Pet owners are increasingly demanding functional pet foods backed by science and clear health benefits as they balance their commitment to pet wellness with rising costs, with 74% of dog owners and 67% of cat owners willing to cut personal expenses to maintain their pets' health.
- Owner Commitment: 74% of dog owners and 67% of cat owners would cut back on personal expenses to keep pets healthy, while 89% of dog owners and 84% of cat owners say pets are important to their mental health.
- Functional Food Opportunities: Digestive and gut health, healthy aging, weight management, mobility, skin and coat health, allergies, urinary health, and dental health are leading opportunities in functional pet nutrition.
- Premium Pricing Justification: Science-backed formulations, veterinary involvement, and transparent evidence provide the strongest justification for premium pricing when consumers evaluate value.
- Preventive Care Growth: 68% of pet owners purchased dental products in the past 12 months, while supplements are now established as everyday preventive care rather than pandemic-era trends.
- Cat Market Opportunity: Cat-specific nutrition innovation in hydration, urinary health, weight management, and life-stage needs remains underserved compared to dog market products.
Most U.S. dog and cat owners would cut back on their own expenses to keep their pets healthy, but years of elevated prices are pushing them to demand clearer proof of value, according to Packaged Facts’ “Pet Health and Wellness: US Pet Market Trends and Opportunities, 2nd Edition, 2026” report released in September.
“Health and wellness is now an omnimarket force rather than a discrete product segment,” Packaged Facts said in the report.
Owners will sacrifice to protect pet health
Packaged Facts’ February 2026 Survey of Pet Owners found that 74% of dog owners and 67% of cat owners would be willing to cut back on personal expenses to ensure their pets stay healthy. In a December 2025 survey, 36% of dog owners and 35% of cat owners said they would spend whatever they can to give their pets the best possible veterinary care, while 35% and 33%, respectively, said the same about pet food.
That commitment does not mean owners are insulated from financial pressure, the report noted. Instead, they are looking for ways to maintain health and wellness while managing costs, which supports demand for functional nutrition, preventive products, supplements, wellness plans, insurance, telehealth and other options perceived as delivering more benefit for the cost.
The human-animal bond reinforces that commitment. In Packaged Facts’ January 2026 survey, 89% of dog owners and 84% of cat owners agreed their pets are important to their mental health, and 82% of dog owners and 72% of cat owners said their pets are important to their physical health.
Functional, condition-specific foods lead opportunities
Most pet foods now carry at least some health and wellness positioning, even if it is only an assurance of complete and balanced nutrition, according to the report. Owners increasingly expect everyday foods and treats to do more than provide calories and essential nutrients.
“Owners look to feeding as a practical way to support health before a more serious problem arises,” Packaged Facts said.
The report identified digestive and gut health, healthy aging and longevity, weight management, mobility, skin and coat health, allergies, hydration, urinary health and dental health as prominent opportunities. Functional products also align with demand for customization by life stage, species, health profile and lifestyle.
Packaged Facts singled out healthy aging as an area connecting multiple parts of the market. Rather than focusing only on treatment after disease develops, marketers can help owners maintain mobility, cognition, digestion, body condition, immunity and quality of life over a longer lifespan.
Science-backed claims support premium pricing
Interest in science-based formulations is now an established counterpart to demand for natural and recognizable ingredients, the report said. Major veterinary and science-oriented brands continue to lead, but Packaged Facts said the broader opportunity lies in combining research, veterinary involvement, transparent evidence and useful functional ingredients.
“Credible functionality provides the strongest justification for premium pricing when consumers are carefully evaluating value,” Packaged Facts said in the report.
Cat nutrition deserves more attention
With dog ownership levels remaining challenged, the report called for greater focus on cat-specific nutrition innovation. Hydration, urinary health, weight management, hairball control, digestive health and life-stage needs offer opportunities to address feline concerns — and to correct what Packaged Facts described as a longstanding tendency to adapt dog-market products and messaging to cats.
Supplements, dental products bring care home
Supplements are now an established part of everyday care and should no longer be explained mainly as a pandemic-era phenomenon, according to the report. Their strongest positioning is proactive wellness, supporting mobility, digestion, immunity, calming, skin and coat health, cognition and healthy aging as part of an ongoing regimen.
However, Packaged Facts cautioned that marketers must avoid implying supplements are simple replacements for professional diagnosis or necessary medication. Evidence, appropriate claims, palatability, dosing convenience and value will remain important to sustained growth, the report said.
Dental care is another example of preventive care moving into the home. Packaged Facts’ 2026 survey found 68% of dog and cat owners purchased some type of dental product in the previous 12 months, including 53% who bought dental or oral chews and treats. Purchase rates reached 79% among Gen Z owners and 76% among millennials, compared with 52% among Gen X and 59% among baby boomers.
Dental treats and chews provide a familiar entry point, while toothpastes, brushes, water additives and wipes offer room for expansion, according to the report.
For more information or to download the report, click here.
