Cats are a popular choice in Europe when it comes to pet ownership, although we don’t see them outside as often as their canine friends. As shown in this statistic, Germany and France are the two countries leading the list of cat owners in the EU, with the former’s narrow win. While Germany also ranks as the top EU country with the highest number of pet dogs, cats still win in European households.

EU loves cats

Compared with the cat population in Germany and France, countries such as Latvia, Ireland and Estonia had a low number of household felines. Yet across Europe in general, the number of cats has gone up significantly since 2010. In 2022, the EU alone was home to a large population of cats, making them the most preferred pets.

Cat food in pet care industry

The population of household cats in the European Union also corresponds to the volume of the pet care industry in this region. Between 2010 and 2022, pet food industry achieved steady growth.

In 2018, Brazil was the country with the highest amount of cats from the presented Latin American countries, with 22.1 million cats. Mexico followed, with 6.9 million. In 2021, the pet food market in Latin America is expected to reach a value of nearly 12 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2022, there were an estimated 14.9 million pet cats owned by households in France.  That same year, the share of French households owning a cat was estimated at around 32 percent. France ranked among the two European countries where it was most common to have a cat: only Germany had a higher cat population. The number of cats in other countries, like in the United Kingdom or in Italy, was somewhat lower than that of Germany and France.

Pet cats in France

In 2022, the cat products segment accounted for 46 percent of the total sales revenue on the pet products market in France. The majority of French people cat-related expenses is dedicated to food.

Pet market in France On the pet products market, dry products made up the majority of the sales volume. For cats and dogs, a majority of sales are done in hyper and supermarkets, followed by garden centers.

Number of cat imports by country (includes notifications from Liechtenstein). All remaining countries are grouped under the term "Further countries". The complete list is available when downloading the data.

International differences in practices and attitudes regarding pet cats' interactions with wildlife were assessed by surveying citizens from at least two cities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, China and Japan. Predictions tested were: (i) cat owners would agree less than non-cat owners that cats might threaten wildlife, (ii) cat owners value wildlife less than non-cat owners, (iii) cat owners are less accepting of cat legislation/restrictions than non-owners, and (iv) respondents from regions with high endemic biodiversity (Australia, New Zealand, China and the USA state of Hawaii) would be most concerned about pet cats threatening wildlife. Everywhere non-owners were more likely than owners to agree that pet cats killing wildlife were a problem in cities, towns and rural areas. Agreement amongst non-owners was highest in Australia (95%) and New Zealand (78%) and lowest in the UK (38%). Irrespective of ownership, over 85% of respondents from all countries except China (65%) valued wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas. Non-owners advocated cat legislation more strongly than owners except in Japan. Australian non-owners were the most supportive (88%), followed by Chinese non-owners (80%) and Japanese owners (79.5%). The UK was least supportive (non-owners 43%, owners 25%). Many Australian (62%), New Zealand (51%) and Chinese owners (42%) agreed that pet cats killing wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas was a problem, while Hawaiian owners were similar to the mainland USA (20%). Thus high endemic biodiversity might contribute to attitudes in some, but not all, countries. Husbandry practices varied internationally, with predation highest where fewer cats were confined. Although the risk of wildlife population declines caused by pet cats justifies precautionary action, campaigns based on wildlife protection are unlikely to succeed outside Australia or New Zealand. Restrictions on roaming protect wildlife and benefit cat welfare, so welfare is a better rationale.

European Sold Production of Dog or Cat Food Share by Country (Euros), 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Global Export of Dog or Cat Food Share by Country (US Dollars), 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2018, Brazil was the country with the highest amount of dogs and cats from the presented Latin American countries, with 74.3 million cats. Mexico followed, with 28.2 million. In 2021, the pet food market in Latin America is expected to reach a value of nearly 12 billion U.S. dollars.

European Export of Dog or Cat Food by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

European Import of Dog or Cat Food by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Global Export of Dog or Cat Food by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Market Overview:

The GCC cat food market size reached USD 124.0 Million in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 202.0 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 5.60% during 2025-2033.

Report Attribute	Key Statistics
Base Year	2024
Forecast Years	2025-2033
Historical Years	2019-2024
Market Size in 2024	USD 124.0 Million
Market Forecast in 2033	USD 202.0 Million
Market Growth Rate 2025-2033	5.60%

Cats are one of the most popular pets across the GCC region. They require a specific set of dietary nutrients for a healthy growth and long-term wellness. Cat food is generally made by using animal or plant materials which are a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, fats as well as other nutrients including amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

In the GCC region, the demand for cat food has been rising as households across the GCC countries consider cats as sacred and prefer them over dogs resulting in a significantly higher cat population compared to the dog population. Good quality cat food helps in maintaining a healthy wellbeing of a cat by improving its overall quality of life. Cat food also contains an appropriate amount of protein and grain as compared to other food products which helps in enhancing the cat’s immune system.

