Cat owners in Russia spend seven times more on wet pet food than dog owners

According to Chestny Znak marking system data for the period from September 2025 to February 2026, cat food consumption in Russia significantly exceeds dog food segment figures. Over six months, 189 million kg of wet cat food was sold for 67 billion rubles, which is almost 7.6 times more than dog food volumes (25 million kg for 8.9 billion rubles). The dry food category also recorded cat superiority: cat owners purchased 133 million kg of products for 64.7 billion rubles, which is 47% more than the dog food purchase volume of 90.3 million kg for 36.3 billion rubles.

Current demand dynamics are supported by active local production development. As previously reported, pet food production in Russia increased by 57% over the last four years, allowing the market to adapt to growing needs. At the same time, cat owner financial expenditures are traditionally higher: according to analysts, this owner category spends three times more on pet food than dog owners.

Price statistics per kilogram confirm this trend. The average dry cat food cost was 497 rubles, which is 20% more expensive than similar dog products at 413 rubles. In the wet pet food segment, the difference is less pronounced at 1%: 360 rubles per kilogram for cat food versus 356 rubles for dog food.

The assortment of popular complementary products and treats also has specific differences. Meat and seafood pillows, meat sticks, and specialized dental care products lead the cat segment. Among popular new items, products to facilitate medicine intake stand out. Dog owners more often choose veal and beef meat products, including gourmet slices, as well as specific items such as meat hematogen and offal.

In the regional distribution of dry dog food demand, Moscow, Kaluga, and Nizhny Novgorod regions lead. In the wet dog food category, the highest activity was recorded in the Moscow, Murmansk, and Leningrad regions. Dry cat food consumption is most pronounced in the Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as Moscow. Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, and Ivanovo regions became leaders in wet cat food purchases.

Source: Chestny Znak