Who is today’s cat owner, and what do they want for their feline family members? The answer, at least in the U.S. market, may be more complex than you think.
“I don't want to just talk about cat owners as a monolith,” said Nicole Hill, VP of strategy and innovation for Nextin Research by Marketplace, during a Petfood Forum 2026 presentation. “The cat owner is not just one person.”
Consider these numbers from 1,213 U.S. cat owners surveyed by Nextin:
- 52% — those who also have a dog in the home.
- 4.8 — average number of cat products purchased.
- 3 — average number of retail channels shopped.
- 2.7 — number of sources on cat health and nutrition consulted.
That creates what Hill refers to as the “cat multiverse: purchasing multiple products, getting their information from multiple sources, researching across multiple channels and purchasing across categories and retail formats,” she explained. “When you think about the cat parent purchasing food, treats, toys and litter across three different retail channels, that has real implications for your channel strategy. Showing up in one place generally isn't the plan, and the mix of in-store and e-commerce — across Amazon, Chewy, pet specialty, mass retail and grocery — all comes into play.”
And, even cat owners who also have dogs still want cat-specific products and marketing messages, especially premium feeders, Hill said. In selecting cat consumables, owners overall prioritize format, affordable price, their cats “loving it,” the protein type and all-natural ingredients. Among premium feeders, 30% feed fresh, raw, air-dried, freeze-dried or dehydrated cat food or treats, while 38% said they add toppers, treats, supplements or “pour-overs” to their cats’ meals — an average of 3.1 total meal components.
Premium feeders follow other purchasing behaviors:
- 31% look for all-natural ingredients.
- 17% seek brands whose values align with their own.
- 16% want a science-backed formula.
- 11% prefer a more sustainable option.
- 10% seek food tailored specifically to their cats’ breeds.
For the overall group of survey respondents, the top purchase-driving “needs states” include longtime cat food features such as indoor cat (68% have indoor-only cats), hairball control and daily wellness.
“The more interesting opportunity lies in what I consider the ‘movable middle’: digestion, dental health, weight management and gut health,” Hill said. “These need states are growing in terms of purchase drivers, and they are growing even more so among early adopters and premium feeders.”
New cat consumables in 2026
