After seeing numerous tweets from pet food consumers complaining about significant price hikes in pet food, we did a little research.
We searched on Wayback Machine for prices of pet food in 2020 from the archived pages of Chewy.com, Petco.com and Walmart.com. (Pet foods selected were randomly chosen based on pages available on Wayback Machine). Then we located those same pet food products on the current (2022) websites of Chewy, Petco and Walmart.
As comparison we also looked at a few human food prices from archived pages on Wayback Machine and current prices from Walmart.com. Such as…
The cost of a ‘Family Size’ box of Honey Nut Cheerios has increased 38.8% in just two years. The Cheerios Family Size box decreased in size – from 19.5 ounces in 2020 to 18.8 ounces in 2022. Of the three human foods we compared, Cheerios was the highest in price increases.
The highest price increase of Cheerios doesn’t even compare to the highest price increase we found in pet food…
The price of this 12 pound bag of Merrick cat food increased 103.8% in only two years. The price was $21.67 in 2020, increasing to $41.98 in 2022.
Comparing more dry cat foods…
In the dry cat food category, Merrick (owned by Purina) was the highest price increase and Orijen (owned by Champion) was the lowest at 0% price change in two years.
Comparing Dry Dog Foods…
Royal Canin (owned by Mars) and Purina were the highest price increases, and again Orijen was the lowest price increase in dry dog foods.
Comparing Can Cat Foods…
Purina (again) was the highest price increase, a 19% higher price increase than the next product from Royal Canin.
Comparing Can Dog Foods…
A Purina pet food (again) was the highest price increase at 85% in two years.
All of the above pet foods are feed grade. Feed grade pet foods are allowed by FDA to utilize inferior quality of ingredients, transport those ingredients non-refrigerated, warehouse those ingredients non-refrigerated, and manufacturing conditions are significantly less strict. In other words, price increases due to increased costs of these products shouldn’t be as significant as human grade pet foods (or human food products). Comparing the price increase of a few Human Grade cat and dog foods…
Interestingly, the human grade pet foods price increases were significantly lower than almost all of the feed grade pet foods.
If we use the highest price increase of a human food as a threshold (Cheerios – 38.8%) for pet food – even though that is significantly higher than Human Grade Pet Food increases – the following pet foods price increases were above that threshold…
Question to pet owners…
Are some pet food companies taking advantage of inflation, to the extent of price gouging?
Wishing you and your pet the best –
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Ed
August 22, 2022 at 2:21 pm
This price gouging has been going on since early in Pandemic. Wellness Dry Dog Food 15lbs was under $30.00 at the time, now I am paying over
$46.00 for the same product. It seems that all mfgrs. are using this as an excuse to price gouge. I realize that the cost of goods has increased, but why is this heavily consolidated pet food industry taking advantage of pet owners. I am quite sure that when their costs go down, the prices we pay will not follow!
Toni
August 22, 2022 at 2:35 pm
And the answer is yes. We are being scammed.
MJ
August 22, 2022 at 3:45 pm
PRICE gauging! On everything…How come one store is higher than the other when they are near each other!! or not. Everyone is out to cash in!! ITS BS.
Its excuse after excuse. Oh its the distributor!!!!! Do doubt that!!! its greed by individual stores!!!
Bisou
August 27, 2022 at 9:24 pm
It could be store owner greed. Or it could be that one store is much bigger (or has other locations) and can procure the product cheaper due to volume purchasing. Small stores tend to keep smaller inventories – obviously due to space constraints – but also to keep a fresher inventory of a variety of products. Most stores are only raising prices as a result of increases from their distributors, who are directly raising their prices as a result of increases from the manufacturers, who are…you get the idea. In fact, since it is so depressing to have to change the price labels so much, we have lowered our margins on many items. Let’s just wait to see if Chompy and Putzco lower theirs.
Bernie Winegrad
August 22, 2022 at 4:03 pm
Newly prescribed c/d for my twin cats. At a can each per day that’s $4.45. I’m certain that’s NOT what it costs to manufacture and deliver. Shocked.
T Allen
August 23, 2022 at 8:49 pm
Do your own research online about using real meat to heal your cats. This article explains it perfectly. https://www.pattonavenuepet.com/how-proper-nutrition-can-help-prevent-and-treat-urinary-tract-disease-in-your-cat/ You should cook all poultry but other meat can be fed raw or lightly cooked. Proven that cats eating kibble get sick, canned is better and real meat is best.
