Nulo has launched dry and wet single-source protein limited ingredient diet (LID) cat food formulations. The company said the formulations address consumer concerns about cat dietary sensitivities and digestive health. According to Innova Market Insights, 23% of pet food shoppers prefer food sensitivity diets.
Nulo said its cat product portfolio grew 15% year over year during the past year. The U.S. cat population has reached 76.3 million, up 39% since 2016, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association's 2026 U.S. Pet Ownership Sourcebook.
The Nulo LID wet cat food line includes four flavors: chicken, salmon, turkey and whitefish. The Freestyle LID kibble line includes chicken and whitefish recipes. Real meat is the first ingredient in all products in the LID cat portfolio.
"It's important that retailers know when LID products are added to the shelf set, we've seen velocity and volume lift across the board, in keeping with added consumer preference for these unique dietary solutions," said Eric Emmenegger, head of product and retail marketing for Nulo. "Currently wet cat food is growing at two times the rate of dry, so we're particularly confident about incremental volume gains from the four flavors — chicken, salmon, turkey and whitefish — of Nulo LID wet cat products."
LID segment driven by three factors
Nulo said the LID segment's growth is driven by three factors: cat food growth, wet food growth and demand for simplified nutrition for sensitive diets. Fortune Business Insights projects global cat food sales will rise from $47.64 billion in 2026 to $74.95 billion by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 5.83%. More than half of that growth is expected to come from wet cat food.
Nulo said its focus on the requirements of independent retailers, along with related marketing investments, has contributed to its growth.
"At a time when the premium and super-premium pet food segments are experiencing some headwinds, Nulo continues to outperform the category and our retailers are benefiting from this growth," Emmenegger said.
