In 2014, 68% of American households had at least one pet. The amount of money spent by consumers on pet care has also increased dramatically, from $17 Billion in 1994 to $58 Billion in 2014. This spending includes pet food. US consumers spent $194 on average per year for pet foods in 2013. The pet food market has grown to include more retail outlets, marketing strategies and varieties. The growing humanization of animals and the anthropomorphizing of them has led to strong marketing messages and ingredient claims. There is also confusing information and conflicting opinions on the Internet regarding the best pet food. This has made it more difficult for pet parents to make objective decisions about pet food purchases. In a survey of over 900 dog lovers, nearly half said that selecting the best food for their pet was the hardest part of owning a dog. This same survey found that 52% of dog owners felt their dog’s nutrition was more complicated than their own. Nearly 25% of respondents were overwhelmed by the options available.
In several studies, it was found that the food’s characteristics, the food recommendations, and the pet-owner relationship were the most important factors in determining food purchases. Several studies have identified food characteristics like price, quality, and ingredients as being important factors for pet owners. In multiple studies, ingredients were identified as the primary factor that pet owners consider when choosing pet food. The consumers seem to prefer cheaper pet foods, while still valuing natural ingredients and organic products. Many pet owners also feed other food, including home-prepared meals, leftovers from the table, or raw meat. It may also be due to a growing belief that pet food is not wholesome and nutritious. Other sources of food are more nutritious and natural. Research consistently shows that consumers are most likely to get information about pet nutrition from veterinarians. In recent years, however, social media and the Internet have been used more frequently to spread misinformation about pet nutrition.
A growing trend of anthropomorphism by pet owners may also have an impact on pet food selection and purchase. The growing trend towards anthropomorphizing pets may have a significant impact on the selection of pet foods and their purchase. The research shows that owners who score high on anthropomorphism place the greatest importance on the health and nutrition of their pet’s food. They also value the quality, taste, freshness and nutritional content. Trends in nutrition and food for humans often find their way into the pet industry as pets become more humanized. Some studies examined if there are similarities between the consumer behaviors of pet owners and themselves. A study showed that owners of dogs who were more committed to buying healthy food themselves, are also more likely than others to purchase healthy food for their pet. Owners who have a strong sense of loyalty to the brands and foods they eat are more likely to do so for their pet’s food.
Materials and Methods
The survey questions were created based on previous consumer behavior research surveys and established scales. The survey questions were based upon previous consumer research and scales. The majority of responses were given on a Likert 7-point scale (1 = strongly disagreed, 2= disagreed, 3= somewhat disagreed, 4= neither agree nor disagreed, 5= somewhat agree, 6= agree, 7= strongly agree or 8 = Not applicable). The current version of the Companion Animal Bonding Scale (CABS) was used to assess pet attachment. The CABS scores were divided into three groups. CABS scores >=30 indicate a high bonding level. A CABS between 20-30 indicated an intermediate level of bonds, and CABS 20 indicated a low bonding level. Health Prioritization Gap was calculated by subtracting the scores for the importance for healthy food of pet ratings and the scores for the importance for healthy food of self-ratings.
Survey software was used to administer the survey. It was accessible from July 2015 until February 2016. The software was programmed to randomly select one pet from the list of pets owned by the respondent (if there were more than one). Only then would the survey ask the relevant questions. It was intended that the survey would take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. The “snowball survey” recruitment method was used to recruit cat and dog owners for the study. This survey was distributed by email, university newsletters, veterinarian hospital elists, pet owners’ e-lists, social media, etc. The distribution of the link to an electronic survey was not limited. Anyone who clicked on the link could provide their electronic consent, and answer the survey questions if over 18 years old and had a cat or dog at the time the survey was distributed. Tufts University Social Behavioral, Educational Research Institutional Review Board approved the study.
Stata 13 (Stata Corp., College Station Texas, USA) was used to analyze the data. The data are for those respondents who answered at least 80% questions. The descriptive data was reported in actual numbers and percentages of respondents. Spearman’s correlation coefficient (for ordinal measurements) was used to assess associations between variables. Mean scores were then compared by using and tests. P values =0.05 are considered significant.
