Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sector Trend Analysis – Pet food in Japan (first-hand Government of Canada report; underlying market data: Euromonitor International, 2024). This topic is the complete verbatim Cat food section (market-segmentation narrative + all four retail-value tables: historic sales 2018–2023, historic growth, forecast sales 2023–2028, forecast growth). It complements market_stats_jp_aafc_2023 (headline market/population figures) — no overlap in scope.
Verbatim section slice (AAFC Sector Trend Analysis – Pet food in Japan)
Cat food
Current value sales of cat food have grown by 1.8% (CAGR, 2018 to 2023) to US$2.2 billion. Cat treats and mixers had the best performance and most dynamic category in 2023, with a CAGR of 9.2% from 2018 to 2023.
Japanese consumers increasingly prioritize indulgent treats for their cats, emphasizing communication and shared time (Euromonitor International, 2023).
Japanese customers spent US$1.1 billion on dry cat food and US$627.1 million on wet cat food in 2023. They spent more money buying premium dry cat food (US$858.0 million in 2023) than mid-priced dry food (US$82.5 million) and economy dry food (US$133.7 million). They also spent more money buying premium wet cat food (US$357.8 million in 2023) than mid-priced wet food (US$226.9 million) and economy wet food (US$42.3 million).
Retail sales of cat food will continue to grow throughout 2023-2028 with an expected CAGR of 5.4%, achieving US$2.9 billion by 2028. Retail sales in premium non-therapeutic dry cat food will experience the highest CAGR of 7.0%, while economy wet cat food will experience the lowest CAGR of 0.1% in the forecast period.
Cat treats and mixers will continue to lead cat food categories, driven by pet owners enhancing their bond with cats. Innovation and expansion in this category are expected, catering to a broad audience. While demand for cat treats, especially wet purée formats, will grow, wet cat food is likely to decline due to the shift towards wet treats. The preference for a balanced diet with dry cat food and the rise of pouch packaging over cans, influenced by cost and aluminum price hikes, is impacting wet cat food volumes. Manufacturers, like AIXIA Corp, are adjusting product offerings to focus on mid-priced and premium ranges in pouch packaging, discontinuing wet canned products. These trends will persist, influencing the volume performance of wet cat food in the forecast period (Euromonitor International, 2023).
Cat food inJapan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Historic retail sales in US$ millions
| Category | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Food (total) | 2,025.7 | 2,097.8 | 2,290.1 | 2,361.4 | 2,112.8 | 2,213.9 |
| Cat Treats and Mixers | 330.7 | 368.2 | 446.9 | 511.5 | 481.2 | 512.6 |
| Dry Cat Food | 1,012.9 | 1,046.4 | 1,113.1 | 1,130.3 | 1,016.2 | 1,074.2 |
| Economy Dry Cat Food | 158.1 | 158.0 | 163.7 | 153.5 | 132.7 | 133.7 |
| Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 105.5 | 101.2 | 105.1 | 95.5 | 81.9 | 82.5 |
| Premium Dry Cat Food | 749.3 | 787.2 | 844.3 | 881.3 | 801.5 | 858.0 |
| Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 153.3 | 163.6 | 172.4 | 172.6 | 153.4 | 161.3 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 596.0 | 623.6 | 672.0 | 708.6 | 648.1 | 696.7 |
| Wet Cat Food | 682.1 | 683.2 | 730.2 | 719.7 | 615.5 | 627.1 |
| Economy Wet Cat Food | 64.4 | 59.7 | 60.3 | 54.7 | 43.7 | 42.3 |
| Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 277.6 | 268.9 | 287.2 | 255.3 | 223.6 | 226.9 |
| Premium Wet Cat Food | 340.1 | 354.6 | 382.7 | 409.6 | 348.2 | 357.8 |
| Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 12.5 | 13.6 | 14.8 | 15.2 | 13.2 | 13.7 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 327.6 | 341.0 | 367.9 | 394.4 | 334.9 | 344.2 |
