Firms cash in on demand for pet food products

An increase in the ownership of cats and dogs in the region has made the industry venture into cat and dog food products.

Some of the new products available in the market to help you please your pet are Procter and Gamble's 'Eukanauba', 'Hills' from the Colgate "� Palmolive brand, and Nestle's 'Purina Dog Chow'.

With no survey of the pet food market done in India, an industry analyst pointed out that the market is set to grow by 10 per cent to reach Rs 1,000 by 2010.

"This growth is being spurred by increased spending per capita on pet food and pet care products by the Indian masses," said Dr T G Chandramohan, CEO, Indo Biocare Pvt Ltd.

Stressful lifestyles and absence of pet owners for extended periods during the day is encouraging the purchase of treats and premium pet foods, according to an industry analyst. It has been found that food is the biggest expense, followed by treats and then grooming.

He added that this move has helped to boost the value of the cat and food market, despite no significant rise in volume sales.

The so-called premium pet food products are denser in calories and vitamins and might be easier to digest.

"The animal will eat less food and have less stool which will be easier for an apartment dweller to take care of," said Chandramohan.

The cost also varies to a large extent. A three kg Pedigree brand would cost Rs 225, whereas 2.26 kg Hills is slated at Rs 596. A 7.5 kg Procter and Gamble brand 'Eukanauba' is priced at Rs 1,999.

"People are feeding their pets like they feed their children with the realisation of nutrition food dawning on to them," said Rajat Handa, managing director of Animal Kingdom in Chandigarh.

"International companies were running campaigns to persuade pet-loving consumers to pay from a third more to twice as much for a can or bag of food," added Handa.

Recently, the city witnessed the promotion activity of Hills, a Colgate-Palmolive company product.

The Prescription Diets, a unique offering from the Hills Stable, would be offered exclusively through veterinarians according to company officials. The region is also witnessing a demand for single-serve pet food packaging formats that retain the freshness of the product.