ST. LOUIS, MO. — Kibble or can? The answer speaks volumes about pet parents. Dogs and cats come running whether they hear a bag, can or pouch opening. However, pet parents show considerable differences in attitudes and preferences depending on whether they shop for wet formats or dry kibble.

New 2025 survey data from Nextin Research by MarketPlace of dog and cat owners reveals that the differences between preferences for wet and dry food are indicative of other attitudes. While the survey reveals many similarities between wet and dry food shoppers, the data highlights important insights in the contrasts between these groups on a per-species basis.

Pet food and biotics

Among cat parents, the wet food cohort was more likely to consider cat food with gut benefits. About 57% of wet food cat parents said the attribute “contains probiotics” influences their purchase decision, compared to 50% of dry food cat parents. Likewise, “contains prebiotics” was also favored by wet cat food shoppers.

Similarly, dog parents who buy wet food are also more likely than their kibble counterparts to show interest in gut health ingredients, with 63% saying probiotic ingredients influence their dog food purchase decision. On the other hand (or paw, as it were), 57% of dry dog food shoppers said the same.

Preferences for treats 

Dry and wet cat food shoppers preferred various treat formats at similar rates. However, the wet cat food group was seven percentage points more likely than those who prefer dry cat food to have had positive experiences with lickable treats. Compared to average cat parents, members of the wet group also tended to give a larger variety of treat types and were nine percentage points more likely to give dental treats.

In contrast, wet dog food shoppers were somewhat less likely than dry dog food shoppers to purchase certain dental products like water additives and teeth wipes. While 77% of dry kibble dog food shoppers report having purchased dog treats in the prior year, wet dog food shoppers,  were somewhat less likely to say the same at 71%

Protein type

Insects are a cutting-edge protein source but are yet to catch on with most dog parents. Interestingly, dry dog food shoppers showed more sensitivity to products with insects as the first ingredient compared to the wet dog food group. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of dry dog food shoppers said seeing black soldier fly larvae as the first ingredient in dog food would make them less likely to purchase it. Similarly, 58% of dry dog food shoppers said the same for crickets as the first ingredient versus 48% of dog parents who feed wet food.

Among cat parents, protein type was a major driver of purchase decisions, with a wide range of options in their consideration set. Compared to average cat parents, wet cat food shoppers are more likely to consider giving their cat a sample of cat food made with beef, chicken, lamb, rabbit, salmon, tuna and turkey.

Implications for brands

Pet food brands should treat dry and wet food shoppers as similar consumer segments with important distinctions, as certain preferences emerge as influential in decision making within each subgroup. For example, wet food purchasers appear to be more concerned about palatability and are pickier than dry food shoppers. On a per-species basis, differences in preference are even more apparent. Formulators and marketers can understand and lean into these nuanced differences in perceptions of functional ingredients, protein types and formats by using key takeaways and insights from consumer preference data in new product R&D and messaging.   

Jon Copeland leads an insights team at MarketPlace that specializes in consumer research for business and brand strategy. With a focus on pet and human nutrition categories, his work has generated insights into consumers’ motivations and behaviors. For the past several years, Copeland has built a body of pet category research based on an annual survey of pet parents that is available on MarketPlace's syndicated research platform: NextinResearch.com.

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