Thanks to the Wayback Machine, we can see the significant price increases pet owners are forced to deal with.
Such as…this Purina dog food price increased 54% over the last five years.
Click here for source 2025 price.
Click here for source 2020 price.
While still a significant increase, a Purina Pro Plan cat food only increased 44% (compared to the Purina Pro Plan dog food increase of 54%).
Click here for source 2025 price.
Click here for source 2020 price.
While the formula would be different between the Purina Pro Plan dog and cat food, ingredients should be sourced from the same suppliers. Both products are “chicken and rice” formulas. Why did the dog food price increase 54% while the cat food increased 44%?
A Mars Petcare Orijen poultry based cat food (chicken & turkey) had a price increase of 13% over five years.
Click here for 2025 price.
Click here for 2020 price.
But…the same product in a dog food saw a price increase of 30%.
Click here for source 2025 price.
Click here for source 2020 price.
How can Mars Petcare Orijen cat food increase 13% over five years when the dog food price increased 30%? Why?
With the above Purina and Mars products, both brands had smaller price increases with cat food than dog food. But…with Blue Buffalo, we see an opposite change in price increases from dog food to cat food.
With Blue Buffalo, the cat food had a significantly higher price increase than the dog food. Dog food increase 36% – cat food increase 58%.
All of the above pet foods were chicken/poultry based diets. There are price increases from 13% to 58% over the past five years.
Why? Are pet food manufacturers indiscriminately raising prices? What is the rhyme and reason for the 13% to 58% price increase range?
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Judy Morgan
November 5, 2025 at 3:37 pm
How much did chicken and rice go up for humans in the grocery store in five years? Is it comparable?
Michele
November 5, 2025 at 6:23 pm
I think they are punishing all cat and dog lovers for making informed choices. Strong indication of profit over integrity.
Randal
November 5, 2025 at 4:09 pm
The illusion of choice between lots of brands owned by just a few companies that essentially monopolize the market and have pricing power. Same with veterinarians being bought by corporations is consolidating the industry into few hands with lots of pricing power. Unfortunately that’s the American way: we start with lots of competitors that eventually get bought up or forced out until just a few mega-corporations remain, and they lobby the government for regulations to hurt their competition.
Bonnie S Morris
November 5, 2025 at 8:46 pm
How awful for pet owners everywhere, what happens to future litters?
It’s frightening for pet lovers and the pets we love so much. How many of our much loved pets will suffer.
Ken Burritt
November 5, 2025 at 4:37 pm
My Natural Balance Vegetarian has almost doubled in price.
Debora Caponi
November 6, 2025 at 3:41 am
We feed Darwin’s Natural Selections Raw to our dog. They have had 3 or 4 increases in less than a year. In so many ways, it’s getting harder and harder to afford good pet care and that’s sad.
Christine
November 5, 2025 at 7:28 pm
I don’t feed my cat dry cat food anymore. I’m now thinking of making my own cat food… probably healthier too. And will maybe, believe it or not, be less expensive or similar price as the canned food I feed him now.
Karin Yates
November 5, 2025 at 11:07 pm
Costco prices have not increased much, if at all, in five years. Premium food for a reasonable price. I only joined for the cat food, but cat boxes are also the best.
Shannon Latzke
November 6, 2025 at 9:02 am
My cat’s canned food (Stella and Chewy’s) recently went up 33%.