Technavio’s pet food industry analysts forecast that the global small mammal and reptile food market may post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 7 percent from 2018 to 2022.
New product launches may play a key role in driving the growth of the market, Technavio market researchers wrote in the report “Global small mammal and reptile food market: Growing demand for dry small mammal and reptile food.” These new product launches may not only help companies grow but also help the overall market grow.
Constant changes in the demand for small mammal and reptile food are enabling pet food companies to come up with new small mammal and reptile foods. For example, in 2016, Mr. Johnson's launched Mr. Johnson's Wildlife Squirrel Food 900g pack and Mr. Johnson's Wildlife Hedgehog Food 750g pack.
Dry small mammal and reptile pet food
Technavio’s report also provides an analysis of trends expected to influence the small mammal and reptile food market from 2018 to 2022. Technavio highlights the growing demand for dry small mammal and reptile food as one of the key emerging trends in the pet food market.
The demand for dry pet food is high compared with wet pet food. Reasons for this include benefits like convenience since a measured portion of dry food can be left out all day for a pet to eat without worry of spoilage, as well as how dry foods aid in cleaning teeth. What’s more, dry small pet foods can contribute to an enriching environment, since dry foods are often easier to use in food puzzle toys, which can be entertaining for pets while owners are at work as well as to control the food intake. Some of the popular vendors that offer dry small mammal and reptile foods include Kaytee Products, VITAKRAFT SUN SEED, Rolf C, Hagen and others.
Small mammal and reptile treat market
“Following the trend of dog and cat snack foods, the demand for snacks has increased in the small mammal food category (especially in the US and the UK),” a senior analyst at Technavio for research on consumer staples said in a press release.
Pet food companies are positioning treats as one of the important segments in the small mammal and reptile food category, the analyst said. Also, companies are designing snacks in such a way that small mammals can easily hold the snack and wear down their teeth against its hard surface.