Key Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the GCC cat food market report, along with forecasts at the regional and country level from 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on product type, ingredient type and distribution channel.

Breakup by Product Type:

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• Dry Food
• Wet and Canned Food
• Snacks and Treats

Amongst these, dry food represents the largest segment as it is easier to handle and cheaper than other types of cat food products.

Breakup by Ingredient Type:

• Animal Derivatives
• Plant Derivatives
• Cereals Derivatives
• Others

On the basis of ingredient type, animal derivatives currently dominate the cat food market as they are easy for the cat to digest and offer numerous nutrients including vitamins, amino acids and minerals, etc.

Breakup by Distribution Channel:

• Supermarkets and Hypermarkets
• Convenience Stores
• Online Stores
• Others

Amongst these, supermarkets and hypermarkets represent the biggest distribution channel across the region.

Breakup by Region:

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• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Oman
• Bahrain

Region-wise, UAE currently holds the largest share of the GCC cat food market on account of a large cat population and a rising demand for premium products. In addition to this, many residential buildings, restaurants and public spaces have started allowing the entry of pets, such as cats and dogs, etc., inside the premises which has further propelled the demand for cat food across the region.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the market has also been analysed in the report covering the market structure and the profiles of the key players operating in this market.

This report provides a deep insight into the GCC cat food market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from a macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, recent trends, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porter’s five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc. This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the GCC cat food market in any manner.

Report Coverage:

Report Features	Details
Base Year of the Analysis	2024
Historical Period	2019-2024
Forecast Period	2025-2033
Units	Million USD
Segment Coverage	Product Type, Ingredient Type, Distribution Channel, Country
Countries Covered	Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain
Customization Scope	10% Free Customization
Post-Sale Analyst Support	10-12 Weeks
Delivery Format	PDF and Excel through Email (We can also provide the editable version of the report in PPT/Word format on special request)

IntroductionFeline obesity is a worldwide concern which has recently been formally classified as a disease by the veterinary community. Management involves invoking controlled weight loss by feeding a purpose-formulated food in restricted quantities and altering physical activity. Most weight loss studies conducted in cats have been undertaken in research cat colonies from single geographic locations. The aim of this multi-centre cohort study was to determine the efficacy of a short-term dietary weight loss intervention in overweight pet cats across a range of geographical locations globally.Materials and methodsA 3-month (median 13 weeks, inter-quartile range [IQR] 12–15 weeks) weight loss programme was conducted at 188 veterinary practices in 22 countries, and involving 730 cats, 413 of which completed the programme and had complete data available. All were fed commercially available dry or wet weight loss diets, and median energy intake was 53 kcal/kg BW0.711/day. The Royal Canin Ethics Committee approved the study, and owners gave informed consent. Owners completed behavioural questionnaires assessing begging, physical activity and quality of life (QOL). Linear mixed models were used to assess the respective influence of time, age, and initial body condition score (BCS) on weight loss and behavioural observations.ResultsAt baseline, median age was 72 months (range 12–200 months) and median BCS was 8 (range 7–9). In all, 402/413 cats (97%) lost weight (mean 10.6±6.3%) during the programme at a rate of 0.8 ±0.50%/week. Based upon owner questionnaires, activity and QOL improved (both P

European Dog and Cat Foods Market Size Value Per Capita by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

This statistic shows the share of pet owners in the population of selected countries all over the world as of 2016. During the survey, 66 percent of respondents in Argentina stated they own a dog, while 32 percent said they own a cat.

Abstract In recent years feline leishmanial infections (FLI) have been studied more than ever before in various parts of the world. However, evidence-based knowledge on FLI has remained unavailable. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the status of felines infected by Leishmania spp. worldwide. Data were extracted from 10 available databases over the period of 1982 to 2017. Overall, 78 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were used for data extraction in this systematic review. The overall FLI prevalence by both serological and molecular methods was estimated at 10% (95% CI: 8%-14%). In Italy, both the seroprevalence (24 %) and PCR prevalence (21 %) were found to be higher than in other countries. The most common diagnostic test used was the indirect fluorescent antibody test (38.5%). Studies on mixed-breed felines were more common than those on other breeds, while the most common parasite species was L. infantum (63%). Our findings suggest that cats act as primary and/or secondary reservoir hosts in the transmission of the Leishmania spp. to humans and also to dogs, by sandflies, at least in endemic foci. Moreover, available data confirm the enzootic stability situation of FLI in several countries including some in Europe.

