Health and wellness: a new angle for the cat litter sector
It’s a trend that shouldn’t be ignored – cat parents are increasingly concerned about their pet’s well-being. So, there’s room for growth in any area that can tap into this sentiment – including pet hygiene products.
Nearly half of all cat owners in the US have been paying more attention to their pet’s health since the start of the COVID pandemic 4 years ago. Cat litter may not immediately come to mind when considering health and wellness, but products positioned around health concerns are an up-and-coming segment of the US litter market.
Shifting buying behavior
The Packaged Facts January 2024 Survey of Pet Owners shows that a clear majority of US cat owners believe that a pet benefits a human’s physical and emotional health. In the findings, 87% of cat owners agreed that their pets are important to their mental health and 80% said their cats are important to their physical well-being.
Cat owners’ increased regard for their own health has also spilled over into a lasting awareness of their cat’s health. This has led to changes in some pet owner behavior, such as purchasing products that offer immune health benefits (15% of cat owners) and buying stress or anxiety related products (14% of cat owners).
For cat litter marketers, promoting their products along both human and cat health lines is advantageous. Litter that doesn’t track mess through the home protects both humans and pets from exposure to pet waste. And low-dust litter prevents them all from inhaling excess litter dust in the air.
Addressing the cost of pet healthcare
The Packaged Facts data also confirms that some cat owners are struggling with health-related financial challenges in regard to their pets, with 37% pointing to both the high cost of pet healthcare and – more specifically – veterinary care expenses as significant issues. Additionally, 24% of cat owners cite the cost of pet medications and 16% note pet health problems in general.
Although this may not seem to be directly relevant to the litter category, the overarching trend is that cat owners are likely to be receptive to products that offer to address health and wellness concerns, in part because they see this as a potential way to minimize future medical expenses.
Health-monitoring products
Cats are good at concealing the fact that they are in pain. So even when there is an underlying problem, they can look – and act – perfectly healthy. As a result, a cat’s hidden health issues can worsen without their owner being aware of it.
Products that address health and wellness are becoming more popular, and one of these is health-monitoring litter. This type of litter allows owners to keep tabs on their cat’s health by examining changes in the litter box. In 2023, there were several new releases from major marketers, including Purina with its Tidy Cats Tidy Care Alert litter and Clorox with its Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor litter.
According to MRI-Simmons Summer 2023 survey data, only 6% of litter users reported having used health-monitoring litter in the past 6 months. Other litter types that can be related to health concerns, such as dust-free, low-dust and unscented litter, are bought by a larger share of users.
Future opportunities
Cat owners are clearly becoming more aware that their pet’s health is related to their own and that making a few changes in the products they purchase can have a positive impact. This awareness is an opportunity for litter marketers to make the case for how their products can help cat owners keep pets healthy and happy.
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