Key Takeaways
- ▸FEDIAF counts 306 million pets in Europe in its 2026 report
- ▸49% of European households — about 140 million homes — own a pet
- ▸Pet food sales reached €29.4bn across roughly 8.6 million tonnes
- ▸Cats outnumber dogs, 110.9M to 91.2M
EUROPE PET FOOD WATCH · Nº 4
FEDIAF has published its Facts & Figures 2026, and the top line is staggering in its own quiet way: 306 million pets now live in European homes.
Nearly half of all European households — around 140 million homes — now share their space with an animal. Those pets ate through €29.4 billion of pet food across roughly 8.6 million tonnes. Sales in euros far outpacing tonnes is premiumization written into a single ratio: people are trading up, not just buying more.
Read the methodology
These figures cover 41 of the 48 Council of Europe states (Russia excluded), and from this edition the data carries a two-year lag — the 2026 report reflects 2024. It is the most authoritative pan-European pet dataset there is; just don't mistake it for real-time.
For suppliers, the cat-versus-dog gap is the operative detail. Cats are obligate carnivores with an outsized appetite for animal protein and palatants — so a continent with 110.9 million of them is a continent with a permanent, structural demand for exactly the raw materials we handle.
The 4DW Angle
Every number in this census points the same way: a large, premiumizing, cat-heavy market that runs on documented animal protein. That is the market our CAT 3 lines into Europe are built to serve — and it keeps getting bigger.
▮ Frequently asked questions
How many pets are there in Europe?
FEDIAF's Facts & Figures 2026 counts 306 million pets in European homes, with cats at 110.9 million outnumbering dogs at 91.2 million. Nearly half of European households — around 140 million homes — now share their space with an animal, making it the most authoritative pan-European pet dataset available.
How big is the European pet food market?
Europe's pets ate through €29.4 billion of pet food across roughly 8.6 million tonnes, according to FEDIAF 2026. Euro sales far outpacing tonnes is premiumization written into a single ratio — people are trading up, not just buying more — which lifts demand for documented, higher-value animal protein.
Are there more cats or dogs in Europe?
Cats outnumber dogs in Europe, 110.9 million to 91.2 million, per FEDIAF 2026. That gap matters for suppliers: cats are obligate carnivores with an outsized appetite for animal protein and palatants, so a cat-heavy continent carries a permanent, structural demand for exactly those raw materials.
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