From "Full" to "Good": Pet Food Enters a New Era of "Refined Raising"

English Please Choose Your Language English Русский Español 日本語 Seeking excellence/solutions from China | ABOUT US | BLOG | CONTACT US All Product Name Product Keyword Product Model Product Summary Product Description Multi Field Search Home Services Products Pet Supplies About Us Blog Contact Us FAQ English Please Choose Your Language English Русский Español 日本語 All Product Name Product Keyword Product Model Product Summary Product Description Multi Field Search Home Services Products Pet Supplies About Us Blog Contact Us FAQ Seeking excellence/solutions from China | ABOUT US | BLOG | CONTACT US You are here: Home / Blog / Research on the pet industry / From "Full" to "Good": Pet Food Enters a New Era of "Refined Raising" BLOG SEARCH Article title Article summary Article content Multi Field Search NEW PRODUCTS Image Product Name Automatic Smart Cat Litter Box 65L Extra Large Self-Cleaning Electric Cat Toilet, Fully Enclosed, Odor-Proof, Auto Scooping for Large Cats, Indoor Cats & Kittens Smart Automatic Cat Litter Box | Plasma Deodorization & Antibacterial Rechargeable Electric Pet Nail Grinder With LED Light Clipper Trimmer Polisher For Dogs Cats And Kittens All Products From "Full" to "Good": Pet Food Enters a New Era of "Refined Raising" Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-03-12 Origin: Site Inquire On March 6, 2026, CBP confirmed a $166B historic tariff refund for 330,000 traders, per a Supreme Court ruling deeming past tariffs illegal. Refunds (with interest) start late April 2026 via ACE system, bringing cost relief for global trade. In 2025, China's urban pet (dog & cat) consumption market reached ¥312.6 billion, a 4.1% YoY increase. Pet food, as the core necessity, hit ¥167.87 billion, accounting for 53.7% of the total market, with a growth rate (5.7%) higher than the industry average. This marks that the pet economy has comprehensively shifted from the early "quantity expansion" stage to the "refined raising" era characterized by "improving per-pet value". The core data driving this transformation is: the average annual consumption per dog is ¥3006, and per cat is ¥2085, both hitting historical highs. Although the growth rate of pet numbers (1.8%) has slowed, the continuous upgrading of per-pet consumption quality has provided a solid endogenous growth driver for the industry. 1. Consumer Group: High-Education Women in Tier 1/1.5 Cities Lead, Emotional Premium Prominent The current pet-owning population shows distinct structural characteristics: mainly highly educated, middle-aged and young women, concentrated in first-tier and new first-tier cities. This group has extremely strong emotional dependence on pets, regarding them as "family members" or "emotional companions". Their consumption decisions are not only based on functional needs but also carry profound emotional values. This "anthropomorphic" parenting concept has directly driven the dual improvement of consumption willingness and payment capacity. They are willing to pay a significant premium for high-quality, high-safety products, and actively study ingredient lists and track raw material sources through social media, becoming the core force driving the industry's upgrading towards high-end and transparency. 2. Staple Food Upgrade: Baked & Freeze-Dried Lead, Functional Foods Become New Growth Engines In the staple food market, a structural revolution led by technological innovation is deeply underway. 1. Baked Kibble Rises Rapidly With low-temperature baking technology better retaining nutrition and flavor, baked kibble has become the fastest-growing segment. Its market scale surged from approximately ¥2 billion in 2020 to over ¥8 billion in 2023, with an annual growth rate exceeding 55%. Brands like Fresh Feed and Fregate have built strong recognition in the mid-to-high-end market through continuous product iteration. 2. Freeze-Dried Kibble Seeps Accelerated The "freeze-dried +" model (e.g., freeze-dried double mix) has become the market standard, balancing high nutrition retention and palatability. The market penetration rate of freeze-dried staple foods has exceeded 15%, and the compound annual growth rate is expected to remain above 20% in the next six years. 3. Prescription Food Demand Grows With the aging of pets (23% of dogs and 12% of cats entered the senior stage in 2024) and the improvement of chronic disease management awareness, the prescription food market has grown steadily, reaching ¥5.8 billion in 2024, a YoY increase of 19.2%. Foreign brands like Royal Canin occupy a leading position with first-mover advantage, but the market share of domestic brands is gradually increasing. Although traditional expanded kibble still accounts for more than 60% of the market, its growth rate has obviously slowed down. The focus of consumption upgrade is fully turning to mid-to-high-end new process foods characterized by "high fresh meat, low starch, and clean labels". 3. Snack Transformation: From Interactive Rewards to Health Management, Functionalization Reshapes Category Value The pet snack market is experiencing a profound paradigm shift from "optional consumer goods" to "emotional and health carrier". 1. Interactive Snacks Still Dominate Meat jerky, cat sticks and other interactive snacks account for 75% of the feeding ratio, occupying an absolute mainstream. Its core value is to strengthen the human-pet emotional bond and training rewards. 2. Functional Snacks Grow Rapidly The market is shifting from "casual feeding" to "accurately meeting health needs". Specific functional snack categories targeting gastrointestinal conditioning, beauty & skin care, joint care, oral cleaning, emotional relaxation and other aspects are rapidly rising. In 2024, the pet snack market reached ¥44.5 billion, and the purchase motivation of "health maintenance" accounted for 25%, becoming the second largest driving force. 3. Category & Dosage Innovation Beyond traditional powders and pastes, soft granules, chewing bars and other dosage forms with better palatability and convenience are welcomed. By adding probiotics, postbiotics, functional proteins and other ingredients, brands have upgraded snacks from "seasoning" to part of "health management solutions". 4. Industry Enters "Middle Game", Supply Chain & R&D Determine Victory In 2026, the pet food industry has bid farewell to the wild growth era of barbaric development and entered the "middle game" stage with "product innovation" and "supply chain efficiency" as the core competitiveness. High-end and functionalization have become irreversible mainstream trends. The key to future competition lies in whether enterprises can build the entire industry chain capabilities from R&D, production to branding and channels. Those enterprises that can continuously carry out formula innovation, ensure transparent and traceable raw materials, and accurately insight into the emotional needs of the new generation of pet owners will win the opportunity for sustainable growth in this industry upgrade themed by "refined raising". Pet food is no longer just a commodity related to "fullness", but a comprehensive solution carrying emotion, health and lifestyle. This 100-billion-yuan track is welcoming a golden age of value revaluation. pet food refined raising trend baked kibble pet food growth functional pet snacks market pet nutrition premiumization pet supply chain R&D competition Related News Why Do 99% of Pet Owners Choose Pet Dryers? A $6.8 Billion Category That Most Pet Brands Are Still Sleeping On Your Cat Won't Tell You This, But Its Litter Box Is the Problem We have successfully designed and produced over 100 products, successfully entering high-end markets such as the United States, Japan, Germany, France, and Russia. 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