The pet food market - Portugal

1.1 Definition and scope of study

The pet food category mainly includes food for dogs, cats, birds, fish, small reptiles and mammals. It differs from the pet food market, which includes feeds for animals that are desensitized to farming.

The main segments of the pet food market can be identified by type of food and a distinction is made between :

• Dry goods (Kibbles)
• The wet food (swallowing)
• The snacks (candy, for example)

The world market for pet food is proving to be prosperous and the forecasts for its development and evolution are promising. There is an increasing focus on health and nutrition, which increases the quality and price of the products, while the number of animals kept is gradually increasing and also allows for an increase in volume.

The pet market has grown in Portugal in the last ten years . Dogs and small cats are the most popular, adapting perfectly to urban lifestyles and relatively small spaces offered by housing in major cities. Cats gain space in urban areas because they are adapted to the routine in small apartments, long trips away from home, and low worry because they require little care from their owners compared to other pets.

The market is also showing a certain dynamism in the high-end and premium segments . Many dry and wet foods or "snacks" promise to treat a wide variety of health problems encountered by animals, with increasingly innovative and complex recipes and, in most cases, offered by major brands.

Pet food involves both small players and large multinationals such as Mars or Nestlé. The market is growing at about 6 % per year and dog and cat articles account for more than 80 % market . In 2019, the dog food market (representing 35% of Portuguese households) grew from 1 % against 7 % for the cat segment (39% of households). [ Dinheiro Vivo ]