“Martha my dear, you have always been my inspiration
Please, Be good to me, Martha my love
Don't forget me, Martha my dear”
-“Martha My Dear” by The Beatles
Paul McCartney wasn’t trying to flatter his girlfriend when he wrote the lyrics to “Martha My Dear,” but he could have fooled anyone. As legend has it, McCartney was serenading his sheepdog in this White Album song. McCartney wasn’t the first, and certainly wasn’t the last, to humanize his pet. In fact, the pet industry is thriving on the trend that pet guardians see themselves more as “parents” than “owners.”
“The humanization of the pet industry is a telling sign that pets play an important role in pet owners’ lives, and maintaining an animal’s health and well-being has become a priority to these pet parents,” said Tom Payne, industry specialist for the U. S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Owners want their pets to be treated no less then than they themselves want to be treated, and product manufacturers are taking note.
“Pet owners are looking for natural ingredients to ensure their pets stay healthy,” said Jim Mann, Kemin Nutrisurance product manager. “Pet owners want to see ingredients they recognize on their pet food label, and that look like what they themselves are eating.” He added, “Although the term ‘humanization’ may be overused in some contexts, it is very appropriate where consumer preference for natural pet health and nutritional ingredients are concerned. In most major markets, the social culture has evolved to view companion animals as true members of the family unit and, as such, the nutritional and health product buying decisions we are making for ourselves are mirrored in the product choices we make for our pets.”
Making pets part of the family may be behind the rise in pet care spending. The U.S. market for the pet care industry and products was valued at an estimated $46 billion in 2009 by BCC Research, up from $43 billion in 2008, and is expected to increase to $56.5 billion by the end of 2014, for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2 percent. The pet food segment has the largest share of the market at $19.1 billion in 2009, and is expected to increase to more than $23 billion in 2014, for a CAGR of 3.8 percent. BCC reported the segment with the greatest projected five-year rise in value is the “Other Pet Supplies” segment, which includes supplements; it is expected to grown from $11.3 billion in 2009 to $15.3 billion in 2014, for a CAGR of 6.4 percent.
According to Packaged Facts, the U.S. market for natural pet food has more than doubled since 2005, and was worth $1.5 billion in 2009, and expected to reach $2.6 billion in 2014. Paul Dijkstra, CEO, InterHealth Nutraceuticals, noted the same Packaged Facts report found the high-growth segments included functional treats, customized supplements, veterinary-exclusive products, emerging ingredients, easier-to-administer forms and untapped consumer demographics—such as the 20 million dog- or cat-owning households who use human supplements but not pet supplements. Dijkstra called this segment, “Excellent prospects since they are pet owners who appreciate the benefits of nutritional supplementation.”
These past and expected sales despite the recession have natural products manufacturers looking to launch or expand their pet product lines. “I came away from the Pet Food Forum in April with the understanding that manufacturers have not just an interest in natural pet health ingredients, but an obsession,” said Jane Duvauchelle, brand sales, Bergstrom Nutrition. “Whereas humans have access to three meals, snacks, drinks and supplements, we can choose to obtain our daily RDAs in a variety of ways, pets are dependent on their owners and product manufacturers to ensure they get what their bodies need. Animal product manufacturers have the task of developing foods that provide the ideal blend of nutrients, protein and vitamins in a single bag.”
Perhaps this humanization is because pets not only share people’s homes, beds and play time, they also share health needs. Health care costs are rising for both humans and pets, and both are living longer than ever before. This leads many owners to think, ”What’s good for me is good for my pet.”
Thus, the pet market trends mirror human nutrition trends. Put simply: “Just look at what is happening for the human market today, and that is the pet food of tomorrow,” said Bill Hogan, business development manager of Novus Pet Nutrition.
Mann added, “The primary trends we have noticed in pet health ingredients are the same key trends we see in human health ingredients; chief among them are digestive health, geriatric health, weight management, and natural health and nutrition.”
