Jun 26, 2026Market Insights

Italy’s Pet Market 2025: Cat Food, Specialized Retail, and E‑Commerce Power a €5.3 Billion Industry

Italy’s pet market reached €5.3B in 2025, driven by strong growth in cat food, specialized retail, and e‑commerce.

Italy’s Pet Market 2025 Cat Food, Specialized Retail, and E‑Commerce Power a €5.3 Billion Industry
Italy’s pet sector continued its steady expansion in 2025, reaching €5.3 billion ($6.1B) in total revenue, according to the latest Assalco Report presented at Interzoo 2026. The updated methodology—now covering grocery, specialized retail, e‑commerce, and Arcaplanet stores—offers the most comprehensive view of the Italian market to date.
The findings reflect a sector driven overwhelmingly by pet food, with nearly 8 out of 10 euros spent on nutrition, while specialized retail and online channels continue to gain traction.

1. Market Overview: Pet Food Dominates With 79% Share

Dog and cat food remained the backbone of the Italian pet industry, generating €4.2 billion ($4.9B) in 2025—up 2.7% YoY. Volume also increased to 811,000 tons, compared with 801,000 tons in 2024.
Assalco notes that volume growth accelerated as inflationary pressures eased, stabilizing price increases after several years of volatility.

2. Cat Food Leads the Market

Cats continue to dominate Italy’s pet food landscape.

Market Share Breakdown

  • Cat food: 56% of total pet food value
  • Wet cat food alone generated €1.5B ($1.7B), representing 34.7% of total market value
  • Dog food: 44% of the market
  • Dry dog food exceeded €1B ($1.2B) in sales

Treats

Treats for both dogs and cats grew:
  • +2.8% in value
  • +1.7% in volume
  • Total: €409M ($475M)

This reflects rising demand for functional, bonding‑oriented, and reward‑based products.

3. Retail Channels: Specialized Retail and E‑Commerce Gain Ground

Specialized Retail

Specialized retail—including independent shops, chains, and supermarket pet stores—generated:
  • €1.7B ($1.97B)
  • +3.6% YoY
  • 40.9% of total market value
Breakdown:
  • Independent shops: +2.9%
  • Chains & supermarket pet stores: +4.1%

Grocery Retail

Grocery channels remained stable at €2B ($2.3B) but grew more slowly as consumers shifted toward specialized and online options.

E‑Commerce

Online sales reached:
  • €483M ($560M)
  • 11.5% of total market value
  • +0.5 percentage points YoY
E‑commerce continues to expand as Italian consumers embrace convenience and subscription‑based purchasing.

4. Pet Care: Accessories, Hygiene, and Cat Litter

The pet care segment generated:
  • €1.1B ($1.3B)
  • 21% of the total market

Accessories & Hygiene

  • Revenue: €654.9M ($760M)
  • +1.9% YoY
  • Channel share:
  • Specialized retail: 62.4%
  • Grocery: 19.3%
  • Online: 18.3%

Cat Litter

  • Revenue: €328.2M ($381M)
  • +2% YoY
  • Channel share:
  • Grocery: 46.9%
  • Specialized retail: 40.4%
  • Online: 12.7%

Cat litter remains one of the strongest non‑food categories in Italy.

5. Consumer Behavior: Manufactured Food Dominates

Dog Owners

  • 90% use commercially manufactured dog food
  • 68.2% rely on it predominantly or exclusively
  • Veterinarians are the top reference point (44.7%)
  • Many also choose based on dog preference

Cat Owners

  • 95.7% use commercially manufactured cat food
  • 77.5% rely on it as the primary food source
  • Decision drivers:
  • Independent selection: 36.4%
  • Veterinarian guidance: 35.9%
Italian consumers show strong trust in manufactured nutrition, especially for cats.

6. Supplements and Treats: Functional Health on the Rise

Dogs

  • Nearly 50% use functional supplements
  • Over 40% use specialist diet products
  • 75%+ use treats for bonding, rewards, or oral hygiene

Cats

  • 51.1% use supplements
  • Nearly 40% use specialist diet products
  • 70% use treats for bonding and play
Functional nutrition is becoming a core part of Italian pet care routines.

7. Other Animals: Declines in Food, Modest Growth in Accessories

Food for Other Animals

  • Revenue: €63M ($73M)
  • –1.8% YoY
  • Channel share:
  • Specialized retail: 64.4%
  • Grocery: 25.5%
  • Online: 10.1%
Category breakdown:
  • Rodent food: 41.6%
  • Bird food: 35%
  • Fish & turtle food: 17% All categories declined in value.

Accessories for Other Animals

  • Revenue: €41.7M ($48M)
  • +1% YoY
  • Channel share:
  • Specialized retail: 76.2%
  • Grocery: 5.6%
  • Online: 18.2%
Largest categories:
  • Hygiene products: 26.2%
  • Accessories: 23.5%

What This Means for the Pet Industry

  • Italy is a food‑driven market, with 79% of revenue coming from nutrition
  • Cat food—especially wet—continues to outperform dog food
  • Specialized retail is gaining share due to expertise and assortment depth
  • E‑commerce is steadily rising and will surpass 12% soon
  • Functional supplements and specialist diets are becoming mainstream
  • Non‑food categories remain stable but show selective growth
The Italian market is shifting toward premiumization, specialization, and omnichannel purchasing.

Source: GlobalPETS