China's online pet food market reached CN¥41.38 billion (US$6.12 billion) in the 12 months ending November 2025, up 9% year-over-year across Tmall, JD.com and Douyin, according to Moojing Market Intelligence, a market research firm that tracks China's e-commerce sector.
The firm said the growth reflects a structural shift. After eight years of moving from low-barrier volume expansion to regulation-driven quality competition, the market is now being reshaped by precision health management, functional innovation and the rise of domestic brands.
Cat food was the leading growth driver, with staple cat food sales reaching CN¥20.81 billion (US$3.08 billion), up 9.5% year-over-year, compared with CN¥8.70 billion (US$1.29 billion) for dog staple food, up 4.6%. Total staple food sales reached CN¥29.51 billion (US$4.36 billion). Treats contributed CN¥8.19 billion (US$1.21 billion), up 8.1%.
Pet health supplements were the fastest-growing category, rising 20.3% in sales and 22.1% in volume to 61.6 million units, for total sales of CN¥3.69 billion (US$545 million).
Domestic brands gain ground on legacy players
The competitive landscape is becoming less concentrated, Moojing said. The combined market share of the top 20 brands slipped from 44.1% to 42.1%, while brands ranked 101st to 300th expanded their share from 14.8% to 15.5%, and brands ranked 301st to 1,000th grew from 9.3% to 11.1%.
Domestic brands drove much of that shift. Furrytail posted 3,807.8% year-over-year growth on sales of its Rainbow Puree Cat Staple Can. Shouhushen grew 418.9% on pet fish oil tablets and nutritional paste, and Suxing expanded 373.7% with a grain-free baked sandwich cat food.
In the staple food segment, domestic brands among the top 10 posted 17.6% sales growth and gained 2.4 percentage points of market share, while international brands in the same tier declined 4% and lost 2.5 percentage points. Among brands ranked 11th to 20th, international brands' sales fell 27.8%.
New national pet food standards issued by China's State Administration for Market Regulation, taking effect May 1, 2026, are accelerating the exit of noncompliant small manufacturers, according to Moojing. The regulations are consolidating the market around companies that invest in ingredient transparency, formulation science and regulatory compliance.
Supplement sales grow as pet owners shift to preventive care
Pet health supplements were identified as an emerging category, growing at more than double the rate of staple food and snacks combined.
Cardiovascular health supplements led all functional subcategories, growing 107.9% year-over-year to reach CN¥249 million (US$36.8 million). Moojing pointed to products such as DLOVE's water-soluble coenzyme Q10 formulation for senior dogs, priced at CN¥371 (US$54.8) per bottle, and SIAEKEY's taurine and NAD+ formulation, which apply approaches from human pharmaceuticals to pet products.
Weight and body condition management supplements grew 79.4% to CN¥249.5 million (US$36.9 million). Eye care supplements grew 54.7% to CN¥102 million (US$15.1 million). Liver and kidney support supplements grew 52.6% to CN¥127 million (US$18.8 million).
Moojing said the trend shows Chinese pet owners moving from reactive treatment to proactive, organ-specific health prevention, a pattern the firm said mirrors the trajectory of the human wellness industry with a lag of roughly three to five years.
Imported brands still hold a scale advantage within the supplement category. MAG, based in the United Kingdom, led with sales of CN¥307.2 million (US$45.4 million), up 44.1%, followed by IN-PLUS, based in the United States, at CN¥230.0 million (US$34 million), and Vetwish, also U.S.-based, at CN¥173.9 million (US$25.7 million), up 56%.
Domestic brands are closing that gap, according to Moojing. Shouhushen grew 423.6%, Paisile grew 210%, Paidinuo grew 78.3% and Myfoodie grew 63%. The firm said that if current trends continue, domestic brands could reach parity with imported brands in scale and market share within two to three years.
Moojing described the supplement brand landscape as fragmented and undersaturated, with the top 20 brands holding a modest combined share, leaving room for new entrants to gain share quickly.
Functional claims and festival packaging drive growth
Functional innovation was cited as the primary growth driver across segments. Product functionality claims accounted for 14% growth market-wide, while experiential factors, including product form, emotional appeal and scenario-based marketing, drove 18.7% growth from a smaller base.
Among functional claims in staple food, coat health grew 63.2%, oral health grew 43.3% and immune enhancement grew 41.3%. Traditional Chinese herbal ingredients in cat food grew 83.1%.
In snacks, festival-themed products grew 47.5% for cats and 99% for dogs and commanded the highest price premiums in their segments. Moojing cited a cat holiday snack price index of 112.3, compared with 22 to 28 for everyday formats.
Moojing's report suggests brands competing in China's pet food market should establish ingredient quality, build functional health claims and invest in emotional and experiential positioning to compete as the market moves from feeding pets to managing their health.
The full report is available at moojing-global.com.
