Has junior pet food hit a ceiling?

The shift in how people relate to their pets, with an increasing emotional bond and the responsibility that comes with that, has been reshaping the pet care industry for some time now – especially in the pet food aisle.

Market saturation

In response to the shift from pet owner to pet parent, manufacturers have been expanding their offerings for the youngest pets in recent years. In Europe, the market is now saturated.

Although new, innovative junior pet products have been launched in 2025, there is a stagnation in terms of the number of items on the shelves.

Junior dry dog food decline

US pet parents contribute to more than half of global junior pet food value (-8% value sales year on year) while European markets (-1% value sales) generate around 25% of the global sales in this category.

The sales dynamics are similar in both regions, with junior dry dog food as the main driver of the decline. The impact is more pronounced in the US, however, where this segment holds greater weight.

Over 60% of US junior pet food value comes from dry dog food – the segment is worth over $1 billion (€860M) annually – compared to just 30% in Europe, with an annual value of over $200 million (€172M).

As a result, the downturn in the junior dog dry segment has a stronger effect on overall junior pet food performance in the US market.

The dynamics in both regions when it comes to junior cat food are similar: while junior cat dry food is showing steady performance, junior cat wet sales have noted 9% growth in the US and 5% growth in Europe year on year.

Following veterinary advice – or not

Vets consistently recommend feeding junior pets with life-stage-specific formulas: foods that are richer in calories, protein and fat, and are fortified with essential nutrients like DHA to support healthy development and strong immunity. These specialized diets are advised until pets reach around 12 months of age.

While pet ownership is on the rise for cats and stable for dogs, the volume of junior pet food sales is failing to keep pace.

This disconnect suggests that many pet (especially dog) parents may be skipping age-specific nutrition and feeding their young pets adult food. But why is there a gap between recommendations and behavior?

Much like human parenting, pet parenting comes with a flood of conflicting advice and anecdotal experiences that can easily cloud judgment.

Add to that marketing buzzwords like ‘grain-free’ or ‘natural,’ and it’s easy to see how pet parents can be swayed by what sounds good rather than what’s nutritionally appropriate.

There is a common belief that adult food is ‘good enough’ for kittens and puppies, despite the very different nutritional needs of growing pets.

Price as a barrier

Junior pet food, especially junior dog food, is significantly more expensive so price concerns could be a factor in sales decline.

On average across European markets, puppy-specific wet meals are priced 53% higher – at $4.25 (€3.66) per kg – than standard adult dog food, at $2.80 (€2.41) per kg.

Dry puppy food is 90% more expensive – on average priced similarly to puppy wet food – at $4.30 (€3.70) per kg, while adult dry costs on average just $2.30 (€1.98) per kg.

The price gap is less pronounced for cats: wet kitten meals cost approximately 21% more than adult equivalents – $5.75 (€4.95) per kg vs adult $4.80 (€4.13) per kg – and dry kitten food is 46% more expensive – $5.80 (€4.99) per kg vs $4 (€3.44) for adult cat dry food.

Examining segment shifts

Interestingly, there are signs of growing awareness. This is indicated by a small but increasing number of pet parents actually buying into junior food within the 3 biggest markets in Europe – France, the UK and Germany.

On average, 20-25% of cat parents are purchasing kitten food but only 10-15% of dog parents buy puppy food.

Pet parents generally spend up to 50% more on puppy food than on kitten food depending on the country.

While cat food buyers spend the least each month per pet parent on kitten food in Germany – around €21 ($24) – and the highest in the UK – around £42 (€49/$56) – this doubles when looking at puppy food. In France, for example, owners of young dogs could actually spend up to €62 ($72) each month.

The junior dry food segment – nearly twice the size of the wet segment in both value and volume – is now in decline. The shift may reflect a move toward wet food, as vets often recommend this as a bigger part of a mixed feeding approach.

While not all pet parents may follow veterinary guidelines, those who do seem to compose more balanced menus, with a greater emphasis on wet food.

Around half of the pet food brands on sale in Europe include products specifically designed for young pets in their portfolios.

This year, large premium brands have seen the strongest sales growth. Smaller brands with premium positioning are also gaining traction, outpacing many mainstream competitors.

This trend is especially clear in the kitten segment, where private label offerings are losing ground while premium products from leading brands are the ones driving category growth.

Differences in European markets

Meanwhile, as junior pet food volumes remain flat in developed markets such as the UK, Germany, France and the Nordics, there is notable growth in Southern and Eastern Europe.

Countries including Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic have recorded the most significant increases in this segment, driven by wet food. Importantly, growth is not attributed to a broader product assortment, but rather to higher product rotation, indicating stronger consumer uptake of existing offerings.

There has been a continuous slight decline of dog food (across all life stages) for over a year now, but dry food for puppies is experiencing double-digit volume declines across nearly all European markets, with the exception of Poland, where the category noted a 4% year-on-year volume increase.

Educating new pet parents

Even though the junior pet food segment is relatively small, it creates the pet owner’s first point of contact with a brand.

So early recruitment is the perfect time to enter a pet parent’s purchase routine and is a way to help build long-term brand loyalty.

While only about half of brands are currently offering junior products for young pets, it doesn’t necessarily make launching new products any easier, especially since there’s little to no growth in the number of items available across Europe.

That said, the junior cat wet premium segment really stands out as the fastest-growing area, with both niche and major brands performing exceptionally well.

When launching new junior products for young pets, it’s crucial to focus on education and clear communication.

There’s still room to grow in this space, especially with new pet parents who are just starting to form their shopping habits. By guiding them early on, brands have a real opportunity to shape long-term preferences and build loyalty.