Soaring Pet Product Prices: Concerns for Increased Abandonments and Decreased Adoptions, Says SPA

One of the biggest price increases

Articles for pets have not escaped the inflation of recent years. Food and litter have seen their prices soar both in specialist shops and menageries and in supermarkets.

On the supermarket shelves, the average increase recorded over one year for all products, between March 2022 and last March, is around 15%. It is around 18% for croquettes.

The foodstuffs intended for our dear companions are displayed in the top 3 of the items for which the price increase is the strongest, with frozen foods and fresh foods. Manufacturers explain the surge in kibble prices (+ 30 cents for dogs and + 50 cents for cats) by the rising cost of energy and ingredients (meat, cereals, vegetables, etc.) that make up the preparations .

Animal rights associations are worried

Having a pet is becoming more and more expensive. In addition to food, the budget dedicated to a four-legged friend also includes litter (the price of which has also increased), animal insurance and health costs. Many owners whose income does not allow them to revise upwards the expenses for their faithful companions may thus be tempted to abandon them or entrust them to a shelter.

The situation is of concern to animal rights associations, but also to the SPA, whose operating costs are on the rise (+ €150 per resident between 2020 and 2023). The number of cats and dogs housed in reception facilities is increasing significantly, as is the length of stay, with an average of 56 days. And given the context, adoptions are also likely to be rare..