| Source: Euromonitor International, 2024 \*CAGR: compound annual growth rate |
Cat food in Japan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Historical retail value sales growth
| Category | Annual growth % 2022-2023 | CAGR\* % 2018-2023 | Total growth % 2018-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Food (total) | 4.8 | 1.8 | 9.3 |
| Cat Treats and Mixers | 6.5 | 9.2 | 55.0 |
| Dry Cat Food | 5.7 | 1.2 | 6.1 |
| Economy Dry Cat Food | 0.8 | −3.3 | −15.4 |
| Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 0.7 | −4.8 | −21.8 |
| Premium Dry Cat Food | 7.0 | 2.7 | 14.5 |
| Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 5.1 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 7.5 | 3.2 | 16.9 |
| Wet Cat Food | 1.9 | −1.7 | −8.1 |
| Economy Wet Cat Food | −3.2 | −8.1 | −34.3 |
| Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 1.5 | −4.0 | −18.3 |
| Premium Wet Cat Food | 2.8 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 3.8 | 1.9 | 9.6 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 2.8 | 1.0 | 5.1 |
| Source: Euromonitor International, 2024 \*CAGR: compound annual growth rate |
Cat food in Japan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Forecast retail sales in US$ millions
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Food | 2,213.9 | 2,334.7 | 2,505.0 | 2,661.2 | 2,799.1 | 2,878.7 |
| Cat Treats and Mixers | 512.6 | 550.5 | 600.1 | 646.7 | 689.0 | 717.0 |
| Dry Cat Food | 1,074.2 | 1,139.3 | 1,228.7 | 1,310.8 | 1,383.7 | 1,427.5 |
| Economy Dry Cat Food | 133.7 | 135.2 | 139.5 | 143.1 | 145.7 | 145.6 |
| Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 82.5 | 83.7 | 86.8 | 89.4 | 91.4 | 91.7 |
| Premium Dry Cat Food | 858.0 | 920.4 | 1,002.4 | 1,078.4 | 1,146.6 | 1,190.2 |
| Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 161.3 | 170.5 | 183.2 | 195.0 | 205.4 | 211.7 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 696.7 | 749.9 | 819.2 | 883.4 | 941.1 | 978.5 |
| Wet Cat Food | 627.1 | 645.0 | 676.2 | 703.7 | 726.3 | 734.3 |
| Economy Wet Cat Food | 42.3 | 41.9 | 42.5 | 43.0 | 43.2 | 42.6 |
| Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 226.9 | 233.6 | 245.0 | 254.9 | 263.1 | 265.9 |
| Premium Wet Cat Food | 357.8 | 369.4 | 388.7 | 405.8 | 420.1 | 425.8 |
| Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 13.7 | 14.3 | 15.2 | 16.0 | 16.7 | 17.1 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 344.2 | 355.2 | 373.5 | 389.8 | 403.4 | 408.7 |
| Source: Euromonitor International, 2024 \*CAGR: compound annual growth rate |
Cat food in Japan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Forecast retail value sales growth
| Category | Annual growth % 2023-2024 | CAGR\* % 2023-2028 | Total growth % 2023-2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Food (total) | 5.5 | 5.4 | 30.0 |
| Cat Treats and Mixers | 7.4 | 6.9 | 39.9 |
| Dry Cat Food | 6.1 | 5.9 | 32.9 |
| Economy Dry Cat Food | 1.1 | 1.7 | 8.9 |
| Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 1.5 | 2.1 | 11.2 |
| Premium Dry Cat Food | 7.3 | 6.8 | 38.7 |
| Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 5.7 | 5.6 | 31.2 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 7.6 | 7.0 | 40.4 |
| Wet Cat Food | 2.9 | 3.2 | 17.1 |
| Economy Wet Cat Food | −0.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 3.0 | 3.2 | 17.2 |
| Premium Wet Cat Food | 3.2 | 3.5 | 19.0 |
| Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 4.4 | 4.5 | 24.8 |
| Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 3.2 | 3.5 | 18.7 |
| Source: Euromonitor International, 2024 \*CAGR: compound annual growth rate |
Method & honest-gap notes
- Currency: all values are current (nominal) US$ millions as published by AAFC/Euromonitor; no JPY conversion attempted.
