Packaged Facts estimates U.S. retail dollar sales of dog and cat food at US$51 billion in 2023, up 11% over 2022 and the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth. Over the 2018–2022 period, dog and cat food garnered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%, largely due to inflation-driven gains later in this period.
Dog food accounts for 67% of these retail market sales (US$34 billion), doubling the sales of cat food (US$17 billion). This spread reflects several factors: the dog population in the U.S. is larger than the cat population; dogs on average are larger than cats (and therefore eat more); and there is a higher degree of product premiumization in the dog food category — especially in superpremium segments such as fresh/refrigerated pet food. The tables, however, have turned somewhat. Between 2018 and 2021, dog food dollar sales growth outperformed cat food by two to three percentage points, but this situation reversed in 2022 and 2023 due to a notching downward in the dog population and increasing demand for premium cat food.
