We have attributed human characteristics to animals longer than we care to remember. We dress them up like people. We talk to them, take them out for walks, and now, feed them gourmet food. Simply put, anthropomorphism is humanizing objects, animate or not, giving them human characteristics and attributes.
From Pet Ownership to Pet Parenting
Because humanizing pets have set it, pet ownership has shifted to pet parenting. Many pet owners give almost the same care to their pets as much as they do to their babies. Everything is specially prepared and personalized for the pet, as if there’s a new member in the family, which they literally are. “Consumers are now becoming aware that pet food and home-made food consist of separate nutritional elements, and that pets need to be fed a diverse range of food, as part of an adequate diet.”¹ Having this consumer mindset has led to an “increase in health consciousness and has generated demand for pet food free of sugars, grains, dyes, and other chemical additives.”²
Top Players in the Organic Pet Food Market
A report from Market Growth Insight, Organic Pet Food Market Insights – Global Trends, Opportunities, Analysis and Forecast by 2025, named the following top key vendors in the Organic Pet Food Market. They are Mars, Nestle Purina, Big Heart, Colgate, Diamond pet foods, Blue Buffalo, Heristo, Unicharm, Mogiana Alimentos, Affinity Petcare, Nisshin Pet Food, Total Alimentos, Ramical, Butcher’s, MoonShine, Big Time, Yantai China Pet Foods, Gambol, Paide Pet Food, and Wagg.³
Because of pet anthropomorphism, the players in the industry are now focusing on providing the best organic pet foods in the market. The same market intelligence report found out “why sales are projected to surge in the coming years.” It also “covers trends that will strongly favor the industry during the forecast period, 2019 to 2025.”
Reshaping Pet Food
The shift from commercial to organic pet food happened almost 10 years ago, reflecting the humanization of pets as plainly stated by Bob Vetere, president of American Pet Products Association: “If there’s a trend in human food and supplements, you’ll see it on the pet food aisle. Gluten-free, vitamin supplemented, breed-specific, senior formulas—all of these have taken over the pet marketplace, and we’re seeing the competition increasing.”⁴
There’s also a rise on gourmet pet food, where humanized food is packed “with nutrition for pet’s healthy lifestyle.”⁵ Many pet owners have switched away from highly processed, commercial pet food to gourmet pet food as it benefits their pets’ health directly. This is reflected on the increased presence of premium and ultra-premium gourmet pet food products on the shelves of pet stores all over. They are slowly taking over the commercial pet food products, or they already have their own dedicated shelves in the store.
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[1] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/global-pet-food-market-industry
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/15460/organic-pet-food-market
[4] https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/2434-petfood-follows-organic-food-trends-of-pet-owners
[5] https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/gourmet-pet-food-market.html
