Market Trends and Reports: Page 321

Hill's launches Prescription Diet cat food to help manage hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism, a common disease of middle-aged and senior cats, is a condition that creates an excess of thyroid hormones causing health issues such as weight loss, heart problems and vomiting. Hill's Prescription Diet y/d Feline Thyroid Health is a new product intended as an alternative solution to managing this condition.

Market Trends and Reports

Can cats convert β-carotene to retinol?

Many animals convert β-carotene to retinol to meet their vitamin A (VA) requirement. However, this pathway is inefficient in many carnivores.

Market Trends and Reports

Protein requirement for lactating cats

The Nutrient Research Council recommendations for cats for energy and protein during gestation and lactation are based on limited data. This study aimed to answer if the energy requirement can be met with wet food or if the volume is restrictive.

Texas,USA, petfood manufacturer donates cat food to SNAP

Texas, USA-based petfood manufacturer Nulo has joined with the Spay Neuter Assistance Program to help encourage Houston and San Antonio, Texas, USA, residents to spay and neuter their feline companions. Each client that brings their cat into SNAP for a spay or neuter procedure will receive a free bag of Nulo’s chicken and brown rice cat food while supplies last.

Market Trends and Reports

Freshpet Dognation treats

Freshpet offers new petfood, treats at pet specialty stores

Refrigerated petfood maker Freshpet introduced five meals and treats for pets, available in Freshpet refrigerators at pet specialty stores. Freshpet says its latest offerings include grain-free Vital Complete Meals for Dogs, grain-free Vital Complete Meals for Cats, Dognation Sweet Potato Chews, Dognation Fresh Bones and Dognation Free-Range Fillets.

Freshpet now offers five more refrigerated petfood options for dogs and cats.

PETA urges cat owners to feed a vegan petfood diet

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is urging cat owners to feed their pets a vegan petfood diet, which is free of any animal products, the Toronto Sun reported. PETA says felines do not need meat in their diets, but rather should be fed an all-vegetable diet without artificial supplements.

Castor & Pollux partners with nonprofit Austin Pets Alive!

Castor & Pollux Natural PetWorks announced a partnership with Austin Pets Alive!, a nonprofit organization that implements no-kill programs in Austin, Texas, USA.As part of the partnership, Castor & Pollux will provide 1,000 pounds of petfood monthly to the shelter and will create a coupon program that gives a percentage of coupon-attributed sales to APA.

Market Trends and Reports

Market update: Superpremium petfood post-recession

Premium petfoods—defined by Packaged Facts as those priced at least 10% above the category average—accounted for 40% of petfood sales in 2010, followed by regular petfood at 27% and value petfood at 14%, with treats comprising the remaining 18% of sales. On both the dog and cat sides of the market, the premium share of sales has contracted a bit with the recession while the regular and value segments have risen a notch or two.

According to Packaged Facts, the term superpremium is generally reserved for the highest quality products, which are positioned on clear-cut health claims (and higher prices), thereby ruling out most mass-market brands and concentrating in the pet specialty channel.

Pet Product News readers vote top petfood products

Pet Product News International conducted its first Retailers’ Top Pick Awards contest, in which the magazine's pet retailing readers voted on 14 pet product categories, including best cat, dog and bird food products. Top winners in the edible cat products category include: Bonus Bites Treats by Bravo; Signature Series for cats by Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Co.; and Cosmic Catnip brand Catnip Bubbles by OurPet's.

Vet answers common petfood questions from consumers

With so many petfood choices on store shelves, consumers may be confused about what type of petfood to purchase for their dog or cat. In a USA Today article, Denise Elliott, a veterinarian who is also certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, answers some of the most common questions she hears about choosing a petfood.

Market Trends and Reports

Market Report: Supplements and foods as preventive pet health remedies

Packaged Facts’ March 2011 report, Pet Food in the US, 9th Edition, shows the underpinnings of the US pet industry are strong, and the outlook is especially good for all things related to pet health. In the case of pet supplements and petfood, this is true to such a degree that some pet owners view these products as safer, holistic alternatives to pet medications.

Hillâ€™s Prescription Diet Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program was one of two weight-loss petfood lines introduced into the veterinary channel at Global Pet Expo 2011 in Orlando, Florida, USA, in March.

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