APPA releases dog and cat report 2025

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) presented in-depth data highlighting four key trends in pet ownership, consumer behaviour, and product use throughout the year at a press conference yesterday. The event focused on the largest segments: dog and cat owners. The association presented the 2024 Dog and Cat Report: Strategic Insights from the National Pet Owners Survey.

The pet industry expenditures totaled 152 bn dollars in 2024, with 157 bn dollars projected in 2025, Ingrid Chu, Vice President, Research and Insights, explained the state of the Industry. 94 mio US households owned at least one pet in 2024, compared to 82 mio in 2023, an increase by 12 per cent.

The rise in pet ownership is driven largely by Gen Z, who are coming of age and embracing pet ownership earlier than previous generations, according to Chu. “They're fueling growth in both dog and cat ownership, and the generation most likely to own multiple pets.”

4 key trends

The first key trend presented regards cat ownership what saw an increase of 23 per cent in 2024, an “all time high” since the figures were collected in 2010, explained Chu. “Very encouraging: Owners are expanding their households to include more than one cat.” Single cat households have decreased by 9 per cent since 2018. Two cat households have increased by 8 per cent and three + cat households have increased by 36 per cent since 2018.

Also the human-feline bond is evolving, and cats are no longer considered independent companions. Every third cat owner trained their cat in 2018 and nearly every second in 2024, regarding to Chu. Finally in this trend: Celebrating cats has become a core component of modern cat ownership. Hosting parties for their Cat increased by 250 per cent from 2018, purchasing pet-themed merchandise by 89 per cent.

Chu named Trend 2 that dog owners prioritize shared experiences and deeper connections with their dogs. Dog owners increasingly incorporate their pets into daily routines that support healthy, active lifestyles. They also include their dogs more often in their travel plans, and a majority wants dog-friendly workplaces: 49 per cent say they're likely to take their pet to the office if their workplace allowed.

Trend 3 concerns pet nutrition. Dog and cat owners are taking a wellness-focused approach to pet nutrition, making significant shifts towards premium diets and functional add-ons. Premium food regained momentum in 2024, while basic food purchases declined, sales of basic dog food basic fell by 7 per cent compared to 2023 while premium rose by 5 per cent, basic cat food fell by 7 per cent and premium rose by 9 per cent.

Proactive pet wellness continues to be a top priority for dog and cat owners, fueling growing demand for vitamins and supplements that support their pets' well-being, APPA named Trend 4. Vitamin and supplement use continues to grow among dog and cat owners and joint health, multi-vitamins and skin and coat supplements remain most popular among dog owners. Multi-vitamins are the most popular supplements given to cats, followed by pre- and probiotics, and digestion.