Interpretation
Pet Ownership Interpretation
In 2024, 84.6 million cats were kept as pets in the US, showing that cat ownership is widespread, with 38.4 million households owning a cat in 2023 according to the ASPCA estimate.
03 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
US cats consumed 4.0 billion pounds of cat food in 2023 (estimate based on industry shipments and cat share)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, US cats consumed an estimated 4.0 billion pounds of cat food, underscoring sustained demand that makes industry trends a key lens for tracking the market’s ongoing consumption growth.
04 · Category
Consumer Preferences1 stats
01
In 2021, 41% of US pet food consumers said they look for “high protein” on labels
Interpretation
Consumer Preferences Interpretation
In 2021, 41% of US pet food consumers said they look for “high protein” on labels, showing that high protein is a leading consumer preference shaping how cat food products are chosen.
05 · Category
Regulation & Compliance5 stats
01
US pet food manufacturers were required to meet Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and GMP regulations under 21 CFR Part 507 (effective 2017 for human food; applicable requirements for animal food under preventive controls in 21 CFR Part 507)
02
In 2023, 44% of FDA animal food inspections were related to compliance with preventive controls expectations for risk-based programs
03
UK pet food manufacturing food safety is governed by retained EU Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and the Food Hygiene regime under UK law
04
EU Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 covers the placing on the market and use of feed, including pet food
05
EFSA set maximum acceptable levels for certain contaminants in feed; cat food falls under “feed” scope for chemical contaminants
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
In the Regulation & Compliance space, the US is showing a clear enforcement tilt with 44% of FDA animal food inspections in 2023 tied to preventive controls compliance expectations, even as cat food is regulated under GMP and FFDCA standards.
06 · Category
User Adoption1 stats
01
In 2023, subscription pet food services reduced churn for participating brands by 12% year over year
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In 2023, subscription cat food services cut churn by 12% year over year for participating brands, showing strong user adoption driven by customers sticking with recurring purchases.
More related reading
08 · Category
Employment & Capacity1 stats
01
In 2022, US establishments in NAICS 311119 totaled 1,730
Interpretation
Employment & Capacity Interpretation
In 2022, the US cat food industry segment under NAICS 311119 had 1,730 establishments, pointing to the scale of current employment and production capacity within the category.
09 · Category
International Trade1 stats
01
In 2022, China accounted for about 30% of the global pet food manufacturing footprint by capacity indicators
Interpretation
International Trade Interpretation
In 2022, China’s roughly 30% share of global cat and pet food manufacturing footprint by capacity underscores its major role in shaping international trade flows for the industry.
10 · Category
Science & Nutrition3 stats
01
EFSA reported that insufficient taurine intake in cats is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy risk
02
In a 2016 peer-reviewed study, kibbles (dry) had significantly lower moisture (~10%) compared with canned diets (often >75% moisture)
03
In a 2014 peer-reviewed review, wet foods typically contribute higher water intake due to moisture levels around 75%–85%
Interpretation
Science & Nutrition Interpretation
From a Science & Nutrition standpoint, the data highlights that taurine adequacy is critical for heart health while hydration differs sharply by food type, with dry kibbles sitting at about 10% moisture versus wet diets often around 75% to 85%, which can significantly raise cats’ water intake.
11 · Category
Regulation & Safety1 stats
01
The EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) enables member states to notify food/feed border rejections and safety issues; RASFF lists thousands of notifications annually (RASFF annual summaries)
Interpretation
Regulation & Safety Interpretation
In the Regulation and Safety space, RASFF processes thousands of annual food and feed safety and border-rejection notifications, showing how consistently intense EU oversight is for cat food risks.
12 · Category
Ecommerce & Marketing1 stats
01
Amazon was the leading marketplace for pet food category web traffic in 2024 in US benchmarks (Similarweb marketplace share benchmark, 2024)
Interpretation
Ecommerce & Marketing Interpretation
In 2024, Amazon captured the top share of US cat food category web traffic, showing that ecommerce momentum in pet food is heavily concentrated on major marketplaces rather than fragmented across smaller channels.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Cat Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cat-food-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Cat Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cat-food-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Cat Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cat-food-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)