Melzer26
August 22, 2022 at 5:07 pm
I sell pet food at my small store. I do have to mention one thing…Merrick foods have been sold in the past on Chewy for what it cost me actually buy it WHOLESALE. They are finally catching up on that one. Due to that I quit selling most of it…if I cant even compete in the same ballpark…why would I? Glad of it too..it was already too high for what you get and now…just insane. I will continue to support those foods that limit cost increases to what they have to, and actually reach out to explain themselves before they do it!
Bisou
August 27, 2022 at 9:13 pm
I assume you know that Merrick was purchased by Purina in 2015. Does one need any sother reason not to carry the product?
Susan
August 22, 2022 at 5:50 pm
Purina Pro Plan 50# bag went from $61.99 to $83.99. They’re full of excuses. How much profit is the company and CEO making! Infuriating.
Stephen Abarno
August 22, 2022 at 5:52 pm
Continued corruption by companies and no agency doing anything about it !!!
Rox
August 22, 2022 at 6:28 pm
Overall, this kind of thing is why I keep telling people that the “official” cost of living increase and the “official” rate of inflation are just flat out LIES. Those of us who shop (carefully!) in person, keep receipts, pay attention, we KNOW what the truth is. And here’s the truth: inflation is at least triple the “official” percentage. The cost of living overall has DOUBLED. Pet food price gouging is just part of it, how about veterinarian charges? DOUBLED for just the office call fee in the past 18 months; prescriptions which formerly vet offices stocked at reasonable prices now have to be purchased from the “pharmacy partner” online at prices half again to triple the price just a few months ago. These companies bought the lie that consumers (a) expect prices to be higher and (b) because the unemployment rate is low (another LIE) and the stock market is in the stratosphere that everyone can pay any cost “if they love their pet enough.” That is just not anywhere close to the truth. As evidence, the rescues (dog, cat, horse, small furries) are ALL OVERRUN AND ADOPTIONS ARE WAY DOWN BECAUSE FEW HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THE PREDATORS!
Cannoliamo
August 22, 2022 at 6:35 pm
My 7 cats ….. I’ve been feeding them Fussie Cat Tuna (canned) for the past 5 years. The price has increased from $18/case (24-3oz.) to $30/case over that 5-year period. It recently increased to $45/case. I buy about 100 cases / year. Pets Global and the Fussie Cat retailers offered me a 5% discount off the %45/case price. The net price increase for 100 cases has gone from $1,800 to $4,500 since 2017, ….. no changes in the AAFCO label ingredients.
Bob Cauler
August 22, 2022 at 7:37 pm
Price gouging.
Peg
August 22, 2022 at 8:14 pm
The crappier the food, human and pet food, the higher the gouge is what I’m seeing. Giant scam for sure.
Denise Kornblatt
August 22, 2022 at 8:39 pm
Totally price gouging. I was paying aprox $72. Case for Rawz rabbit canned cat food for months. All of a sudden 4 months ago it jumped up $20 to $92 a case. I have my cats on this food because they have IBD issues. It is very difficult for me to change foods. I have 4 cats and I truly feel I am going broke feeding them. Buying less food for myself so they are OK.
Peg
August 23, 2022 at 8:22 am
Denise, I too am feeding some RAWZ. My cases are up to $108 for the Rabbit
Bisou
August 27, 2022 at 9:30 pm
Check out the price of cans lately. This is a lot of why many brands are or have been unavailable and why those that are are pricy.
Steve Michonski
August 23, 2022 at 8:53 am
The highest price increases shown here are all by pet food companies owned by conglomerate corporations that are influenced by politics and some questionable players such as Bill Gates who wants us to stop eating meat so we can buy his patented lab-created “foods”.
Meanwhile, the lower increases are by Orijen and The Honest Kitchen, which are independent companies.
Once again, the behavior of mega corporations is suspicious.
Bisou
August 27, 2022 at 9:33 pm
RIGHT ON STEVE!! Get some Fresh Tracks for our Happy Hounds!
Redheadfae
August 23, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Orijen is able to cover any cost increase in the US by increasing the amount of cheaper legume protein in the food and burying the increase by “stacking” the list, knowing that meat will naturally list higher because the water content is included. Don’t think for a minute they aren’t just as treacherous, because legumes are a known cause of bladder stones in cats and ferrets. I’ve had one of each suffer from them several years ago when Wellness Core did the same thing.
