cat and dog sitting together outside
General tips,  Pets

Most Popular Pet Trends to look for in 2018

As a pet owner we love our pets as one of our own family members. In particularly, in the USA, pet owners as consumers spend billions of dollars annually on our pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, last year in 2017 pet owners spent and estimated $69.36 billion dollars on our pets. That’s a lot of money! On the other hand, is there anything we wouldn’t do to spoil our fur babies just a little bit? With the new year here and with these facts in mind, I wanted to explore the most popular pet trends to look out for in 2018. This list will explore what trends are growing in popularity as well as new products and ideas gaining momentum.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the links.

Food Trends

In looking at the food trends currently happening and growing in 2018, there is an emphasis on quality nutritious pet food. Seeing how our own human food industry has been under scrutiny, the same is true for the pet food industry. From issues of containing grain, GMOs and other toxic chemicals, pet parents nationwide are becoming more informed and advocating for transparency regarding knowing what is in our pet’s food.

With this emphasis on quality food ingredients, some of the trends that will continue to grow in 2018 are as follows:

  • Continued focus on quality ingredients (i.e. GMO free, grain free, etc.)
  • Customized pet food to relieve ailments (i.e. probiotics to help digestive issues or ingredients to alleviate joint issues in senior pets, etc.)
  • Preventative focused pet food that encourages proper vitamins /minerals for pet longevity
  • Pet food that is highly protein based which mimics a pet’s natural carnivore diet
  • Online ordering and pet food delivery services
  • Raw food and/or DIY food preparation

Travel

Secondly, our fur kids are part of the family and that means they travel with us too. Adventures are not limited to  only the backyard. So, in 2018, the following travel trends will continue to grow and take off.

  • Pet friendly travel apps
  • Emphasis on car safety and buckling up (i.e. Sleepypods with strap attachments for cats/dogs traveling by car)
  • Increase in luggage options for pets that fly on airlines
  • Pet friendly travel activities (i.e. dog friendly restaurants, trails, and adventures) The website www.gopetfriendly.com is one resource for options to explore.
  • Growing amount of hotels accommodations for pet owners and those with service animals. A few pet friendly websites you can look into are listed below:

www.takeyourpet.com

www.bringfido.com

www.pet-friendly-hotels.net

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infographic most popular pet trends to look for in 2018 PIN

Services

Lastly, since our furry family members are family, we can often times spoil them as such too. In the 21st century our lives continue to get busier and busier and thus, we have to find ways to ensure our pets are taken care of. And in some cases, pet owners want to ensure their pets have a way to decompress and relax as well. So, concierge like services from spa treatments to doggy day care, will continue to grow in popularity. Here are a few trends that will continue to flourish in 2018.

  • Dog training services
  • Pet sitting
  • Mobile pet grooming
  • Pet photography sessions
  • Pet spa services
  • Exclusive pet hotels
  • Pet tracker technology

Owning a pet is one of my greatest privileges I’ve had in my life. I look forward to the day I adopt again. For those of you with furry family members at home, I hope you have found this 2018 Pet trends list insightful and helpful. Take care of your furry family member(s) and I wish you all good health, prosperity in 2018!

If you are looking for bucket list ideas to try this year, check out my other blog post 6 Bucket List ideas to Try with your pet.

What do you think of these pet industry trends for 2018? Have you tried any of these ideas yet? Are there any other trends you’ve seen on the horizon? Comment below and let me know your thoughts.

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Most Popular Pet Trends to look for in 2018

Sources:

https://www.thebalance.com/hot-industry-trends-in-pet-businesses-2660622

https://www.tripswithpets.com/twp-blog/top-5-pet-travel-trends

http://petslady.com/article/5-top-pet-food-market-trends-2018

http://www.vmdtoday.com/news/pampered-pet-trends-for-2018

http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp