Premium Pet Food Surges: Freeze-Dried Products and the Cat Economy

Newer data: China Pet Food 2026: How Precision Health Management Became the CN¥ 41 Billion Market's Growth Engine

Executive Summary#

Sales of full-price cat staple food on two leading Chinese marketplaces more than doubled to CN¥ 5.82 billion in H1 2023, a rise of 104.5% YoY, while freeze-dried staple products reached CN¥ 694 million, up 55.3% YoY. China's pet owners are turning to scientific, nutrient-dense alternatives to conventional kibble, and this premiumization favours cat-related categories over dog-related ones. This analysis examines the structural shift in the pet economy, the differences in product and market structure between domestic and US freeze-dried products, and the consumer pain points that open an opportunity for quality-driven brands as the category consolidates.

The Rise of the Cat Economy#

The pet market shifted clearly toward premiumization and scientific pet care in H1 2023, and full-price cat staple food was the strongest category, with sales of CN¥ 5.82 billion after growth of 104.5% YoY.^[1] Cat-related categories grew faster than dog-related ones in both absolute sales and growth rate, which confirms how much of China's pet market rested on cats in H1 2023. Full-price dog staple food also grew strongly, by 81.2% YoY to CN¥ 2.69 billion, and cat and dog health care products rose 104.6% YoY as consumers took an increasingly refined and scientific approach to pet nutrition.

Spending on accessories came under pressure over the same period, among them aquatic food and supplies, cat and dog toilet supplies and cat and dog household supplies, while consumer spending concentrated on premium nutrition.

This pattern describes a market where pet owners are trading up on food quality while rationalizing their spending on commoditized accessories. The pet food concepts with the highest potential, freeze-dried staple food, cat air-dried and baked food and cat wet food staple cans, all depend on premium processing technology, which underpins the premiumization trend.

Freeze-Dried Staple Food: Science Meets Premium Positioning#

Freeze-dried staple food reached CN¥ 694 million in H1 2023, growing 55.3% YoY, as China's pet owners increasingly looked for premium, nutrient-dense alternatives to conventional puffed pet food.^[1] Traditional kibble is produced by high-temperature extrusion of grain and meat powder mixtures, whereas freeze-dried staple food preserves raw ingredients by rapid freezing at -36 degrees Celsius followed by vacuum dehydration. The process retains colour, aroma, taste and nutritional value at much higher levels than conventional methods, and the vacuum-sealed packaging gives the product a long shelf life.

Industry research suggests that freeze-dried product penetration has reached 48.7% in dog food and 41.7% in cat food, which indicates that nearly half of pet owners have tried or regularly buy freeze-dried products.^[2] The domestic market is still at the popularization stage, and most products combine freeze-dried ingredients with other components instead of offering 100% pure meat freeze-dried formulations.

Product and Market Structure: China and the US#

The Chinese and US markets differ in product formulation and in market structure. In the US, pure meat freeze-dried products such as those of Stella & Chewy's set the standard for the category, while the domestic market is built on mixed-ingredient formulations that blend freeze-dried components with other ingredients.

Market structure differs in a similar way, since the domestic market is fragmented among many small players, while the US market is highly concentrated among a few established brands with a record for quality.

This fragmentation in the domestic market carries both risk and opportunity. For consumers, it means inconsistent quality and difficulty in identifying trustworthy brands, while for quality-driven brands it represents a significant consolidation opportunity, because consumers become more sophisticated buyers as the market matures and move toward reliable options they already know.

Consumer Profile: Young Urban Women Drive Demand#

Freeze-dried staple food consumers were concentrated in Tier 1 cities (Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai), and the 21-to-30 age group formed the core of buyers. Women represented approximately 88% of social media voice, which is consistent with the wider pattern of women leading pet care purchasing. "Cute pets" was the most common interest category, followed by food, mother and baby and beauty, which fits the profile of young, urban women for whom pet care is part of a wider lifestyle.

Seven factors drove purchasing decisions, and palatability was the most important of them:

• Palatability: the most frequently mentioned positive attribute ("the cat came to grab it immediately after opening")
• Aroma quality
• Consumption effect on the pet
• Nutritional composition
• Packaging and shipping integrity
• Brand authenticity
• Cost-effectiveness

Palatability is the test that matters most for freeze-dried products, since we believe that a product the pet does not eat eagerly will not be bought again, whatever its nutritional or premium credentials.

Pain Points: Quality Consistency and Authenticity Concerns#

Analysis of negative reviews identified several areas of consumer dissatisfaction, each of which is both a challenge for the category and an opportunity for improvement.

Adverse reactions were the most common complaint, at 18.8%, with consumers reporting vomiting and diarrhea in their pets after feeding, which is a particularly damaging complaint for a category that markets itself on superior nutritional quality. Price complaints accounted for 13%, driven by perceived price increases and dissatisfaction with promotional mechanisms.

Additional pain points include:

• Poor palatability (13%): inconsistent taste quality across batches
• Inadequate packaging seal quality (10.1%): moisture issues that compromise product integrity
• Authenticity concerns (8.8%): suspicion when purchasing across different channels
• Insufficient meat or freeze-dried content (4.5%): grain fillers diluting the premium proposition

Taken together, the adverse reactions, the authenticity concerns and the questions about ingredient transparency suggest that consumer trust is the central challenge for freeze-dried pet food. We believe that brands which can deliver consistent quality, transparent ingredient sourcing and reliable authenticity verification across channels will be best placed to gain market share as the segment matures and consolidates.

Key Takeaways#

• Full-price cat staple food more than doubled to CN¥ 5.82 billion, growing 104.5% YoY on two leading Chinese marketplaces, and cat-related categories grew faster than dog-related ones
• Freeze-dried staple food reached CN¥ 694 million, up 55.3% YoY, with penetration of 48.7% in dog food and 41.7% in cat food
• The domestic freeze-dried market is far more fragmented than the US market, which points to an opportunity for consolidation
• Adverse reactions (18.8% of complaints) and authenticity concerns (8.8%) make consumer trust the central question for brands in the category
• Young urban women aged 21-30 in Tier 1 cities account for 88% of social media voice, and palatability is the top purchase driver

## About the Data

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering H1 2023. The sales figures come from two leading Chinese marketplaces, and the consumer findings from social media and review analysis. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Consumer Trends whitepaper.