From mood-enhancing grooming products to litter made from recycled paper, pets are now at the heart of a multi-billion-dollar market. As pet owners increasingly view their pets as family members—both influenced by the pandemic-driven surge in pet ownership and shifts in traditional lifestyles—this thriving industry shows no signs of slowing down. And with the continued rise of humanization, pet owners are actively seeking premium, health-focused, and sustainable options that prioritize their pets’ well-being.
Let’s dive into the impactful trends transforming the pet care industry.
The Rise of Humanization
As the bond between owners and their pets strengthens, consumers are increasingly seeking premium products that reflect their own preferences. Pet offerings inspired by human trends – such as treats resembling human snacks, shampoos with personal care favorites, and solutions targeting specific needs (e.g., skin conditions, allergies) – make pet care feel more personal and allow consumers to share their favorite experiences with their furry friends.
Additionally, as more consumers embrace a shift away from traditional lifestyles, with some moving toward adult only households, they have more disposable income to spend on premium pet products, like calming, scented sprays and diffusers. In fact, 35% of consumers treat their pets to food toppers, such as sauces and mix-ins, often featuring flavors inspired by human cuisine, while 20% of pet owners indulge their pets with premium desserts (Mintel, 2024).
Get Insights from Pet Parents with Bell’s Expertise. To stay ahead in the evolving pet care marketplace, understanding the preferences of pet parents is critical. As a leader in Sensory and Consumer Sciences across multiple sectors, Bell is uniquely positioned to provide the insights you need. With the recent opening of our Consumer Science Sensory Center, located at our global headquarter in Northbrook, IL, we’ve expanded our capabilities to offer deeper, more nuanced insights into consumer behaviors via Dedicated Descriptive Panels, Focus Groups and Central Location Tests.
Our collaborative, data-driven approach ensures your products align with consumer desires at every step. We help you understand what pet parents truly want, enabling you to create and refine products that resonate with this audience and stay ahead of emerging trends.
Boosting Pet Wellness
The holistic wellness trend in pet care extends beyond physical health, emphasizing the importance of both mental well-being and long-term vitality for pets. Pet ownership surged during the pandemic and many pets became accustomed to having their owners’ home around the clock. With the return to regular routines, pets have been facing increased stress and anxiety due to more time spent alone.
In response, there’s been a growing focus on supporting not only the physical health of pets, but their mental and emotional wellness. Holistic pet care is now a priority, as 51% of pet owners who consider their pet as much a part of their family as a human member noting that there isn’t enough emphasis on their pets’ well-being (Stylus, 2024). To support health-conscious owners, brands are turning to functional ingredients, including botanicals, to help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and support overall wellness in pets.
Discover the Power of Botanicals for Pet Wellness with Bell. Bell offers a wide selection of botanicals, each with benefits that may support your pet’s overall health and well-being. As the demand for holistic wellness solutions in pet care continues to grow, botanicals have the potential to elevate innovative products that may promote healthier, happier lives for pets and give your brand a competitive edge.
Our exclusive collection of Belltanicals® includes:
Botanical Extracts:
Sourced from nature's most trusted plants, these concentrated extracts offer a range of perceived wellness benefits—whether promoting relaxation, boosting immunity, or supporting digestive health.
Aromatic Infusions:
These carefully crafted natural infusions harness the power of botanicals to create a fragrant environment for your pet, helping support feelings of calm and relaxation. They can be incorporated into sprays, diffusers, grooming products and more.
All-Natural Blends:
Perfectly formulated for a variety of pet care applications, our all-natural blends combine complex and fragrant compounds made exclusively from natural aromatics to enhance the perception of both physical and emotional wellness.
Explore our Belltancials® resource to learn how botanicals can help your brand meet the rising demand for natural, holistic solutions.
A Shift Toward Conscious Consumption
Consumers increasingly seek products that combine quality with sustainability. It’s no longer enough for pet products to simply deliver on performance promises. Given a shift toward conscious consumption, consumers are more discerning about the ingredients, formulas, and packaging of pet care products, seeking options that are safe, effective, and eco-friendly.
For pet care brands, this presents a unique opportunity to stand out by offering innovative solutions that not only meet consumer expectations, but also align with their desire for products that promote a more sustainable world. What’s more? Sixty-one percent of consumers prefer pet brands that work to limit environmental impact (Mintel, 2024).
Discover Bell Technologies Offering Performance and Sustainability Synergies
Meet the technologies that not only help meet the evolving expectations of today’s conscious consumers, but also position your brand at the forefront of creating sustainable, high-performance pet care solutions that promote a healthier planet for pets and their families.
Advanced Malodor Control with BellTech™ Malodor Neutralization
Bell’s malodor neutralization technology represents the cutting-edge of malodor control and is designed to tackle odors through a blend of reactive, binding, and perception modulation mechanisms. This system reduces or eliminates the perception of unwanted odors without disrupting the perfumed or unperfumed product, enhancing the overall experience. This lock-and-key technology is uniquely customized, ensuring long-lasting, targeted odor control.
Freshness Powered by Formula Structure Technology
FreshTek, powered by Bell’s advanced Formula Structure Technology (FST), delivers an exceptional clean feeling that resonates with pet parents who demand both lasting freshness and proven effectiveness, especially for pet fur. FST ensures long-lasting, consistent freshness in applications that contain conventional or natural fragrances. This innovative technology aligns with the growing demand for cleaner, safer pet care solutions that don’t compromise on efficacy.
Less is More: The MicroCreation Philosophy
Bell’s MicroCreation philosophy is rooted in the belief that less is more. By focusing on concentrated formulas where every ingredient is carefully chosen for maximum impact, Bell ensures that the product delivers exceptional performance with fewer materials. With a growing emphasis on conscious consumption, Bell’s MicroCreation philosophy perfectly aligns with consumers’ desire for products that are both highly effective and environmentally responsible.
Long-Lasting Functionality & Performance Protection with BELLCAPS™
BELLCAPS™ technology is at the forefront of fragrance performance, utilizing advanced spray dry and encapsulation technologies to enhance freshness immediately and over time. In pet care products like cat litter, where immediate and long-lasting odor control is critical, BELLCAPS™ ensures that fragrances maintain effective performance for periods of time, reducing the need for frequent product replacements. Through its innovative approach, BELLCAPS™ provides a practical solution for pet owners who want fresh-smelling, long-lasting products without compromising on sustainability.
Get In Touch
Is your brand ready to tap into the explosive growth of the pet care market? Whether you’re looking to develop cutting-edge wellness solutions, capitalize on sustainability trends, or create premium pet care products, we’re here to guide you at every stage of the process.
At Bell, we unite diverse talent from both our Flavor and Fragrance divisions under one roof to provide shared know-how, consumer/market insights, technologies, and much more. Simply put, we believe in the power of collective and collaborative expertise.
Let’s talk about how we can elevate your brand and align your offerings with the evolving needs of pet parents. Reach out today to discover how Bell’s insights and solutions can drive your success in the pet care industry.
Email us:
Flavors: Flavors@bellff.com
Botanicals: Botanicals@bellff.com
