Double victory for Pets Nature

Especially in these difficult economic times, it is important for pet retailers that products not only generate margins, but are also well received by customers and sell well. After all, what good is the best-selling product if it is gathering dust on the shelf! In order to find out which products are in demand in the specialist trade, Dähne Verlag regularly presents many of the most exciting new products of the year in a special supplement in the December issue of its specialist magazine pet. This is followed in January by a presentation of new products in a special supplement of the international trade magazine PET worldwide, in which the products are presented to pet retailers from all over Europe. This is followed in the first few months of the new year by an online poll lasting several weeks, in which specialist retailers are invited to vote for their favorites in the categories of dog food, cat food, dog and cat accessories and small animals/fish/birds.

Over 350 specialist retailers took part in the vote this year. The result was relatively clear in all categories compared to previous years. The big winner was Pets Nature. The pet food supplier from southern Germany managed to win the most votes with its products in the two particularly competitive categories of dog and cat food.

Dog food category

In the dog food category, the Chewies Chewing Cheese product came out on top against the competition. The fact that this cheese specialty “only” received 13.5 per cent of the votes despite a comfortable lead is explained by the large number of contenders in this category. Chewies Chewy Cheese is a snack in stable bar form that is rich in protein and can also contribute to dental care. All varieties are lactose-free, gluten-free and grain-free. The chewy cheese is also available as fluffy, crunchy cheese pops.

Cat food category

There were not quite as many products to choose from in the cat food category. Here, the winning product Lucky Lou Crunchy Heads had a much clearer lead than in the dog food category. This great result did not come as a complete surprise: Pets Nature had already taken first place in 2023 and 2024 with Lucky Lou brand products. This year, the squeeze heads achieved 31.1 per cent of all votes. The next-placed product achieved 11.2 per cent. The squeeze heads are snacks in resealable tubes, which are available in in seven different varieties. Cats can look forward to liver sausage, salmon, milk cream and two varieties with cheese, which, according to Pets Nature, provide them with powerful benefits such as vitamins, taurine, biotin for the mane and the anti-hairball effect thanks to malt.

Dog and cat accessories category

The decision was also clear in the competition for the product of the year in the dog and cat accessories category. The French company Weenect, which was already ahead in this category last year, once again took first place with Weenect XT, thus defending its title. Weenect XT is a GPS tracker designed for large and small dogs who love extreme challenges, i.e. are particularly adventurous. The tracker comes with a collar specially developed by Julius K9, which is extremely robust and fits dogs with a neck circumference of 37.5 to 56.5 cm. According to Weenect, it can withstand a pull of up to 235 kg. An XL antenna and 1-second live tracking enable precise location, even in remote forests or high up on a mountain. As a highlight, Weenect emphasizes the battery life of up to three weeks. In the vote, 28.1 per cent voted for this product. The second-placed product in this category received 19.4 per cent of the votes.

Small animal/fish/bird category

The closest vote was in the small animal/fish/bird category. With 19.5 per cent, the Insect Menu from Welzhofer came out on top in the end. This is a year-round feed without raisins for wild and garden birds. The oat flakes it contains are soaked in ­protein-rich insect fat (from approx. 3 000 insects per kg) and coated with natural beef tallow. Other components of the feed are red millet and minerals, which are particularly important for the digestive system, bone structure and eggshell formation. Dried mealworms are another source of protein to help build muscle.