Italian pet market 2025 (I): cat food and specialized retail drive a €5.3 billion industry

The Italian pet food and care market hit €5.3 billion ($6.1B) in revenue in 2025, according to new data from Italian pet industry association Assalco.

The findings were published in the 2026 edition of the Assalco Report, presented during Interzoo in Nuremberg, and cover the 52 weeks to 28 December 2025. This year’s edition introduced updated methodologies and expanded omnichannel coverage.

Unlike previous editions, which covered only pet food in grocery and specialized retail channels, and pet care products in grocery retail, the latest report also includes e-commerce and Arcaplanet stores. 

The updated methodology now covers more than 4,500 independent pet shops, along with expanded monitoring of specialized chains and online sales channels.

Market overview 

Dog and cat food remained the dominant category in the Italian pet sector, accounting for 79% of the total market value.

The segment generated €4.2 billion ($4.9B) in sales across all channels in 2025, up 2.7% year-over-year (YoY), with volumes reaching 811,000 tons. Sales totaled €4 billion ($4.6B) in 2024, with volumes of 801,000 tons.

According to Assalco, volume growth accelerated in 2025 as price increases began to slow following several years of inflation-driven increases. 

Cat dominates 

Cat food dominated the pet food segment with a 56% market share, led by wet cat food, which accounted for 34.7% of total value and generated €1.5 billion ($1.7B) in sales. Meanwhile, dog food accounted for 44% of the market, led by dry dog food, which generated over €1 billion ($1.2B) in sales.

Treats for both dogs and cats showed a positive trend, according to Assalco, growing 2.8% YoY in value and 1.7% in volume, to €409M ($475M). 

Retail channels 

Specialized retail, which includes independent pet shops, chains and supermarket pet stores, generated €1.7 billion ($1.97B) in revenue, up 3.6% compared to 2024, accounting for 40.9% of total sales.

Independent pet shops grew 2.9%, while chains and supermarket pet stores led the segment with 4.1% growth.

Meanwhile, grocery channels, including supermarkets and hypermarkets, experienced slower growth as spending increasingly shifted toward specialized retail and online platforms. The grocery channel remained worth approximately €2 billion ($2.3B) in 2025.

More than 1 out of 10 sales (11.5%) last year were made via e-commerce channels, with turnover reaching €483 million ($560M). This was an increase of 0.5 percentage points (p.p.) YoY.

Pet care

The pet care sector generated around €1.1 billion ($1.3B) in turnover in 2025, representing 21% of the overall market.

Accessories and hygiene products generated €654.9 million ($760M) in 2025, up 1.9% YoY. Specialized retail accounted for 62.4% of sales, while grocery accounted for 19.3% and online channels accounted for 18.3%.

Meanwhile, cat litter products grew 2% to €328.2 million ($381M). Grocery channels led sales with 46.9%, followed by specialized retail at 40.4% and online at 12.7%.

Consumer behavior

Commercially manufactured pet food dominated both dog- and cat-owning households in Italy.

9 in 10 households used commercially manufactured dog food, with 68.2% relying on it predominantly or exclusively. Veterinarians were the main point of reference for dog owners (44.7%), while many also chose products based on their dogs’ preferences.

Among cat owners, 95.7% used commercially manufactured cat food, with 77.5% considering it their pets’ primary food source. The largest share of these consumers (36.4%) chose products independently, compared with 35.9% who relied on veterinarians, the report states. 

Supplements and treats

Nearly half of Italian dog owners used functional supplements such as tablets, powders or pastes to support pet health, while more than 40% used specialist diet products formulated for specific health conditions.

Among cat owners, 51.1% used supplements and nearly 40% used specialist diet products.

Treats were also widely used. 

More than three-quarters of dog owners used treats for rewards, bonding or oral hygiene purposes, while 70% of cat owners used treats as part of bonding and play activities.

Other animals

In the other animals segment, which includes fish, birds, reptiles and small mammals, food product turnover reached €63 million ($73M), down 1.8% YoY.

The majority of sales came from specialized retail at 64.4%, followed by grocery at 25.5% and online channels at 10.1%.

Rodent food led the segment with a 41.6% share, followed by bird food at 35% and fish and turtle food at 17%. All three categories recorded declines in value compared to 2024.

Accessories for other animals, including cages, aviaries, aquariums and turtle tanks, generated €41.7 million ($48M), up 1% YoY. Specialized retail accounted for 76.2% of sales in this category, while grocery accounted for 5.6% and online for 18.2%.

The largest categories were hygiene products and accessories, representing 26.2% and 23.5% of revenue, respectively.