Trend and innovation retrospective

Obesity continued to be a major theme in pet care during 2012, with the issue receiving significant media coverage worldwide. As well as reflecting the over-indulgence of pampered pets, this is also due to a lack of exercise as some owners become increasingly time-poor. Perhaps the well-worn cliché that owners look like their pets is true after all – according to the Centers for Disease Control, 68 per cent of adult Americans were either overweight or obese in 2010, while according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 54 per cent of dogs and cats in the USA were either overweight or obese during the same year. Weight management Portion control is a popular strategy for dealing with this problem that is being targeted by the makers of both pet food and pet products. Foremost among these is the Texas-based company Petmate, which makes “Le Bistro”, a programmable feeder that can dispense portion-controlled meals to a dog or cat. It features a large LCD screen and a built-in meal counter. Two different models can hold either 2.2 kg or 4.5 kg of food, and prices begin at $ 60. For owners regularly overfeeding their pets, the cost of this device will soon be recouped by reduced spending on pet food. Apart from weight management, dispensers such as this are also useful for feeding a pet while an owner is away, making pet ownership more convenient. 2012 saw the continued emergence of small players in the dog and cat food market, particularly in the premium segment. In the American market, manufacturers with a market share of significantly less than 0.1 per cent saw their cumulative market share rise to 12.5 per cent during 2011, according to Euromonitor International data. This was largely at the expense of Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and Mars. The New-Jersey-based company Freshpet, which makes fresh, refrigerated dog and cat food brands like “Deli Fresh”, has been at the forefront of this charge. The brand received a significant boost in May 2012, when pet superstore chain Petco announced that it was to become the first national retailer to carry Freshpet’s line of fresh pet food nationally. According to CEO Richard Thompson, the 100-employee company will have $ 50 mio in revenue this year, up from $ 30 mio in 2011. Aquariums for grown-ups During 2012, the Kansas-based desktop aquarium builder Koller Craft launched a new line of home-décor-inspired aquariums called “Life & Style” that the company says are “designed to enhance and…