Nestlé’s pet care business recorded 5.3% organic sales growth in the third quarter of 2026, exceeding the company’s overall growth of 4.0%, according to its Oct. 22 investors statement. Nestlé Purina PetCare saw continued strength in cat consumables, although dog foods remained softer.
Petcare sales reached CHF4.659 billion (US$5.68 billion), compared with CHF4.354 billion (US$5.31 billion) in the third quarter of 2025. That represented approximately 7.0% growth in reported sales, calculated from the release’s figures. Nestlé’s total quarterly sales rose approximately 5.2% to CHF22.756 billion (US$27.76 billion).
Petcare’s organic growth consisted of 4.3% real internal growth and a 1.0% contribution from pricing. Across Nestlé, real internal growth was 2.8%, with pricing contributing 1.1%.
The comparison differed over the first nine months. Pet care generated CHF13.591 billion (US$16.58 billion) in sales, nearly unchanged from CHF13.583 billion (US$16.57 billion) a year earlier, and accounted for approximately 20.6% of Nestlé’s total sales.
Nine-month organic growth in Petcare was 3.5%, slightly below the company’s 3.7%. However, Petcare’s real internal growth of 2.6% exceeded Nestlé’s 1.9%, while its pricing contribution of 0.9% was half the group’s 1.8%.
Cat products remained a key contributor to Purina’s business.
“Growth was driven by continued strong performance in cat, with sell-in matching strong sell-out,” Nestlé stated in a press release.
The company reported softer performance in dog products, partly attributing this to warmer weather affecting consumption. Therapeutics growth accelerated with support from targeted investments, while Pro Plan and ONE continued to deliver strong sales growth.
Purina PetCare performance globally
In the Americas, Purina’s organic growth strengthened to the mid-single digits during the quarter. U.S. growth accelerated, supported by mid-single-digit real internal growth, while Latin America also contributed strong growth. Nestlé reported improving pet food market share across the region.
European pet care delivered mid-single-digit organic growth, with wet cat food remaining the main growth driver. Therapeutics and supplements achieved double-digit organic growth, as did Felix and Pro Plan. The company also reported strong pet care performance in e-commerce.
Across Asia, Oceania and Africa, pet care organic growth accelerated to double digits. Nestlé cited strong growth from Pro Plan, ONE and Felix, along with continued investment in wet cat food.
U.S. dollar equivalents use approximately CHF1 = US$1.22 for both years and are not company-reported dollar results.