Environmental impacts of the livestock sector are proportional to consumption levels. To assess the relative consumption of livestock animals within the diets of dogs, cats and people, this study examined their dietary energy needs within the US in 2020, and globally in 2018. Also studied were US pet food ingredients, and environmental sustainability indicators for plant- and animal-based foods consumed globally. Relative consumptions of average livestock animals were: US: dogs– 17.7%, cats– 2.3%, humans– 80.0%; and globally: dogs– 7.7%, cats– 1.2%, humans– 91.1%. Full transition to nutritionally-sound vegan diets would spare from slaughter the following numbers of terrestrial livestock animals annually (billions): US: dogs– 1.7, cats– 0.2, humans– 7.8, and globally: dogs– 6.0, cats– 0.9, humans– 71.3, as well as billions of aquatic animals in all dietary groups. Very large impact reductions were also associated with land and water use, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), acidifying and eutrophifying gases, and biocide use, in all dietary groups. If implemented globally, nutritionally-sound vegan diets would free up land larger than the following nations: dogs–Saudi Arabia or Mexico, cats–Japan or Germany, humans–Russia–the world’s largest country–combined with India. Such diets would save freshwater volumes greater than all renewable freshwater in the following nations: dogs–Denmark, cats–Jordan, humans–Cuba. Such diets would reduce GHGs by amounts greater than all GHG emissions from following nations: dogs–South Africa or the UK, cats–Israel or New Zealand, humans–India or the entire EU. The numbers of additional people who could be fed using food energy savings associated with vegan diets exceeded the 2018 human populations of the following nations: dogs–the entire European Union, cats–France or the UK, humans–every single nation or collective region on Earth, as defined by the World Bank. All of these estimates are conservative.

With over 470 million dogs kept as pets worldwide, dogs came out on top as the leading type of pet in 2018. Within the same year, there were roughly 370 million pet cats in the world.

Pets in the European Union

While dogs were globally speaking the most common type of pet, cats were more common in the European Union in 2018. Roughly 75 million people within this region had a pet cat in 2018, compared to the 65 million pet dogs. That year, Germany had about nine and a half million pet dogs, making it the country with the highest number within the European Union. Other top dog-loving countries included the United Kingdom, Poland, and France.

Other pets in Germany

Besides cats and dogs, Germans had many other household pets in 2018. About five and a half million small pets, such as hamsters and rabbits, were kept by Germans that year. Additionally, about two million households in Germany owned an aquarium and roughly one and a half million households owned a garden pond.

The global cat toys market size is forecasted to be appraised at US$ 1,840 million by 2033, up from US$ 1,015.1 million in 2023, advancing at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period.

Attribute	Details
Global Cat Toys Market Valuation in 2022	US$ 951.9 million
Estimated Global Market Share in 2023	US$ 1,015.1 million
Forecasted Global Market Size by 2033	US$ 1,840 million
Projected Global Market Growth Rate from 2023 to 2033	6.1% CAGR
Historical Market Growth Rate from 2018 to 2022	5.1%

Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, and Threats in Cat Toys Market

Category	By Sales Channel
Top Segment	Pet Specialty Store
Market Share in Percentage	15.2%

Category	By Size
Top Segment	Medium
Market Share in Percentage	34.2%

Region-wise Insights

Regional Market Comparison	Global Market Share in Percentage
North America	22%
Europe	19%

Regional Market Comparison	Global Market Share in Percentage
The United States	15.5%
Germany	4%
Japan	3%
Australia	4.5%

Regional Markets	CAGR (2023 to 2033)
The United Kingdom	5.5%
China	8.5%
India	3.1%

Report Scope

Attribute	Details
Growth Rate	CAGR of 6.1% from 2023 to 2033
The base year for estimation	2022
Historical data	2018 to 2022
Forecast period	2023 to 2033
Quantitative units	Revenue in US$ million and CAGR from 2023 to 2033
Report Coverage	Revenue forecast, volume forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends, Pricing Analysis,
Segments Covered	Product, Material Type, Distribution Channel, and Region.
Regional scope	North America; Western Europe, Eastern Europe, The Middle East, Africa, ASIAN, South Asia, Rest of Asia, Australia, and New Zealand
Country scope	The United States of America; Canada; Mexico; Germany; The United Kingdom; France; Italy; Spain; Russia; Belgium; Poland; Czech Republic; China; India; Japan; Australia; Brazil; Argentina; Colombia; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; Iran; South Africa
Key companies profiled	Pusheen, Our Pets (Cosmic Pet), Friskies, Catit, Petmate, KONG Company, Innovation Pet Petlinks System, Leaps Bounds, Ethical Products, Hartz, Honest Pet Products, Innovation Pet, Midwest Homes for Pets, PetMate, PetSafe, Petstages Inc., R2P Pet Ltd., Rolf C. Hagen Inc., Simply Fido, Worldwise, Petsport USA Inc., etc.
Customization scope	Free report customization (equivalent to up to 8 analysts' working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope.
Pricing and purchase options	Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs.

European Preparations for Animal Feeds (Excluding Dog or Cat Food) Market Size Value by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!