Vanguard Awards: Premium Cat Foods

The global premium cat food market is growing due to an increased demand for high-protein, specialized diets, and functional nutrition. It’s valued at approximately USD $23.96 billion in 2025 and projected to reach USD $34.65 billion by 2034 with a 6.3 percent CAGR. 

Brands like Applaws and Smalls are capitalizing on these trends by expanding their premium, ingredient-focused offerings.

“Pet owners love Applaws because we offer premium, natural nutrition for every feeding moment,” said Senior Brand Manager Alayna Vicario. “From treats and toppers to dry food, wet food, and life stage solutions, everything we do is rooted in high-quality ingredients and limited ingredient recipes. Excitement continues to build around newer additions like Kitten Healthy Start and Applaws Vitality Dry and Wet, which bring everyday health and vitality to life while staying true to our natural philosophy.”

This past year has brought success for the company. Vicario reported, “Our growing range, including innovations like Kitten Healthy Start and Applaws Vitality Dry Food, allows cat parents to meet their cats’ everyday needs and life stage transitions while staying within a brand they trust for quality, transparency, and natural ingredients.”

As Applaws looks to the future, Vicario shared, “We hope to see the premium cat foods category continue to expand in a way that puts cats first. That means products that better support cats’ natural needs, offer clear nutritional value, and are made with ingredients people understand and trust.”

Currently, the broader market is navigating economic pressures that are shaping purchasing behavior. Numerous online media sources report consumers are challenged in today’s tough economy with balancing premiumization and value. Despite the tightening of wallets, key trends in premium cat food so far in 2026 include high-quality proteins, transparency, ethical sourcing, grain-free diets and specialized nutrition for senior cats.

Companies like Smalls are responding to these trends by expanding access to premium, functional cat nutrition. Smalls, the category-defining fresh food brand made exclusively for cats, recently announced its national retail expansion through its newest distribution partnership with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies. This expansion is part of Smalls’ 2026 growth strategy, which focuses on increasing accessibility while maintaining its mission to improve the health and well-being of cats through better nutrition.

“Expanding with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies is an important and very exciting step in our continued retail growth,” said Brian Oost, Senior Director of Retail at Smalls. “The long-standing relationships that Phillips has with so many trusted independent pet retailers make them an ideal partner as we work to bring fresh, high-quality nutrition to more cats and their families across the country.”

Beyond distribution growth, the company is also seeing strong momentum across its product portfolio. Nate Kredich, COO of Smalls, previously shared what else has been working for the company this year. 

“As an omnichannel brand, we heard from many that our strong digital presence is helping to drive customer interest in physical retail. We spend over $3 million per month building brand and customer awareness for Smalls, and our retailers tell us that customers are seeking out our products in stores based on their digital experiences and our cat-only mission. Additionally, as retailer growth and reactions continue, we confidently share a story about how our entire portfolio, gently cooked products combined with other shelf-stable, cat-formulated items are performing well in neighborhood pet stores. The latest example is our functional lickable treats (Licks), which fill a market gap by providing a functional, high-quality bonding treat for cat parents while avoiding fillers and extraneous ingredients.” 

Looking more broadly at category trends, Kredich relayed, “Gently cooked products still seem to be leading in the pet market, but although we see more entries in the overall category (e.g., Humbl, Orijen), there remains a lack of focus on cats and cat health. Most gently cooked brands either do not offer a cat-specific product or if they do, it is clearly based on their dog formulation.”

He continued, “Another major trend that continues to resonate is offering functional benefits in food or treats. Once again, the increase in popularity of our lickable treats is a testament to this growing trend.”