Rose Delaney
September 11, 2022 at 8:00 pm
My cat is 15 years old with stage 2 kidney disease and has to be fed veterinary diet wet cat food. I started out paying about $37.00 for a case of 24 5.1oz cans. Then it jumped to about $54.00. Now it is up to $71.76. I have no choice but to buy it as most non-veterinary diets are too high in phosphorus for a cat with kidney disease. So they have us over a barrel and know we’ll pay it to keep our animal well. TOTAL PRICE GOUGING. It’s bad enough that the ingredients in most pet foods are totally inferior and detrimental to an animal’s health.
So all in all, it just goes to show that the overwhelming majority of the pet food industry is more interested in the bottom line than in the welfare of animals.
Cliff E Schonert
January 7, 2023 at 4:11 pm
Walmart has jumped on the “PRICE GOUGING” bandwagon as well. Before the Pandemic, all (12 can) cases of (Ol’Roy) sold for ($7.47).Now it’s priced at ($12.97). That’s an outrageous amount to spend on some of the cheapest canned dog food within the industry. I have (9) rescue dogs and the (food budget) for them is far and above the (food budget) for me. It’s just like the gas prices. The cost for gas and pet food will (NEVER/EVER) drop back down to the (PER-PANDEMIC) level. ALL OF THESE COMPANIES WILL MAKE RECORD PROFITS ON THE BACKS OF US LITTLE PEOPLE!
E. Williams
April 15, 2023 at 8:55 am
I keep hearing that the increase is due to the poor supply of aluminum available to make the cans. If this is true, why haven’t companies invested some of their “record profits” in new manufacturing options? Instead of cans why not use little pouches like tuna comes in? Another option might be cartons, like shelf stable milk and pomi tomatoes use. Unfortunately, I see a future where people can’t afford pets anymore.
AnnaMarie Bondi
May 28, 2023 at 7:43 am
here’s a question no one’s asking, since we all know they are price gouging what do we do about it? Association for Truth in Pet Food states we should join their organization but it looks like they are powerless. Since there are millions of pet owners let’s start writing messages to these mega companies and let them know we are aware you are “price gouging “ and until this stops, I will no longer buy your food. I will make it myself. If they see enough letters or emails or calls, from thousands of people maybe they will start bringing the prices down. At least it’s a start. I already notified a few companies and chewy and told them the percentage difference and told them don’t even give me an answer. We are BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND IT STOPS NOW.
C
August 11, 2023 at 10:11 am
I contacted wellness and of course got the excuse that their prices for ingredients has increased and that they would not lower their quality for cheaper ingredients. When we all know that wellness will not allow retailers to sell their products for lower prices. I feel this is ingenious on wellness part. Even with prices going up everywhere, pet food should not cost more than people food. It’s not full of caviar and lobster,it’s cheap foods like chicken and turkey and low quality fish, at best.Worst of all its our pets that suffer the injustice of pet food companies that care little for our pets and mostly for their pockets. They profit and profit big off our fur babies.What I need is the recipes and knowledge of making my own pet food for my babies, yet through fear of not giving our pets all the nutrients their little bodies need I am stopped in my tracks of doing just that. Is it a scam? Was the whole last 15yrs of buy this not that a scam? How do I know for sure what is in those expensive little cans. Is it really what it says or not? I don’t know but my level of trust has been eroded.
Britt
August 30, 2023 at 7:57 pm
In 2023, is Honest Kitchen still the most honest?
Dina
March 8, 2024 at 9:21 pm
Here we are in 2024 and its still happening! Now my flea and tick meds that I bought in November 2023 advantix for 55.00 has jumped in feburary 2024 to 80.00 bucks! I was so mad i called the company, this is what i got. We have not had a price increase, any pricing over what we sell for is on the retailer. i called purina about the 20.00 dollar a bag increase in a few months time, same deal it isnt us! Its a load of horseshit and people across America should save those receipts and invoices from what you paid before and what you are paying now. We need to go collectively and make our voices heard in congress.
This is obscene what they are doing across the board in animal health and nutrition. We have a vaccine clinic in my area for low income people, up till last year you could get your pet vaxxed rabies and 5 way for 25.00, now its 48.00, office visits were 29.00, now they are 45.00. But its food and meds that have really jumped, this cant be allowed, and we should get congress involved. At this rate you will be paying 100 bucks for a bag of purina dog chow soon! These companies dont care they made their billions if they have to shut down production it wont hurt them. Congress wont care either unless there is a major outcry from the public.