What consumer research says about the premium pet care industry

It's no secret the pet care space has been growing rapidly in recent years as pet ownership in the US climbs. Pet ownership has not just been normalized; attitudes on pet ownership have evolved to include a responsibility for a pet’s physical and emotional well-being. Consumers want—indeed are even expected to according to evolving social norms—spend the money necessary to give their pets both healthy and fulfilling lives.

A growing number of CPG brands perceived this cultural shift early on, and acted quickly to meet consumer needs.

Notably, Mars was among the first major CPG manufacturers to transform its pet food business into “pet care.” McKinsey calls this expansion into new business building a “second leg,” and names it as one of the six key steps CPG industry players must take if they are to resuscitate top-line growth. More recently, General Mills followed suit with their acquisition of Whitebridge Pet Brands, their fifth acquisition in the pet space since 2018.

From enterprise to emerging brands, pet category players have also made smart investments in omnichannel, winning spots on brick & mortar grocery shelves and expanding through digital channels in online marketplaces like Amazon or pet-dedicated ecommerce sites like Chewy, efforts in which food & beverage and grocery still lag behind (eMarketer).

While category expansion and the right omnichannel strategy have no doubt contributed to the pet category’s success story, it all comes back to the product. As pet owners evolve, so do their needs, and the most successful brands have stepped in to innovate products that meet those needs.

From Floof's instagram

We share this Instagram post from emerging pet care brand, Floof, not just to entertain. This visualization of the impact of product innovation on the pet category’s growth is not only a testament to how far the category has come, but it’s also indicative of the growth potential for other CPG categories with the right investments in product research and development.

The path to category expansion and top-line growth is rarely clear. That’s why companies need insights derived from consumer testing to act as their North Star for building products people (and their pets) will love.  

How much are pet owners willing to pay for products they trust?

Our pets increasingly occupy a central role in the family. When Highlight respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement: "My pet is like my child," 90% agreed, and of that cohort, 70% strongly agreed. 

Those are overwhelming numbers. Imagine 70% of Americans strongly agreeing on anything! 

"My pets are a great comfort to me, and I pride myself on being a good pet parent," said one Millennial pet owner from Ohio.

"My pets play a huge role in my life. They are my family, friends, and companion all in one," said a Gen X pet parent from Pennsylvania.

Even the average pet parent consumer is already spending hundreds of dollars a month on their furriest family members. We asked a group of Highlight respondents to tell us about their monthly spending habits, and you can see the results here:

• 59% said they spend $101-300 monthly
• 23% said the spend less than $100 monthly
• 14% said they spend $301-500 monthly
• 5% said they're spending $501-1000 monthly 

That means almost 1 in 5 pet care shoppers are spending upwards of $300 a month on their pet(s). 

Read the full pet owner consumer report

Pet health is their number one priority

If their pets are like their children, then it follows that they are willing to pay more for products that promote and sustain a long, healthy life. It's not surprising then to see more innovative brands bringing health-oriented pet products to market.

In Highlight research of more than 1200 respondents conducted in October 2025, we dug into the marketing claims that would most effectively influence pet owners to pay more for a pet product purchase:

• "Proven to elongate pet life" was the winning claim, with 30% of respondents saying they'd be willing to pay 50% more for a food claiming such efficacy.
• Other top-performing claims included "proven to be healthier" (selected by 28% of respondents) and "extremely high quality" (selected by 27% of respondents).  

The opportunity for pet brands is there. The key is leveraging research to better understand your target audience of pet owners, their unmet needs and wants, and uncover key metrics like purchase drivers.

Want to learn more about how pet brands are using Highlight-powered product intelligence? Read this case study on a leading cat litter brand.