Pet Industry News
The deals, launches, and strategic moves behind the brands and operators shaping the industry.
Pets will shape travel plans for 68% of owners, Subaru survey finds
A Subaru-commissioned Talker Research survey of 2,000 pet-owning drivers, released October 13th, 2026, says 68% expect their pet to affect travel plans this year and 73% would drive instead of fly to bring the pet. New in this release, 10% may host, 10% may shorten a trip and 8% may skip gatherings. In our view, the trip-length and planning numbers are the ones sitters and kennels can use.
Oxyfresh's New Dental Powder Enters a Category Everyone's Suddenly Chasing
Oxyfresh launched a Triple Biotic dental powder for cats and dogs, joining Prodogi's dissolvable strip and Wuffes' competing powder in a pet dental category now growing 7.31% a year. The real test is repurchase data, not launch claims.
ZuttoNyan Brings an Unverified 'No. 1 in Japan' Claim to the US
ZuttoNyan launched tofu and cassava cat litter in the US via TikTok Shop and Amazon, branding itself Japan's No. 1 mixed litter maker. Its own prior release shows it entered Japan just 13 months earlier, with no data behind the claim.
Pet Owners Now Weigh Retirement Against Vet Bills, Survey Finds
A new Spot Pet Insurance survey of 3,600 U.S. pet owners finds 42% would delay retirement over vet care and 75% would reject a pet-restrictive home. The data hands financial-services and real estate operators a number to build around.
Gen Z and Cat Dads Are Reshaping the Market—New APPA Data Shows Where Cat Spending Is Accelerating
New APPA research reveals that Gen Z (22% of cat owners, +10% YoY) and cat dads (43% of owners, Gen Z males +27% YoY) are reshaping category spending. Multi-cat ownership and specialty product purchases among male owners have tripled since 2018, signaling a shift toward customized, premium cat care.
Instinct Science's New AI Bets Proprietary Content Beats ChatGPT
Instinct Science launched Attending, a clinical AI assistant that answers veterinarians' questions using only its own peer-reviewed content, including Plumb's Veterinary Drugs and Clinician's Brief. The tool is in an invitation-only preview ahead of a public showcase at IVECCS this month. It's a bet that proprietary clinical content is worth more as an AI moat than as a subscription business alone.
Mars' Venture Fund Bets $6M on Sparkle's Grooming Roll-Up
Sparkle Grooming Co. raised $6 million in strategic financing led by Companion Fund, the Mars Petcare-affiliated venture arm run by Digitalis Ventures. The round adds a corporate strategic investor to a franchise system that still hasn't published an open-unit count or same-store sales figure.