- 2022 dip visible in the historic table (total 2,361.4 → 2,112.8 US$M) precedes the 2023 recovery (2,213.9); the narrative quotes the 2018–2023 CAGR (+1.8%).
- Forecast basis: Euromonitor 2024 forecast model as republished by AAFC; forecast figures are projections, not observations.
- Source artefact: the report text writes "Cat food inJapan" (missing space) in table titles — preserved verbatim in the slice and claims.
Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)
### Cat foodCurrent value sales of cat food have grown by 1.8% (CAGR, 2018 to 2023) to US$2.2 billion. Cat treats and mixers had the best performance and most dynamic category in 2023, with a CAGR of 9.2% from 2018 to 2023.Japanese consumers increasingly prioritize indulgent treats for their cats, emphasizing communication and shared time (Euromonitor International, 2023).Japanese customers spent US$1.1 billion on dry cat food and US$627.1 million on wet cat food in 2023. They spent more money buying premium dry cat food (US$858.0 million in 2023) than mid-priced dry food (US$82.5 million) and economy dry food (US$133.7 million). They also spent more money buying premium wet cat food (US$357.8 million in 2023) than mid-priced wet food (US$226.9 million) and economy wet food (US$42.3 million).Retail sales of cat food will continue to grow throughout 2023-2028 with an expected CAGR of 5.4%, achieving US$2.9 billion by 2028. Retail sales in premium non-therapeutic dry cat food will experience the highest CAGR of 7.0%, while economy wet cat food will experience the lowest CAGR of 0.1% in the forecast period.Cat treats and mixers will continue to lead cat food categories, driven by pet owners enhancing their bond with cats. Innovation and expansion in this category are expected, catering to a broad audience. While demand for cat treats, especially wet purée formats, will grow, wet cat food is likely to decline due to the shift towards wet treats. The preference for a balanced diet with dry cat food and the rise of pouch packaging over cans, influenced by cost and aluminum price hikes, is impacting wet cat food volumes. Manufacturers, like AIXIA Corp, are adjusting product offerings to focus on mid-priced and premium ranges in pouch packaging, discontinuing wet canned products. These trends will persist, influencing the volume performance of wet cat food in the forecast period (Euromonitor International, 2023).Cat food inJapan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Historic retail sales in US$ millions| Category | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 || Cat Food (total) | 2,025.7 | 2,097.8 | 2,290.1 | 2,361.4 | 2,112.8 | 2,213.9 || Cat Treats and Mixers | 330.7 | 368.2 | 446.9 | 511.5 | 481.2 | 512.6 || Dry Cat Food | 1,012.9 | 1,046.4 | 1,113.1 | 1,130.3 | 1,016.2 | 1,074.2 || Economy Dry Cat Food | 158.1 | 158.0 | 163.7 | 153.5 | 132.7 | 133.7 || Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 105.5 | 101.2 | 105.1 | 95.5 | 81.9 | 82.5 || Premium Dry Cat Food | 749.3 | 787.2 | 844.3 | 881.3 | 801.5 | 858.0 || Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 153.3 | 163.6 | 172.4 | 172.6 | 153.4 | 161.3 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 596.0 | 623.6 | 672.0 | 708.6 | 648.1 | 696.7 || Wet Cat Food | 682.1 | 683.2 | 730.2 | 719.7 | 615.5 | 627.1 || Economy Wet Cat Food | 64.4 | 59.7 | 60.3 | 54.7 | 43.7 | 42.3 || Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 277.6 | 268.9 | 287.2 | 255.3 | 223.6 | 226.9 || Premium Wet Cat Food | 340.1 | 354.6 | 382.7 | 409.6 | 348.2 | 357.8 || Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 