What is vegan pet food all about?
The Vegan Society’s Louisianna Waring offers market analysis on vegan cat and dog food and highlights various situations in which consumers might choose to forgo meat substitutes.
For several years now, there has been a steady rise in interest in vegan food for dogs and cats. It is understandable that this shift in consciousness is reflected in the way we treat the animals we share our homes with, as more and more people over the world either go vegan entirely or include more vegan recipes in their diets.
Modern animal care food manufacturers are expanding their product lines to provide vegan or meatless options. In addition, a lot of dog and cat food startups have lately been founded with vegan values at their heart.
The global vegan dog food market is predicted by Future Market Insights to be valued $12.22 billion in 2021, with sales predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9 percent over the following ten years. Additionally, it projects that the market for vegan cat food will be valued $10.56 billion globally and expand at a compound annual growth rate of 7.2 percent over the next ten years.
Even though it’s still a somewhat narrow discipline, published research is expanding in it, and University of Winchester veterinary professor Andrew Knight is leading the way in the UK. In one of Knight’s most recent studies, which is the largest of its kind to date, 2,500 dogs’ nutrition and health were tracked for a full year. The findings indicated that, if they are fortified, vegan meals are a safe and healthful choice for dogs.
These sectors are older than many people realize, despite increased public interest and media attention. Launched in the UK under the name “Happidog” in 1980, V-dog was the first commercially accessible meatless dog food in the world, leading the way in this category for more than 40 years. Furthermore, vegan cat food has been available for purchase in the UK for the past eighteen years.
The Vegan Society is aware that individuals who own companion animals have a duty to care for their animals’ best interests and that any dietary adjustments should be made with extreme caution. One of our most recent industry publications, Vegan Animal Care: Consumer Motivations, Barriers, and Market Potential, highlights research demonstrating some of the ethical, environmental, and health benefits offered by this expanding sector. We also present brand-new insights to the market. Two questionnaires were used in our study, with 500 UK people with cats and 500 UK adults with dogs participating. The outcomes are listed below.
Our research on vegan animal care revealed…
We started by asking our panelists what their first thoughts were about feeding their pets vegan diets. In response, 31.8 percent of respondents who owned cats and 32 percent of respondents who owned dogs stated that, given the right conditions, they would be willing to buy vegan food for their animal companions. Furthermore, 13% of respondents with dogs and 17% of respondents with cats stated they would buy it if the price was the same as that of non-vegan food.
What could convince someone to purchase vegan food for their dogs and cats in the future was something we were curious about. According to 43.7 percent of respondents with cats and 39 percent of respondents with dogs, the most common response for both panels was “taste approval” from our animal friends, which would affect their purchase decision. Additional nutritional information from animal experts, products with greater nutritional benefits than non-vegan foods, and price promotions were other important motivators for both panels. The option that was least favored between the two panels
After that, we were interested in finding out which product categories the panels thought should have a wider assortment of vegan options. Treats were the most popular choice in both panels, with 44.2 percent of respondents with dogs and 47.5 percent of respondents with cats expressing a desire for more vegan treat options to be available.
This suggests that although our audience is very interested in ethical food products, there may be some reluctance to utilize them for every meal. More vegan grooming items, more vegan nutritional supplements, and more vegan medications (including flea treatments) were all well-liked options. Additionally, 32.8 percent of cat owners and 34.4 percent of dog owners stated they were
Trademark Vegan
The Vegan Society is a charity that promotes education and looks after the Vegan Trademark. The world’s oldest and biggest vegan certification program, the Vegan Trademark was established in 1990. We collaborate with a wide range of animal welfare companies to guarantee that their vegan products live up to our strict requirements. These consist of food, treats, snacks, grooming supplies, nutritional supplements, toys, beds, and bedding for companion animals. In the last two years alone (2019–2021), about half of our product registrations in the animal care category have occurred, and we anticipate that this percentage will increase significantly in the upcoming years.
Innovation is needed in many areas of the animal care industry, including food and treats, but it must be done so carefully and under the direction of animal experts.