China Pet Snacks 2026: Domestic Brands and Festival-Scene Demand Drive a CN¥ 8 Billion Category
By Quan Wenjun
5 min read
Executive Summary#
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China's pet snack market reached CN¥ 8.19 billion in online consumer sales in MAT 2025 (December 2024 to November 2025), up 8.1% year on year in value and 5.6% in volume. The category is maturing, with domestic brands setting much of its direction and emotional, festival-scene demand opening a premium tier. Cat snacks account for most of the segment at CN¥ 6.02 billion (+7.1%), while dog snacks, at CN¥ 2.17 billion (+10.9%), are growing faster. Beneath the headline, the category is dividing along two lines. On a value axis, refined processing technology and superfood ingredients support rising prices, while on an emotional axis, pet "New Year's Eve dinner" formats and human-grade snacks turn a treat into a shared occasion. Domestic brands make up much of the group of brands consumers buy most, and several of them build trust by pairing founder-led pet IP with transparent, own-factory sourcing.
A CN¥ 8 Billion Category Maturing on Two Axes#
In MAT 2025 the snack segment was a substantial and steadily expanding part of China's pet food market. Its value reached CN¥ 8.19 billion, up 8.1% year on year, on volume growth of 5.6%, and since value grew faster than volume, we believe buyers are trading up to higher-priced, higher-quality formats. Within the segment, cat snacks provide the scale at CN¥ 6.02 billion (+7.1%), reflecting the large and engaged base of cat owners, while dog snacks at CN¥ 2.17 billion (+10.9%) supply the faster growth. The single largest sub-category is cat snack cans, at more than CN¥ 2.3 billion with moderate growth, which makes it a mature and stable core. Growth, however, is concentrated in newer formats, as freeze-dried and novelty-shaped categories grew fastest in the segment, which we believe shows that buyers are rewarding both ingredient quality and playful product design.
Many of the Most-Bought Brands Are Domestic#
A notable feature of the brand landscape is how many of the brands consumers buy most are domestic. Established domestic names and newer challengers are both active in the category.
The Jingu Playbook: Pet IP Plus Factory Transparency#
Jingu's model is a clear case study in what is working in the category. It pairs founder-led pet IP, a recognisable, personality-driven brand persona that builds an emotional connection with owners, with own-factory transparency, openly disclosing how and where its snacks are made. In a category where buyers are increasingly discerning about ingredients, we believe that combination of warmth and disclosure builds trust quickly. The IP gives owners a story to follow, and the open factory gives them evidence that the story is true. Brand history is therefore no longer the only route to credibility in pet snacks, and other domestic brands such as Weidangjia and Honest Bite are taking a similar trust-led approach.
Selling Points: Dogs Ride the Basics, Cats Refine the Experience#
The two species are at different stages of maturity, and the ingredient data shows the difference clearly. Across the cohort, refined processing technology is the fastest-growing selling point at +100.2%, followed by fruit, vegetable and superfood formulations (+46.7%) and premium animal protein (+13.2%).
In dog snacks, growth still comes from the basics, as core formula and functional claims grow fastest and every dimension expands broadly. Cat snacks already rest on a well-developed nutritional base and are moving towards refinement. Functional nutrients lead on scale but are close to saturation (+1.1%), while smaller selling points such as finishing techniques grew 108.4%. We believe dog owners are still buying the fundamentals, while cat owners are paying for presentation on top of nutrition.
The Emotional Axis: Festival Scenes and Human-Grade Treats#
The most distinctive growth in snacks comes from emotional demand. Pet "New Year's Eve dinner" orders grew nearly 480% and became a viral social topic, as owners bought festive, occasion-specific snack sets so that their pets could share in the celebration. This demand is created by an occasion and the feelings attached to it, and we believe it points to a premium tier that the category has only begun to develop. Human-grade formats, meaning zero-additive recipes with high palatability, reinforce the same pattern and support higher unit prices, because owners apply to the pet snack the standards they use for their own premium food.
The occasions differ by species, since cats favour interactive snack moments built around play, while dogs favour training-reward moments that tie the treat to learning. For brand owners, this means designing a snack for a particular occasion, such as a festival table, an interactive game or a training session. A festive set or a human-grade recipe earns its price from the occasion it supports and the reassurance it offers, which we believe is harder for a competitor to copy than a formula alone. Occasions that gain attention on leading social platforms can also build a premium sub-category quickly.
Where This Leaves Brand Owners#
China's pet snack category is maturing into an opportunity on two axes. We believe brands that lead with a credible ingredient story and design their products for a specific occasion are best placed to give Chinese pet owners a reason to feel good about each purchase.
About the Data#
This article summarises findings from the Moojing China Pet Food Market Trends 2026 report. Data covers MAT 2025 (December 2024 to November 2025) online consumer sales across China's mainstream e-commerce platforms, with signals from leading social platforms, compared with MAT 2024. Brand-level findings draw on the highest-volume brands in each category, which is not a full census.
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Frequently Asked Questions
CN¥ 8.19 billion in online consumer sales for MAT 2025 (December 2024 to November 2025), up 8.1% in value against 5.6% in volume. Value outpacing volume is the important part: we believe buyers are trading up to higher-priced formats. Cat snacks are the scale anchor at CN¥ 6.02 billion (+7.1%) on a large and engaged owner base, while dog snacks supply the faster growth at CN¥ 2.17 billion (+10.9%). The single largest sub-category, cat snack cans, sits above CN¥ 2.3 billion at moderate growth, which makes it a mature core, with the momentum in newer freeze-dried and novelty-shaped formats.
They sit on different maturity curves, and the selling-point data makes the split concrete. Across the category, refined processing technology is the fastest-growing selling point at +100.2%, followed by fruit, vegetable and superfood formulations at +46.7% and premium animal protein at +13.2%. Dog snacks are still growing on the basics, as core formula and functional claims grow fastest and every dimension expands broadly. Cats are past that point: functional nutrients lead on scale but sit near saturation at +1.1%, while smaller dimensions such as finishing techniques grew 108.4%. The dog owner is buying fundamentals; the cat owner is paying for presentation on top of nutrition.
It is demand created by an occasion rather than by a functional claim. Pet "New Year's Eve dinner" orders grew nearly 480% and became a viral social topic, as owners bought festive, occasion-specific snack sets so the pet could share in the celebration. Human-grade formats, meaning zero-additive recipes with high palatability, reinforce the same dynamic because owners apply their own premium food standards to the treat. The scenes differ by species: cats favour interactive snack moments built around play, dogs favour training-reward moments that tie the treat to learning. A snack designed for a specific occasion earns its price from the moment it enables, which we believe is harder to copy than a formula alone.
Relatability paired with verifiable proof. The clearest case combines founder-led pet IP, a personality-driven brand persona owners follow, with own-factory transparency, openly disclosing how and where the snacks are made. The IP gives owners a story and the open factory gives them evidence, and in a category where buyers are increasingly discerning about ingredients, that combination builds trust quickly. Other domestic brands are taking the same trust-led approach, which suggests that brand history is no longer the only route to credibility in pet snacks.
