Sep 03, 2026
The households most likely to drive incremental pet food revenue in the coming years increasingly have cats, or cats alongside fewer or smaller dogs.未来几年最有可能推动宠物食品收入增长的家庭越来越多地养猫，或者养猫的家庭越来越少，养狗的家庭也越来越少或更小。
Tim Wall | DALL-E 蒂姆·沃尔|dall - e
For years, the U.S. pet food business has been built around dogs, with cats treated as a smaller, secondary opportunity. Packaged Facts analysts suggest that this dynamic may be increasingly out of date as 2025 gives way to 2024. In “Pet Food in the US, 19th Edition (November 2025),” Packaged Facts reports that dog ownership has declined in recent years, especially among Gen X, Baby Boomer, and older senior households, while the number of cat-owning households has increased between 2021 and 2025. At the same time, cat ownership has held up better among older consumers than dog ownership, helping to stabilize and grow the feline base even as dog numbers retreat. Taken together, these shifts point to a “cat renaissance” with real consequences for how manufacturers and retailers plan their portfolios. Will it be a catalyst for change or a catastrophe?多年来，美国宠物食品行业一直以狗为主，而猫被视为较小的次要机会。分析人士指出，随着2025年到来2024年，这种动态可能会越来越过时。在“（2025年11月）”中，Packaged Facts报道说，近年来养狗的人数有所下降，尤其是在X一代、婴儿潮一代和老年人家庭中，而养猫的家庭数量在2021年至2025年间有所增加。与此同时，在老年消费者中，养猫比养狗更受欢迎，这有助于稳定和扩大猫的数量，即使狗的数量在减少。综上所述，这些转变预示着“猫的复兴”，对制造商和零售商如何规划他们的投资组合产生了真正的影响。它是变革的催化剂还是灾难？
The Packaged Facts executive summary notes that economic and demographic pressures are weighing more heavily on dog ownership than on cat ownership. Young adults facing high housing costs and student loan burdens, along with older adults managing mobility and health constraints, are more likely to choose cats because they are less physically demanding and often less expensive to keep. Between MRI-Simmons’ Spring 2021 and Spring 2025 survey releases, the number of cat-owning households increased, while dog ownership declined, particularly among Gen X, Boomers and older seniors. These pet population trends are also documented in Packaged Facts’ Pet Population & Ownership Trends in the US, 8th Edition (January 2025), which provides trended dog and cat ownership profiles by generation and household type.Packaged Facts执行摘要指出，经济和人口压力对养狗的影响比养猫更大。面对高昂的住房成本和学生贷款负担的年轻人，以及面临行动不便和健康限制的老年人，更有可能选择猫，因为它们对身体的要求更低，而且养猫的成本也更低。在MRI-Simmons 2021年春季和2025年春季的调查发布期间，养猫家庭的数量增加了，而养狗的家庭数量减少了，尤其是在X世代、婴儿潮一代和老年人中。这些宠物数量的趋势也记录在《打包事实》（2025年1月）中，它提供了按世代和家庭类型划分的狗和猫饲养趋势概况。
Historically, marketers had good reasons to prioritize dogs. Dogs tend to be larger, eat more, and generate more revenue per household. Dog ownership also grew consistently for decades, reinforcing the dog-first bias. But if the core population that underpinned that model is flattening or shrinking, while cat ownership grows or holds steady, the old math starts to look out of date. Packaged Facts argues that the recent dog declines are not just a blip; they are rooted in structural factors such as high interest rates, housing affordability, and broader financial insecurity that will “have years-long implications” for dog food demand.从历史上看，营销人员有充分的理由优先考虑狗。狗往往体型更大，吃得更多，每户家庭的收入也更高。几十年来，养狗人数也在持续增长，强化了“狗优先”的偏见。但是，如果支撑这一模型的核心人口正在趋于平缓或萎缩，而猫的拥有量却在增长或保持稳定，那么旧的数学就开始显得过时了。Packaged Facts认为，最近狗的数量下降不仅仅是一个暂时现象；它们根植于结构性因素，如高利率、住房负担能力和更广泛的金融不安全感，这些因素将对狗粮需求“产生长达数年的影响”。
At the same time, pet owners continue to view food as central to health. In Packaged Facts’ January 2025 Survey of Pet Owners, 82% of cat owners and 79% of dog owners said pet food is an important pet health and wellness product, and 70% of dog and cat owners reported they are willing to pay more for foods with health and wellness benefits. That combination—more cats and a strong belief that food is medicine—creates fertile ground for cat-focused premium and functional innovation, even in a cautious economic climate.与此同时，宠物主人仍然认为食物对健康至关重要。在Packaged Facts 2025年1月对宠物主人的调查中，82%的猫主人和79%的狗主人表示宠物食品是重要的宠物健康和保健产品，70%的狗和猫主人表示他们愿意花更多的钱购买具有健康和保健功效的食品。这种结合——更多的猫和对食物即药物的坚定信念——为以猫为中心的溢价和功能创新创造了肥沃的土壤，即使在谨慎的经济环境下也是如此。
