October 24, 2025 – Furry felines are important companions in many people’s lives across the United States (US) and Canada. Pet food brands are creating healthier products to resonate with consumer needs, and the same goes for their pets. While eco-conscious values have penetrated the category to influence innovation from ingredient choices to packaging. To elaborate on this further, Innova Market Insights has compiled this report on the cat food category in the region and what trends will continue into the new year.
What Does Cat Food in the US and Canada Look Like?
Pet food brands have a wide range of formats available in cat food, these include gravy, flakes, bites, and mixers. Producers are also improving textures of feline staples with crunchy exteriors, soft creamy centers and silky-smooth finishes. As for the fabrication and preparation of these new innovations, there has been further use of advanced processes like freeze-drying, air drying, and freezing. All of which are said to preserve taste, aroma, and nutrition, giving pet owners a sense of satisfaction in the quality of food they feed their pets.
What About Certifications and Food Standards?
Trusted authorities are accountable for ensuring that products are safe for pets to consume. Backed by clear scientific validation and endorsements from certain bodies tasked with approving or certifying food. Such bodies like the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) or the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) are responsible for this and build confidence in product quality and safety.
Do Brands Adjust Cat Food for Diets or Wellness Benefits?
When it comes to wellness, cats need it just as much as humans. From age-specific formulations that cater to the changing nutritional needs of the pet cats to diets with clinically proven ingredients like L-carnitine. Each product type is created with a specific goal in mind, be it diet or weight-related. Vitamins and minerals can be added to fortify food and various brands have products that are specific to dental care nutrients, skin, or coat care. Biotics and fiber are being innovated within the category for digestive health improvement also.
Adding fruit and vegetable flavors to cat food can make it more tasty and nutritious for them. Variety packs allow cats to try different flavors, making mealtime more fun. Both of these product developments mean that cats are consuming healthier recipes that provide good nutrition. This is important to cat owners who want both flavor and wellness for their pets.
Are Cat Food Products in Convenient Formats and Packaging?
Offering user-friendly formats can influence what cat owners buy for their beloved pets. From resealable tubs to split cups and trays, it is more enticing to buy food that has convenient attributes, covering single-serve to multi-serve portions. Formats and packaging that have these elements of design deliver mealtime convenience and easy-serve flexibility. Sustainable packaging can reinforce the values that brands want to convey to customers of their product, and in cat food that is no different. This makes them more eco-friendly and more consciously stable to customers.
What Are the Key Facts About Cat Food Across the US and Canada?
Cat food has seen growth in recent years in the US and Canada. The launch of new cat food products has displayed a 3.4% growth since 2022, and Nestlé’s Purina pet food brand has topped the charts in the past twelve months in terms of sales and popularity. Of those products sold across all brands, the standout claim featured on the product packaging was hydration, with duck being the fastest-growing flavor.
Advanced techniques are being leveraged to enhance flavor profiles and add nutritional elements to cat food. This is improving overall appeal and quality retention, pointing cat food as a whole to a less-processed and alternative option. Credibility and safety are also assured with such developments, as around 60% of consumers in the US are likely to change their pet’s food on veterinary recommendations. Advice like this provides validation for health and often reinforces a degree of trust for consumers in a brand.
How Do Cat Food Brands Support Growth and Wellness in the Category?
As is currently the case, pet food brands are and have developed food specifically for dietary and health-related issues in cats. From sterilization to urinary issues, brands are aware that certain specificities are required to meet the needs of kittens and adult cats suffering from conditions or allergies. One of the biggest areas of consumption for cat food is age-related, with 43% of consumers in the US having purchased food that is tailored to their cat in terms of age. Awareness around optimal nutrition aligned with age-related needs, supporting growth, maintenance, and longevity, is becoming more common.
Precision diets for felines can improve fitness and lean muscle maintenance, even if it may sound like something a human would be likely to consider, but in fact, pets are prone to issues in these areas too. Around a fifth of consumers in the US have purchased cat food for weight loss or maintenance in the past year. This is pertinent as issues caused by overweight felines can have knock-on health effects. Examples of how this happens in pet food innovation include ingredients like L-carnitine, which can help improve gut metabolism, support fat conversion, and promote metabolic balance. They also increase feelings of fullness and reduce cravings, making them more effective.
Can Cat Food Become More Appealing With Quality Nutrition and Packaging?
Meals that promote a healthy gut and wellbeing can improve the appeal. This personalizes cat nutrition in a way that is more appealing to owners. In the US, 23% of consumers said that the use of clean labels and natural claims influenced their purchasing decision of cat food. If feed times can be made easier and more flexible with packaging, then this can be impactful too. Cat food brands are innovating with packaging design. From single-serve tubes and resealable tubs to pouches and cans, these formats enhance convenience while maintaining freshness and ease of use.
Does Enhancing Variety in Cat Food Create Differentiation?
A quarter of pet owners have said they want to integrate fruit and vegetables into their pet’s food. This level of improved palatability and nutrition is increasingly important for them to maintain the feline friend’s health. Cats also have taste preferences, and owners want to offer them variety. Formats such as variety packs offer multiple flavors in a single offering, these innovations can strengthen product differentiation. Balancing flavorful indulgence for cats while adding nutrition can help develop cat food to be healthier. Developing cat food with healthier and indulgent taste experiences without compromising nutrition is essential too.
What’s Next for Cat Food in the US & Canada?
The future of cat food across the US and Canada will see development across various segments. Ingredients will be upcycled, as fruit and vegetables pose an opportune solution to food waste reduction. Waste reduction is something that consumers are more conscious of, while also wanting to give cats the healthiest option possible. This appeals to cat owners seeking both fun and functional products. Branding of products that play on this are more likely to resonate with the joyful aspects of cat ownership. Crafting cat food that actively reduces allergens in cat hair and dander can open a high-value positioning that addresses cat health concerns also. This will also build credibility in the science behind the new product development into the future.
This article is based on Innova’s Overview in Cat Food in the US & Canada report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more.