Kmflett's Blog

This post is actually about cats and dogs.

Lex in the Financial Times (29th December) reports that in recent years there has been a significant rise in US spending on ‘pets, pet products and related services’. It would be interesting to see a UK comparison.

Just as weight reduction drugs like Ozempic have seen a major take up for humans, so the market for a similar product for cats and dogs is being looked.

There are several motors. Firstly increasing numbers of cats and dogs are overweight leading to diabetes. This is expensive to treat in pets. Secondly the realisation that the market for Ozempic in humans is likely to be finite, whereas its likely that fat cats and dogs will always be with us. Its estimated that 60% are overweight.

Pet spending in the US in 2023 was $183bn, four times the amount spent in 2003 but the FT reports that the market for weight reduction treatments for cats and dogs in ‘underdeveloped’ but as yet at an early stage of development.

I’ve drawn this post to the attention of my sizeable and perpetually hungry cat but if she can’t sniff something the interest is minimal in things like words.