Despite these emerging tailwinds, Packaged Facts emphasizes that cats still often come second in the market. Product assortments, marketing support, and format innovation remain skewed toward dogs. Fresh and gently cooked pet foods, which the report identifies as one of the fastest-growing segments, outpacing overall market growth, are still overwhelmingly dog-oriented, with cat offerings lagging far behind. Cat owners notice. According to the September 2025 Packaged Facts Survey of Pet Owners, 39% of cat owners agree that cats are treated like “second-class citizens” by makers of pet foods and treats.尽管出现了这些有利因素，但Packaged Facts强调，猫在市场上仍然经常排在第二位。产品种类、营销支持和形式创新仍然倾向于狗。报告指出，新鲜和温和煮熟的宠物食品是增长最快的领域之一，超过了整体市场的增长速度，但仍以狗为主，猫类食品远远落后。猫主人注意了。根据2025年9月对宠物主人的打包事实调查，39%的猫主人认为宠物食品和零食制造商把猫当作“二等公民”对待。
The Packaged Facts report notes that fresh and gently cooked foods, along with freeze-dried and air-dried products, are key growth engines for dog food, and that cats have not yet benefited to the same extent. Fresh pet food (especially refrigerated and frozen “gently cooked” offerings) is growing fast enough on the dog side to lift overall dog food growth by more than one percentage point, and freeze-or air-dried foods are estimated to reach about US$2.4 billion in 2025 when combined as pure diets and inclusions. But many of the brands in these segments remain unapologetically dog-centric.“包装事实”报告指出，新鲜和温和煮熟的食物，以及冻干和风干产品，是狗粮的主要增长引擎，而猫还没有得到同样程度的好处。新鲜宠物食品（尤其是冷藏和冷冻“温和煮熟”产品）在狗粮方面的增长速度足够快，足以使整体狗粮增长超过一个百分点，而冷冻或风干食品作为纯饮食和配料加起来，预计到2025年将达到约24亿美元。但这些细分市场中的许多品牌仍然毫无愧色地以狗为中心。
That leaves a wide opening. Cats are obligate carnivores with specific nutritional and sensory needs, and they have a reputation for finickiness that can challenge formulators. Packaged Facts notes that cat nutrition “requires a different approach than that for dogs,” including taste and texture profiles that reflect feline preferences. Brands willing to invest in feline-specific recipe development, palatability testing, and messaging around hydration, urinary tract health, and senior care could own high-growth niches in fresh, gently cooked, and freeze-dried cat food before they become saturated.这留下了一个很大的缺口。猫是专性食肉动物，有特殊的营养和感官需求，它们以挑剔著称，这可能会挑战配方师。Packaged Facts指出，猫的营养“需要不同于狗的方法”，包括反映猫偏好的味道和质地。愿意投资于猫专用配方开发、适口性测试以及水合作用、尿道健康和老年护理等方面的信息的品牌，可以在新鲜、微煮和冻干的猫粮饱和之前，拥有高增长的利基市场。
Health and wellness products targeted at specific ailments are another underdeveloped zone in cat food and treats. The report highlights high levels of interest in foods that address senior/anti-aging, digestive issues, skin and coat, and heart health, and it points to the large population of senior pets: as of 2025, senior cats (7+ years) were present in 51% of cat-owning households, representing about 16 million U.S. cat owners, according to MRI-Simmons data cited in the report. Against that backdrop, foods targeting renal function, weight management, and mobility for older cats are natural extensions of both health and demographic trends.针对特定疾病的健康和保健产品是猫粮和零食的另一个不发达领域。该报告强调了人们对老年/抗衰老、消化问题、皮肤和皮毛以及心脏健康食品的高度兴趣，并指出了大量的老年宠物：根据报告中引用的MRI-Simmons数据，截至2025年，51%的养猫家庭中有老年猫（7岁），约有1600万美国猫主人。在此背景下，针对肾脏功能、体重管理和老年猫活动能力的食物是健康和人口趋势的自然延伸。
Packaged Facts frames the current environment as one where dog ownership is under structural pressure, economic challenges are forcing many households to reassess spending, and yet pet food remains a “resilient, health-driven category” expected to continue growing through 2029. Within that context, the cat renaissance may require a strategic response to where the pet population and consumer sentiment are actually moving.《打包事实》认为，当前的环境是，养狗面临结构性压力，经济挑战迫使许多家庭重新评估支出，但宠物食品仍然是一种“有弹性、以健康为导向的类别”，预计到2029年将继续增长。在这种背景下，猫的复兴可能需要对宠物数量和消费者情绪的实际变化做出战略性回应。
Ultimately, Packaged Facts data suggest that dogs may be a shrinking target for brand growth. The households most likely to drive incremental pet food revenue in the coming years increasingly have cats, or cats alongside fewer or smaller dogs.最终，Packaged Facts的数据表明，狗可能是品牌增长的一个萎缩目标。未来几年最有可能推动宠物食品收入增长的家庭越来越多地养猫，或者养猫的家庭越来越少，养狗的家庭也越来越少或更小。