Before we hand any product an award, we like to know what people are actually putting in their carts, and why. So we surveyed 1,000 pet parents about how they shop for their animals. Five distinct trends came out of the data, but the more interesting finding was the thread running through all of them: people have stopped shopping for their pets the way they shop for gadgets and started shopping the way they shop for their own health. Supplements, grooming as a ritual, anxiety relief, travel gear, the same wellness logic people apply to themselves now extends to the dog and the cat.
The wallet bears it out. Our respondents are generous to begin with: 68 percent of millennials and 60 percent of Gen Z planned to buy their pets holiday gifts, spending an average of $105 each. Zoom out to the whole country and the picture is the same. U.S. pet-industry spending hit roughly $152 billion in 2024 and about $158 billion in 2025, and is projected to climb to around $165 billion in 2026, according to the American Pet Products Association. The fastest-growing slice isn’t toys or treats, it’s the wellness category. There’s even a structural tell in how people buy now: 52 percent of pet parents used subscription-based purchasing in 2024, the same auto-replenish model people use for their own vitamins and supplements. Here are the five trends, and how to shop each one well.
Trend 1: Supplements have gone from niche to normal
The most striking shift is how mainstream pet supplements have become. In our survey, 25 percent of pet parents bought a supplement in 2023, and 40 percent of those buy monthly, treating it like a standing subscription rather than a one-off. National data shows the same curve, steeper: by 2024, 53 percent of dog owners and 34 percent of cat owners were giving vitamins or supplements, growth of 56 percent and 70 percent respectively since 2018. The caution worth adding, which the trend itself doesn’t: more isn’t automatically better, and a quick word with your vet beats stacking five products that overlap.
A few of our supplement winners: Fera Pet Organics Fish Oil (fish oil), Super Snouts Joint Power (joints), Dog is Human DM-01 Daily Multivitamin (dog multivitamin), The Honest Kitchen Instant Goat’s Milk with Probiotics (probiotic), and kin+kind Organic Healthy Poops Supplement (digestive).
Trend 2: Grooming is now a self-care ritual
Pet wellness has spilled out of the food bowl and into the bathroom. Nearly half of the pet parents we surveyed spend about $100 a year on grooming products and actively seek out higher-quality care, sometimes from the same wellness brands they buy for themselves. Almost half of millennial pet parents had bought pet shampoo in the past year, and plenty are going past the basics into balms, specialty brushes, and scented sprays. Grooming, in other words, has become something owners do with their pet, not just to them.
A few of our self-care winners: Nonipup Boop Butter (paw and nose balm), Wild One Grooming Wipes (wipes), Jess Rona Tiiiinyyy K Pro Slicker Brush (brush), Merci Collective Tokyo Stroll Body Spray (refresher), and Skout’s Honor Happy Puppy Probiotic Shampoo + Conditioner (puppy shampoo).
Trend 3: Pet tech is filling the work-from-home gap
Gadgets are everywhere, and the why is telling. More than a third of millennial and Gen Z pet parents bought a pet-tech product in the past year, and a big driver is the hangover from changed work routines: cameras, interactive toys, and auto-feeders that keep a pet entertained and monitored when the house empties out again. This is wellness wearing a circuit board, technology aimed at a pet’s emotional state, not just convenience.
A few of our tech winners: Mouse for Cats (iPad game for cats), Cheerble Wicked Ball PE (smart dog toy), Google Nest Indoor Security Cam (pet cam), and Petlibro AIR Automatic Pet Feeder (auto-feeder).
Trend 4: Calming products are a category now
Anxiety, the pet’s and the owner’s, has become a defining pet-parenting topic, and the shelves have responded. One study we covered found that 47 percent of dog parents experience separation anxiety themselves, so it’s no surprise a whole product wave exists to help everyone settle. Vests, pheromone diffusers, supplements, and heartbeat toys all aim at the same goal: a calmer pet, and by extension a calmer human.
A few of our calming winners: Thundershirt (calming vest), Bach Rescue Remedy (calming supplement), Feliway Pheromone Diffuser (cat diffuser), Honest Paws Calm Soft Chews (calming treats), and SmartPetLove Original Snuggle Puppy (heartbeat toy).
Trend 5: Pets travel now, so the gear has to keep up
Because pets are family, owners increasingly refuse to leave them behind, and the gear has caught up. More than 44 percent of Gen Z dog parents and 66 percent of cat parents told us they own a carrier specifically for travel. The throughline with the other trends is comfort and emotional ease on the road, not just containment, the same wellness instinct pointed at the open highway.
A few of our travel winners: Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed (mobile bed), COOYOO Retractable Seatbelt (pet seat belt), Just Fred Weekend Dog Tote (weekend carrier), Lollimeow Bubble Expandable Cat Backpack (cat backpack), and Petisfam Portable Cat Travel Litter Box (travel litter box).
What it adds up to
Five trends, one mindset. Pet parents have folded their animals into the same wellness economy they already live in, spending on prevention, comfort, grooming, and peace of mind rather than just food and a leash. The practical takeaway for your own cart: shop your pet’s wellness the way a thoughtful person shops their own, prioritize what addresses a real need, be a little skeptical of anything promising a miracle, and check the big-ticket health buys with your vet.
References
- American Pet Products Association. “U.S. Pet Industry Reaches $158 Billion in 2025, Poised for Continued Growth in 2026.” americanpetproducts.org, 2025.
- American Pet Products Association. “2025 Dog & Cat Report” (vitamin/supplement use, subscription purchasing, and category breakdowns). americanpetproducts.org.
- The Pet Times survey of 1,000 U.S. pet parents on shopping habits, 2023.