The results of the study are:
A total of 218 respondents completed at least 80%. The survey online was accessed 2484 time. Five percent (1209/2181) answered questions regarding their dog, and forty-five per cent (972/2181) answered questions concerning their cat. The demographics of cat owners and dog-owners were not significantly different (data are not shown), so they were combined to get the results. The majority of respondents (1838/1974), and their age ranged between 18-82 years [mean 46, SD 14.6]. The majority of respondents (564/1975 or 28.6%), were in the animal care industry. This included self-identified vets, technicians, trainers and pet store staff. The majority of respondents (1981/2181) were responsible for making pet food purchase decisions.
Information on pet nutrition or diet
Most respondents (853/1958, 43.6%) rely on the veterinary team for information about pet nutrition and diet (853/1958, 44.6%), while Internet resources are the main source of information for 24.6% (481/1958, 48.6%).
For 15.6% of respondents (305/1958), other sources were their primary information source. These included owner-initiated research, animal nutritionists and a mixture of sources. On a Likert-scale of 5, veterinarians, veterinary staff and owner initiated research were the most important sources of information.
Factors affecting food purchase
On a Likert-scale of 7 points, respondents were asked whether they agreed with certain statements regarding pet food. Statements with strong agreement included the need to provide the best possible nutrition for pets, buy a food that’s beneficial for them, maintain a consistent level of quality and feed a diet best suited for their medical conditions.
Scores ranged from “strongly agree” to “agree”. Statements with lowest scores of agreement were: planning pet meals ahead and switching pet food when the animal gets bored.
Food characteristics are important
The respondents were asked to rank the importance of various pet food attributes on a Likert-scale of 5 points. Study respondents ranked health and nutrition (4.61+-0.01) as most important, followed by quality (4.56+-0.01) and ingredients (4.39+-0.02). Freshness (4.13+-0.02) was rated second.
Pet food labels
The purpose of the survey was to determine whether respondents are aware of and use calorie labels on pet foods. The majority of respondents (74.9%) said they were aware that pet food labels contain calorie information. However, only 1013/1935 (52.4%) of respondents stated that they actually use the pet food labels. In order to better understand how pet food labels are used, we asked respondents to indicate their level of agreement with two statements. The statement “Information provided on pet food label is misleading,” was agreed upon by 63.02% of 1256/1993. “Information about pet food labels can be easily understood,” was a statement that 41.1% (817/1988), agreed with and 47.2% (937/1985), did not.
Prioritizing health care is a problem
The respondents were asked how much importance they placed on buying healthy foods for themselves, and for their pets. Owner-pet “Health Prioritization Gap” (i.e. the difference between separate scores) revealed that 1023/1926 respondents (53.1%) had given equal importance to themselves and their pets (Health Prioritization Gap=0, Equal Priority Group). Only 63/1926 (3.3%) of the 1926 responders had scored a greater importance on purchasing healthy food to feed their pets (Higher priority Pet group), while 840 (43.6%) had scores that indicated a more important purchase for the pet. In the Higher Priority Pet Group, the mean age was statistically significant younger than the Equal Priority group (44 years as opposed to47 years; P=0.0063). This group also was more likely to actively search for information on pet food (as shown by higher scores to the question: “I actively look up information about food for my pet”; P0.001) than the Equal Priority.
Price and Brand Loyalty: A Key Role
On a Likert-scale of 5 points, we asked respondents to rate the importance of price changes for their own food and for their pet’s food. The respondents rated price changes for their food (3.36+-0.02) as being more important than price changes for their pet’s food (2.90+-0.03; P0.001). The loyalty score of pet food brands (3.48 +0.02) was significantly higher than that of owner food brands (3.22 +0.02) ( P0.001).
Discussing the topic of discussion
It is possible that the focus on good ingredients and nutrition reflects how human trends and nutritional health have started to spread into the world of pet care. In the same way that consumers are more concerned with what’s in their own food, they now pay more attention to ingredients and how their pet food is produced. The fact that 53 percent of respondents rated the purchase of healthy pet food as equally important to for themselves is evidence of this. It was shocking to find that 43.6% said that purchasing healthy food for their pets was even more critical than it was for them. We call this phenomenon the Health Prioritization gap. It may be due to the increasing bond that exists between pet owners and their animals. Over 80% of those surveyed said they were very attached to their pets. Pet owners can get caught up with food trends, instead of feeding their pets high-quality, balanced diets. Food trends may be fuelled by ingredient claims or strong marketing messages for pet food. These may not necessarily be supported by research. This is because the Higher Priority Pet Group had a younger mean age and was also more inclined to seek information about pet foods than the Equal Priority Pet Group. It suggests that young pet owners could benefit from extra assistance to understand science and sort through all the available information to make informed decisions. The relatively low age difference between the two groups suggests that providing extra assistance to pet owners on pet nutrition may prove valuable.