12.5 | 13.6 | 14.8 | 15.2 | 13.2 | 13.7 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 327.6 | 341.0 | 367.9 | 394.4 | 334.9 | 344.2 || Source: Euromonitor International, 2024 \*CAGR: compound annual growth rate |Cat food in Japan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Historical retail value sales growth| Category | Annual growth % 2022-2023 | CAGR\* % 2018-2023 | Total growth % 2018-2023 || Cat Food (total) | 4.8 | 1.8 | 9.3 || Cat Treats and Mixers | 6.5 | 9.2 | 55.0 || Dry Cat Food | 5.7 | 1.2 | 6.1 || Economy Dry Cat Food | 0.8 | −3.3 | −15.4 || Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 0.7 | −4.8 | −21.8 || Premium Dry Cat Food | 7.0 | 2.7 | 14.5 || Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 5.1 | 1.0 | 5.2 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 7.5 | 3.2 | 16.9 || Wet Cat Food | 1.9 | −1.7 | −8.1 || Economy Wet Cat Food | −3.2 | −8.1 | −34.3 || Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 1.5 | −4.0 | −18.3 || Premium Wet Cat Food | 2.8 | 1.0 | 5.2 || Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 3.8 | 1.9 | 9.6 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 2.8 | 1.0 | 5.1 |Cat food in Japan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Forecast retail sales in US$ millions| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 || Cat Food | 2,213.9 | 2,334.7 | 2,505.0 | 2,661.2 | 2,799.1 | 2,878.7 || Cat Treats and Mixers | 512.6 | 550.5 | 600.1 | 646.7 | 689.0 | 717.0 || Dry Cat Food | 1,074.2 | 1,139.3 | 1,228.7 | 1,310.8 | 1,383.7 | 1,427.5 || Economy Dry Cat Food | 133.7 | 135.2 | 139.5 | 143.1 | 145.7 | 145.6 || Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 82.5 | 83.7 | 86.8 | 89.4 | 91.4 | 91.7 || Premium Dry Cat Food | 858.0 | 920.4 | 1,002.4 | 1,078.4 | 1,146.6 | 1,190.2 || Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 161.3 | 170.5 | 183.2 | 195.0 | 205.4 | 211.7 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 696.7 | 749.9 | 819.2 | 883.4 | 941.1 | 978.5 || Wet Cat Food | 627.1 | 645.0 | 676.2 | 703.7 | 726.3 | 734.3 || Economy Wet Cat Food | 42.3 | 41.9 | 42.5 | 43.0 | 43.2 | 42.6 || Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 226.9 | 233.6 | 245.0 | 254.9 | 263.1 | 265.9 || Premium Wet Cat Food | 357.8 | 369.4 | 388.7 | 405.8 | 420.1 | 425.8 || Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 13.7 | 14.3 | 15.2 | 16.0 | 16.7 | 17.1 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 344.2 | 355.2 | 373.5 | 389.8 | 403.4 | 408.7 |Cat food in Japan: Retail value sales by product subcategory - Forecast retail value sales growth| Category | Annual growth % 2023-2024 | CAGR\* % 2023-2028 | Total growth % 2023-2028 || Cat Food (total) | 5.5 | 5.4 | 30.0 || Cat Treats and Mixers | 7.4 | 6.9 | 39.9 || Dry Cat Food | 6.1 | 5.9 | 32.9 || Economy Dry Cat Food | 1.1 | 1.7 | 8.9 || Mid-Priced Dry Cat Food | 1.5 | 2.1 | 11.2 || Premium Dry Cat Food | 7.3 | 6.8 | 38.7 || Premium Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 5.7 | 5.6 | 31.2 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Dry Cat Food | 7.6 | 7.0 | 40.4 || Wet Cat Food | 2.9 | 3.2 | 17.1 || Economy Wet Cat Food | −0.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 || Mid-Priced Wet Cat Food | 3.0 | 3.2 | 17.2 || Premium Wet Cat Food | 3.2 | 3.5 | 19.0 || Premium Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 4.4 | 4.5 | 24.8 || Premium Non-Therapeutic Wet Cat Food | 3.2 | 3.5 | 18.7 |
Source: pdf-raw/market-stats/jp_aafc_pet_food_japan_2026-08-18.txt — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sector Trend Analysis – Pet food in Japan.