The respondents’ relative wealth may have contributed to the low importance of price in their food purchases. The question could also have been misinterpreted by respondents, which may have affected their answers. The respondents gave higher priority to changes in their food prices than those of the pet’s food. This could indicate that other factors such as health, nutrition, and good ingredients are more important.
Not only was the veterinary team the primary source most often reported, it was also rated the most significant source. It is similar to previous research, and it identifies a way to provide owners with accurate information on pet nutrition. It is important to perform a nutrition assessment for every pet during every visit. It is also important for veterinarians to receive the proper training on nutrition, and make consistent recommendations.
In the survey, other sources such as owner research or the Internet were identified as primary sources of information. Some owners, however, appear to use unreliable information to make their decisions about pet food purchases. They may not understand how to read the label of a food product, select a food that is best for their pets, or evaluate nutritional research results. Owners may end up feeding their pets a diet that’s not safe or suitable for the pet’s age or condition. The results of the study revealed that, while many respondents trusted their veterinarians advice, they also rated their knowledge on pet nutrition as high and that some respondents did not believe their veterinarians advice. In a previous study, there were significant differences in the statements made by owners who feed commercial food and those feeding noncommercial food regarding their mistrust for pet foods, manufacturers of pet foods, or veterinarians.
This survey found that although most pet owners know about the calorie labels on pet foods, many may be unaware of where to look and how to use them. This survey confirms the impression of a clinical expert that pet food label information is confusing and difficult to understand. The Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) requirement that all ingredients be listed on pet food labels supports this finding. Further, some consumers are misinformed as to the meanings of terms like “byproducts” or label information (like whether or not the food has been tested for completeness and balance or if the product is a balanced diet). The confusion surrounding pet food labels mirrors the lack of knowledge and confusion about food labels for consumers. When counseling on nutrition, the veterinary team must take into consideration this fact. The entire team should be well-versed in the science of pet nutrition. They must also take time to teach owners how to read and understand pet food labels.
Prior research on consumer behavior in relation to pet foods has largely focused on dog owners. This study enrolled both dog and cat owners, which allowed for a comparison between the food purchasing behavior of dog and cat owner. In general, there were no differences between the responses from cat and dog owners. However, a greater proportion of cat owners reported that their pets are fed canned food. This finding suggests that the same strategies could be used to counsel cat owners or dog owners on how best to feed their pets.
This study has limitations, including the fact that the sample is largely female and well-educated. It may also not reflect the entire pet owner population. The sample also included approximately 26 percent of employees in the animal and veterinary fields, which could be a biased group. The animal professionals were on average younger, better educated and less inclined to enjoy cooking their own meals. They also showed significant differences when it came to where they bought food from and the sources of information they used. The animal professionals’ preferences were not significantly different from other respondents in terms of the food attributes they chose (natural, organic, GMO free, low carb, etc.). They also did not score differently on the scale for companion animal bonding.
The veterinary clinic sent out links to the survey via email or social media, and also recruited respondents through friends. The sample is not generalizable for the entire population of pet-owners, especially because the online communities that were used to distribute the sample could attract people who are more attached to their pets than the average pet-owner. As a survey, the results are based on respondents’ self-reported behavior. This may mean that they do not reflect what the respondent would really act like in certain food purchasing situations. The use of predetermined scales for survey questions can also lead to varying interpretations and limited responses. It would be helpful to examine whether the self-reported preferences are an accurate reflection of consumer behavior.
To conclude, understanding consumer behaviour in relation to the purchase of pet food is essential for ensuring pets get proper nutrition. The increasing marketing claims, misinformation and trends in human nutrition that are spilling over into pet food markets complicates the task of educating the public on the best way to feed pets. The strong relationship that owners share with their animals, their desire to provide the best possible nutrition for their pets and the fact they consult the veterinarians for nutrition information present an opportunity. To provide their clients with sound nutrition advice, the members of the healthcare team must understand why pet owners buy pet food and why pets are fed certain diets. These data should be used for specific, evidence-based advice that maximizes the health of patients.